TheSpecialJuan

Carolina Panthers · OLB Jadeveon Clowney ($7.8M) · OLB D.J. Wonnum ($6.2M) · RB Miles Sanders ($5.3M) · DL A’Shawn Robinson ($5.5M) · OT Yosh Nijman ($3.7M) · CB Dane Jackson ($3.4M) · DT Shy Tuttle ($3.3M) · WR Adam Thielen ($3M) The Panthers don’t have nearly the amount of cap space you’d expect for a team lacking as much talent as they do. They don’t even have a high-priced quarterback deal gobbling up space, with former No. 1 pick Bryce Young making about $8.5 million a year on his deal. Carolina’s been active the past two years in free agency to try and fill out the roster and the bulk of their space is dedicated to those deals. The team has had to guarantee money into the second year of a lot of contracts to lure players, and fortunately for GM Dan Morgan, his hit rate is looking better than his predecessor. Clowney and Wonnum were both signed as Carolina rebuilt its edge rusher room nearly from scratch following the trade of DE Brian Burns to the Giants. Both players have been solid when they have been on the field, which took a while for Wonnum due to complications from a torn quad that ended his 2023 season. I don’t see the Panthers wanting to take a step back here even if they’ll almost certainly add to the room, and neither Clowney nor Wonnum are making salaries out of line with the market. Thielen has continued to be productive despite pushing into his mid-30s, so his chances of coming back look a lot better than they did a few months ago. Still, he’s due $6.75 million in 2025, and his status might depend on whether the Panthers are able to add more punch to their receiving corps. Second-round WR Xavier Legette and UDFA WR Jalen Coker have had intriguing rookie seasons but if Carolina took just that trio into 2025, it’d be uninspiring. Thielen’s salary is harder to justify if he’s fourth on the depth chart. A $1.5 million roster bonus is due March 17, which will push the Panthers to make a quick decision. He could also retire. Sanders might have been cut this past offseason had his salary not already been guaranteed, so even with the uncertainty in the team’s backfield behind incumbent RB Chuba Hubbard, it’s hard to see Sanders back. Nijman was signed as insurance at tackle, but wasn’t healthy enough to play when LT Ikem Ekwonu missed some time. Carolina wants to be strong up front but they’re paying Nijman a premium for a swing tackle right now. The status of Robinson and Tuttle could depend on how much DC Ejiro Evero changes things up. He’ll remain in Carolina despite a horrendous season and both players were signed the past two years because they fit his scheme. Yet in that span, the Panthers have had the worst rush defense in football. Robinson is probably safer than Tuttle. Jackson was benched after missing significant time with a hamstring injury. He has $1 million already guaranteed in 2025 but that might not be enough to save him from being cut.

https://x.com/josephperson/status/1884330024221995181?s=46&t=xeIgh_-Vr2aKxBkBJdfnKA

https://x.com/panthersbreakd/status/1884258455147409757?s=46&t=xeIgh_-Vr2aKxBkBJdfnKA

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports the Jaguars have requested an interview with Panthers pass game coordinator Jonathan Cooley for their DC opening. Fowler mentions that Cooley worked with new Jaguars HC Liam Coen with the Rams in 2020 and 2022

https://x.com/panthersbreakd/status/1883906635091120181?s=46&t=xeIgh_-Vr2aKxBkBJdfnKA

Really good rosters this year 3 1st round prospects - Shadeur, Grant (Michigan DT), and CB Ravel who’s injured

https://x.com/panthersbreakd/status/1883540859528134798?s=46&t=xeIgh_-Vr2aKxBkBJdfnKA

1. Titans - Abdul Carter 2. Brown - Travis Hunter 3. Giants - Cam Ward 4. Patriots - Will Campbell 5. Jaguars - Mason Graham 6. Raiders - Shadeur Sanders 7. Jets - Tyler Warren 8. Panthers - Tetaira McMillan https://www.nfl.com/news/daniel-jeremiah-2025-nfl-mock-draft-1-0

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6081684/2025/01/23/panthers-unrestricted-free-agent-rankings/

