CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The headliners were largely responsible for the positive response that NFL observers had for the Carolina Panthers’ free-agent class. Still, it was a series of lower-profile additions — all but one signed to one-year deals — that filled gaps on the depth chart and meant president of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan wouldn’t have to reach for a positional need during next month’s draft.
In addition to bringing in 10 external free agents, a group highlighted by Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd, the Panthers also re-signed eight of their 18 unrestricted free agents.
“We were able to retain a lot of our own, go outside the building and sign some free agents we’re really excited about,” said Morgan, beginning his third year as general manager. “I felt like having that depth and frontline players that we added in free agency, it really gives us a lot of flexibility headed into the draft to draft the best available player.”
The Panthers added a pair of offensive linemen who likely will be Week 1 starters and kept their specialists group intact by re-signing long snapper J.J. Jansen and punter Sam Martin. Martin, who agreed to a two-year, $3.75 million contract, is the only player to receive a multiyear deal besides Phillips and Lloyd. And Martin’s deal includes no guaranteed money for 2027, according to Over the Cap.
“It’s really important just to fill out your roster and add that depth and competition that I talked about before,” Morgan added. “So one-year deals, guys we think can help our team immediately, guys that are gonna compete and just add depth and competition to different position groups.”
A month before the draft, The Athletic examines Carolina’s current roster, where the remaining needs are and how the free-agency moves will impact draft plans.
(Returning players who signed new deals with the Panthers are listed in italics. Players on the roster last season who have yet to sign elsewhere in free agency are noted with an asterisk.)
Quarterback
Returning: Bryce Young
Added: Kenny Pickett
Gone: Andy Dalton
Level of need: Low
The Panthers did not try to mask their intentions at QB2, with Morgan signaling at the end of the season that he hoped to find a younger and more mobile quarterback to back up Young. After signing Pickett to a one-year, $4 million contract, Morgan traded Dalton to Philadelphia for the Eagles’ seventh-round pick in 2027. The Panthers evaluated other options, such as Zach Wilson and Trey Lance. Yet, coach Dave Canales was high on Pickett after spending time with him before the 2022 draft. “I think mobility is big in this league,” Morgan said. “So adding a guy like Kenny Pickett (who) can move outside the pocket if he needs to, create with his legs if he needs to, those are all things that were really intriguing to us.”
Running back
Returning: Chuba Hubbard, Jonathon Brooks, Trevor Etienne
Added: AJ Dillon
Gone: Rico Dowdle
Level of need: Moderate
Whether the Panthers view running back as a moderate or low need depends on their confidence that Brooks can regain his pre-injury form after missing last season following a second ACL surgery on his right knee. Morgan expressed optimism about Brooks at the combine and again last week, but did not offer a timeline for his return. Etienne was primarily a return specialist as a rookie, but Morgan believes the 2025 fourth-round pick is “one of those rising stars in this league.” Dillon was buried on the Eagles’ depth chart last year after missing the 2024 season with a neck injury. Dillon, who is 6-foot, 247 pounds, could be a short-yardage specialist.
AJ Dillon had three 600-plus yard rushing seasons with Green Bay before missing the 2024 season and being limited last season in Philadelphia. (Vincent Carchietta / Imagn Images)
Wide receiver
Returning: Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker, Jimmy Horn Jr., David Moore, Brycen Tremayne, Dan Chisena
Added: John Metchie
Level of need: Low
Coker and Tremayne were exclusive rights free agents. It was a no-brainer to tender both, considering Coker has surpassed Legette as WR2 and Tremayne’s value on special teams and as a blocker in the run game. Metchie was a 1,100-yard receiver and caught eight touchdowns at Alabama in 2021 during Young’s Heisman Trophy-winning season. He sat out his rookie season after being diagnosed with leukemia and hasn’t had much production since. “He hasn’t been as consistent as he’s wanted to be,” Morgan said. “But there’s a lot of upside there.” Depending on how the board falls, it’s not out of the question that Morgan takes a first-round receiver for the third straight year.
Tight end
Returning: Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Mitchell Evans, James Mitchell
Added: Feleipe Franks
Level of need: Moderate
The Panthers haven’t had a big-time receiving threat since Greg Olsen left for Seattle after the 2019 season. That’s a long stretch that could end in April if Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq somehow slipped to 19. He almost certainly won’t, though Morgan could still dip into a deep tight end class later in the draft weekend.
