C Cade Mays
Age: 26
Rank on The Athletic’s free agent list: 38
The Panthers want Mays back after he started a career-high 12 games in 2025. But given that Mays is the third-highest ranked center on The Athletic’s list of the top 150 free agents — behind the Baltimore Ravens’ Tyler Linderbaum (sixth) and the Buffalo Bills’ Connor McGovern (24th) — Morgan may find the bidding too high. The Panthers already are investing a lot in the interior line with Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, who’s a candidate to be extended. Will Morgan want to spend $8 million a year on a center?
Verdict: Going
RB Rico Dowdle
Age: 27
Rank: 53
Dowdle bet on himself last offseason and cashed in by rushing for 1,000 yards for the second consecutive year and hitting on nearly all of his incentives. The former Dallas Cowboys back is looking for a multiyear deal, preferably with a team where he won’t have to share the carries. The Panthers are content rolling with Chuba Hubbard as their workhorse, and want to see what they have in Trevor Etienne and Jonathon Brooks, who’s returning from his second ACL surgery.
Verdict: Going