CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The coaching carousel spun at its usual brisk pace, and the quarterback merry-go-round is about to do the same.
The New Orleans Saints had to wait until after the Super Bowl to hire a head coach. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw their offensive coordinator bolt for a head-coaching position for the second year in a row. And the Atlanta Falcons fired their defensive coordinator after one season.
Meanwhile in Charlotte, it’s been an uneventful offseason for a change, almost to the point of boring.
Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales made a few staff moves but retained all three of his coordinators. And barring something unforeseen, the Panthers will enter a season with the same head coach, general manager and quarterback for the first time since 2019, when Ron Rivera, Marty Hurney and Cam Newton held those spots.
But there’s still plenty of work to be done for a franchise that finished 5-12 last year and hasn’t had a winning season since David Tepper bought the team in 2018. The relative quiet since early January will be broken Tuesday when Canales and GM Dan Morgan are scheduled to address the media at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. It will be their first news conferences since the day after the season ended with a 44-38 overtime win at the Atlanta Falcons.
Here are eight Panthers-related storylines The Athletic will be following in Indy:
Will Morgan get defensive this year?
Though it didn’t come from the Panthers’ podium appearances, last year’s combine was when word got out that Morgan was looking for free-agent guards — as in multiple free-agent guards. A couple of weeks later, the Panthers agreed to lucrative deals with Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, who were instrumental in the improved pass rush that helped key Young’s turnaround in the second half of the season. With the offensive line in good shape, Morgan needs to turn his attention to the defense, which allowed the most points in NFL history and became the fourth team to give up 3,000 rushing yards. Morgan said in January he has to give defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero more to work with, and help is needed at all three levels. If Morgan doesn’t double down at a specific position, it’s only because there are too many other holes to fill.
Is Jalon Walker worthy of a top-10 pick?
The Georgia linebacker has become a popular pick for the Panthers at No. 8 in many mock drafts, including The Athletic’s. Walker played off the ball for the Bulldogs, but most believe he has the athleticism to thrive as a run stopper and an edge rusher at the next level. Dane Brugler has Walker ranked third overall on his most recent big board, calling him “an outstanding space athlete because of his long, rangy frame, as well as his burst, change of direction and closing speed.” But not everyone is as high on Walker. Two veteran personnel officials said this week they don’t view the 6-foot-2, 245-pounder as a top-10 pick. According to the NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, Walker is “nursing some things” and might not run or do all the combine testing. But given what those at Georgia say about his character and makeup, Walker is expected to impress in his interviews.
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Assessing whether the Panthers are interested in trading back
Morgan likely will say he’s keeping his options open with the eighth pick because that’s what GMs always say. But given their myriad needs, the Panthers would seem much more likely to trade back for picks than give up draft capital to move up. Hindering any team’s efforts to trade back is a quarterback class with a steep drop-off after Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. Most scouts and experts view Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart as the third-best QB in the class but peg him as a late first- or early second-round pick. The Panthers have landed some big-time players with the eighth pick over the years, from Jordan Gross to Christian McCaffrey and Jaycee Horn.
Speaking of Horn, will Morgan or Canales have an update on extension talks with the CB?
Morgan has been clear that getting a long-term deal done with Horn is the priority after the team extended running back Chuba Hubbard in the fall. Horn, 25, changed his offseason regimen last year to stay on the field, then played in 15 games, set career highs in pass breakups (13) and tackles (68) and made his first Pro Bowl. The Panthers ideally will get something done with Horn before free agency, so they’ll know how much they have to allocate to other positions. If not, Horn is under contract at $12.5 million for 2025 on his fifth-year option, though it would be more advantageous for this year’s cap to sign Horn to an extension. Patrick Surtain II, drafted one pick behind Horn in 2021, signed a four-year, $96 million contract last September. But Surtain has played in 29 more games than Horn, is a two-time first-team All-Pro selection and was the NFL’s defensive player of the year in 2024.
Jaycee Horn made his first Pro Bowl last season. (Bob Donnan / Imagn Images)
The team’s plans with its free agents
The Panthers are bringing back the two oldest players on the team after re-signing QB Andy Dalton and long snapper J.J. Jansen. But the expectation is they’ll move on from LB Shaq Thompson, the second-longest-tenured player behind Jansen. After season-ending leg injuries the past two years, Thompson said in January he’d love to end his career in Charlotte. “But it’s up to them,” he added. “These two injuries … there’s nothing I can do.” My sense is the Panthers also won’t re-sign K Eddy Pineiro or TE Ian Thomas. But there are a handful of players they’d like back at the right price. They recently pushed back the void date on center Austin Corbett’s contract to March 11, giving them an extra three weeks to get a deal done with a player who, when healthy, can anchor the middle of the line. The Panthers would like to re-sign special teams captain Sam Franklin, and TE Tommy Tremble and WR David Moore could be back on short-term deals. Other starters (or starter-level players) such as CB Mike Jackson, S Xavier Woods, P Johnny Hekker and OL Brady Christensen likely will hit free agency, but the Panthers could re-engage if they don’t find robust markets.
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Who’s the No. 2 running back behind Hubbard?
Morgan and Canales haven’t addressed Jonathon Brooks’ status since last year’s second-round pick underwent a second ACL surgery on his right knee in January, as The Athletic first reported. Brooks is expected to miss most if not all of 2025 after going down on a non-contact play at Philadelphia in Week 14. Meanwhile, Miles Sanders is a likely salary-cap cut unless the veteran back agrees to a pay cut. The Panthers can save $5.23 million by releasing Sanders, who’s due a $1 million roster bonus March 14. It will be interesting to hear what the Panthers say about Brooks and Sanders.
What about the offense?
Fixing the defense should be the priority, but the Panthers need to keep adding pieces around Young, who took a major step forward in Year 2. Morgan was asked in January whether the team needed a playmaking receiver; he sidestepped by saying the Panthers needed playmakers “all over the place.” The Panthers return their top four receivers. But Adam Thielen turns 35 in August, and Xavier Legette, last year’s first-round pick, struggled with drops and consistency as a rookie. The more pressing need could be tight end, where second-year Ja’Tavion Sanders would be the lone returnee if Tremble and Thomas move on. It’s hard not to think about what Penn State tight end Tyler Warren could bring to the offense.
Position drills the Panthers will be watching most closely
It’s always fun to see the throwing workouts because those are the drills that most closely resemble real football in Indy. Considering all the one-handed catches and other highlight-reel plays Arizona wideout Tetairoa McMillan made in college, he could put on a show in Indy if he participates. Penn State listed Warren at 6-6 and 261 pounds. Teams will be interested in his combine measurements and 40 time. But the deepest position in Indy will be the defensive line. That’s helpful with the Panthers looking to upgrade at nose tackle, where Shy Tuttle is another potential cap cut. Brugler had 31 defensive line prospects — edge rushers and interior players — among the 100 players on his big board, plus another dozen he said he hated to leave out. A personnel official with an NFC team said quality defensive linemen will still be available in the fourth round.
(Top photo of Dan Morgan: Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images)