Offensive line
Returning: Ikem Ekwonu, Damien Lewis, Robert Hunt, Taylor Moton, Chandler Zavala, Nick Samac
Added: Luke Fortner, Rasheed Walker, Stone Forsythe
Gone: Cade Mays, Yosh Nijman, *Austin Corbett, *Brady Christensen, *Jake Curhan
Level of need: Moderate
The Panthers were hoping to bring back Nijman as the temporary replacement for Ekwonu at left tackle before the 30-year-old retired, a move Morgan said caught the organization “a little off guard.” Morgan quickly pivoted to Walker, signing the former Green Bay Packers starter to a one-year, $4 million deal, a bargain compared to Walker’s market projections. Given the uncertainty around Ekwonu’s return from patellar tendon surgery and that Moton is showing some wear and tear as he prepares for his age-32 season, drafting a tackle at 19 seems like a smart bet.
Rasheed Walker made at least 15 starts in each of the past three seasons with the Packers. (Jeff Hanisch / Imagn Images)
Defensive line
Returning: Derrick Brown, Tershawn Wharton, Bobby Brown III, Cam Jackson, LaBryan Ray
Gone: A’Shawn Robinson
Level of need: Moderate
The Panthers will have to replace the production they lost in A’Shawn Robinson, a salary-cap casualty who combined for 145 tackles and eight sacks in two seasons. They’re hoping Wharton can stay healthy after he missed eight games in 2025 after signing a three-year, $45 million contract. With Robinson gone, the gigantic Jackson (6-foot-6, 328 pounds) should get a longer look than he did as a rookie.
Outside linebacker
Returning: Patrick Jones II, Nic Scourton, Princely Umanmielen, Trevis Gipson, Thomas Incoom
Added: Jaelan Phillips, Nick Hampton
Gone: D.J. Wonnum
Level of need: Low
Edge rusher went from a position of high need to low with the addition of Phillips. That’s what $120 million will buy you. After getting outbid for defensive lineman Milton Williams in 2025, the Panthers weren’t going to miss out on their top free-agent target this year, even if it meant overpaying a player they believe can energize an anemic pass rush. Morgan also praised Phillips’ run-stopping skills last week, saying: “He’s a guy that can make an impact just chasing the ball and running ball-carriers down.”
Inside linebacker
Returning: Trevin Wallace, Bam Martin-Scott, Maema Njongmeta, Claudin Cherelus, Jacoby Windmon
Added: Devin Lloyd
Gone: Christian Rozeboom, *Krys Barnes
Level of need: Low
The Panthers were scrambling at off-ball linebacker last summer when Rozeboom, a player they brought in as a special teams ace and depth piece, was forced into a starting role when Josey Jewell couldn’t clear the concussion protocol. Wallace’s shoulder injury later in the season further complicated things. However, the LB room is in much better shape with the arrival of Lloyd, who played in the Pro Bowl last year after the Jacksonville Jaguars declined to pick up his fifth-year option.
Cornerback
Returning: Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson, Chau Smith-Wade, Corey Thornton, Akayleb Evans, Robert Rochell
Gone: *Damarri Mathis
Level of need: Low
Other than bringing in someone to compete with Smith-Wade at nickel, it’s probably best to leave well enough alone with this group. After Horn and Jackson received new contracts in 2025, they only combined for nine interceptions and 27 passes defensed. With Jackson entering a contract year, the Panthers could consider drafting his successor if they don’t plan on extending him.
Safety
Returning: Tre’von Moehrig, Nick Scott, Lathan Ransom, Isaiah Simmons, Demani Richardson
Level of need: Moderate
A year after overhauling nearly the entire safety room, it’s been a quiet offseason at the position. Scott, who was second on the team with a career-high 111 tackles in 2025, is back on a one-year deal. The Panthers wouldn’t mind having a rangy, ballhawk-type safety to pair with Moehrig. There are a couple of intriguing possibilities in the draft in Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman and South Carolina’s Jalon Kilgore.
Specialists
Returning: K Ryan Fitzgerald, P Sam Martin, LS J.J. Jansen
Level of need: Low
After retaining Martin and the eternal Panther Jansen, that’s low as in none.