Joe Person's dance party: Panthers free-agent predictions: Who will be back, who will be gone in 2026?

[TheSpecialJuan]

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

[TheSpecialJuan]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7082018/2026/03/03/panthers-free-agent-predictions-cade-mays-rico-dowdle/

[TheSpecialJuan]

OT Yosh Nijman

Age: 30

Rank: 108

Nijman’s importance to the Panthers increased in January when left tackle Ikem Ekwonu ruptured his patellar tendon in the first quarter of the wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams. At a minimum, the Panthers need a dependable tackle for at least part of the 2026 season while Ekwonu recovers. They could do worse than the 6-7, 314-pound Nijman, who’s a powerful run blocker but not as consistent while pass blocking. Pairing Nijman with a highly drafted tackle seems like a sensible way to address the position for the short and long terms.

Verdict: Staying

[TheSpecialJuan]

LB Christian Rozeboom

Age: 29

When the Panthers brought in Rozeboom on a one-year deal last winter, the idea was that he would be a core special teams player and back up Josey Jewell. But when Jewell was released in July to focus on his health, Rozeboom immediately became a full-time starter. The former Ram responded with a team-leading 122 tackles over 15 starts, but was a liability in coverage. The sense from some in league circles is that Morgan will pay an off-ball linebacker in free agency. But that wouldn’t preclude the Panthers from bringing Rozeboom back in the role they originally envisioned for him.

Verdict: Staying

[shaqattaq]

I wholeheartedly agree with everything Joe says here.

Rico has earned the right to get RB1 money. Just not from us.

Would love to get Mays back if we didn't have so much cash tied up in o-line.

Rozeboom is a backup, not a starter. Let him do that (cheaply) here.

We need Nijman back and his agent knows this. I'm fine overpaying slightly and drafting a LT in the 1st or 2nd round. The fact that he made the list at all tells you how dire FA is at the tackle position. Like Rozeboom, he's a backup, not a starter. Hopefully we hit in the draft and he can return to his wing tackle back-up role.

I'm kind of surprised that Christensen wasn't mentioned. He's been a solid backup for us for years and can play all 5 positions (although he was a big drop off at C).

Edited 2 hours ago by shaqattaq