The Athletic asked three veteran personnel officials to rank the Panthers’ top 10 free agents and their responses were kind of all over the board, perhaps reflective of the group’s lack of star power. We combined their responses and took the averages to come up with these rankings, which reflect the level of interest the personnel vets anticipate the Panthers’ free agents would get on the open market. 1. (tie) S Xavier Woods Woods has been a mainstay on the back end of the Panthers’ defense since signing a three-year, $15.75 million contract in 2022. Despite starting 46 games over the past three seasons, Woods could be part of a mass exodus as Dave Canales and defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero look to remake the safety room. Woods is the most accomplished of the five free-agent safeties (Jordan Fuller, Nick Scott, Sam Franklin and Lonnie Johnson are the others). The 29-year-old finished among the top four safeties in 2024 when he played every defensive snap and led Carolina in total tackles (119), solo tackles (72) and interceptions (three) 1. (tie) S Sam Franklin Franklin’s teammates voted him the special teams captain before the season when he was out with a broken foot. When Franklin returned in Week 8, he quickly resumed his place as a gunner and trusted special teams player. Franklin finished third on the team with eight special teams tackles despite missing seven games. He also was among the league leaders in a more dubious category. The emotional Franklin’s three unnecessary roughness penalties were tied for second in a group that also included Woods. One of the personnel executives called Franklin “a top-5 gunner” across the league. 3. TE Tommy Tremble Tremble, veteran Ian Thomas and special teams ace Feleipe Franks are all free agents. Thomas has seemingly had nine lives in the organization, but Tremble is four years younger than Thomas and the easy choice if the Panthers plan to retain one of the TEs. Tremble battled back issues for much of 2024 but still put up receiving numbers (23 catches on 32 targets for 234 yards and two TDs) nearly identical to those from his previous two seasons. Tremble may not be a Pro Bowler, but he can block and catch, works hard (and is Chuba Hubbard’s partner on the JUGS machine) and is worth bringing back to pair with Ja’Tavion Sanders.

Colin Cole alert

Fatboy

This explains why the Panthers are not retaining their passing game coordinator, Nathan Carroll, Pete's son

Jerrod Clark, 25, originally signed on with the LA Chargers as an undrafted free agent out of Coastal Carolina in 2023. He was among Los Angeles’ final roster cuts as a rookie and re-signed to their practice squad. The Chargers signed him to a futures deal in January of last year but was among their final roster cuts, once again. He recently caught on with the UFL’s Arlington Renegades.

https://x.com/primetimecar/status/1882599056645771700?s=46&t=xeIgh_-Vr2aKxBkBJdfnKA

https://x.com/khamp177/status/1882585192294154622?s=46&t=xeIgh_-Vr2aKxBkBJdfnKA

His play is going to make Dane Jackson expendable in a few weeks

Another RB https://x.com/panthersbreakd/status/1882479082559910335?s=46&t=xeIgh_-Vr2aKxBkBJdfnKA

CORNERBACK Chau Smith-Wade, Carolina Panthers Snaps from Week 1-9: 130 | Grade from Week 1-9: 36.5 Snaps from Week 10-18: 171 | Grade from Week 10-18: 66.7 The Panthers’ rookie fifth-round pick saw his role grow in the second half of the season. Smith-Wade’s 67.6 coverage grade was 41st among cornerbacks from Week 10 onwards, and he allowed just nine catches in 110 coverage snaps, giving up just 71 receiving yards.

Tommy Tremble, Carolina Panthers Snaps from Week 1-9: 200 | Grade from Week 1-9: 46.1 Snaps from Week 10-18: 318 | Grade from Week 10-18: 61.4 Tremble missed time in the middle of the season due to a concussion and a back injury, but that didn’t stop him from improving upon his early season grade. The fourth-year tight end caught 14 of 17 targets thrown his way in the second half of the season for 162 yards and two touchdowns, and his 6.2 yards after the catch per reception was 19th among tight ends.

Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers Snaps from Week 1-9: 109 | Grade from Week 1-9: 63.7 Snaps from Week 10-18: 320 | Grade from Week 10-18: 79.4 Thielen returned from injury with a bang in the second half of the season. After catching just eight passes in the first three games of the season, Thielen went on to catch 40 passes for 506 yards and four touchdowns from Week 10 onwards. His reception rate of 80.0% was seventh-highest of all receivers in the second half of the season.

Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers Snaps from Week 1-9: 228 | Grade from Week 1-9: 51.5 Snaps from Week 10-18: 500 | Grade from Week 10-18: 86.4 Young’s second-half resurgence was a shock to many. The former No. 1 overall pick looked dead and buried after being benched by the Panthers in the first two weeks of the season, but Young stepped back into the lineup following an injury to Andy Dalton and never looked back. Young had 22 big-time throws in the second half of the season, the second-most in the NFL, and he finished with the seventh-most in 2024 (27). https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-second-half-risers-5-most-improved-players-at-every-position-over-the-second-half-of-the-2024-season