Darin Gantt

CHARLOTTE This has been a fairly quiet week, which is fine; it needed to be.

Because all the Panthers really did the week before was remake a defense in a hurry, which needed to be remade.

From locking up franchise cornerstoneJaycee Horn, keepingMike Jacksonon the other side of the secondary, and then systematically agreeing to deals withTre'von Moehrig,Patrick Jones II,Tershawn Wharton, andBobby Brown III, they gave a side that needed it a good freshening up. That work will continue during the draft.

But this was to be expected. We're quickly finding out that when general manager Dan Morgan tells you he intends to do something, it's a good idea to believe it. At the combine, he said he was going to attack the defense the same way he did the offensive line a year ago.

And he did.

It looks completely different on that side of the ball now, which it needed to after allowing the most points in a single season in NFL history.

But now they're deeper up front; they added a pass-rusher and a playmaking safety while keeping an elite corner, and the guy who helped them lead the league in passes defensed by a corner tandem. It was quite a start, especially considering they also mixed in another 1,000-yard rusher inRico Dowdleand retained the entire offensive line. If that sounds like a lot, it was.Updating the Free Agency Tracker (which is still moving) was like an extra full-time job.

The draft is a month away, and that's already where the focus is. Morgan loves nothing better than disappearing into the draft room to watch film. If his co-workers can't find him, that's the first place they go look. So, for the next month, the focus is on that critical part of the equation.

Until then, you had plenty of questions about the early moves and what comes next.

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Hi Darin. It's been a minute since I checked in, but I have enjoyed reading the Mailbag each week. I really like the way Dan Morgan is going about building the team both last year and seemingly this year, as well. It looks like he is filling the biggest needs of the club with free agents at key positions, plus keeping the high-value incumbents. That's good for the team as well as for the fanbase. I think this will allow him some leeway in the draft to pick the best player rather than being locked into a position of need with every pick. I am excited to see if the defense makes the same strides in '25 as the offense did in '24. If so, this will be a fun team to watch, and we're apt to see quite a few more Ws this year. Lord knows we all need some positive energy flowing here in the Carolinas. Don't be a stranger; the High Country is still open to business! Ashe County Strong!Chuck, West Jefferson, NC

We'll see how all the individual decisions work out, but the plan as a whole has followed a logical sequence.

Extending Horn is a signal as well as a practical move. Guys who can do what he does are rare, and when he's one of your own, you extend him. Now they've done that two years in a row with first-round picks after last year's deal forDerrick Brown, which is a sign that you're doing business the right way and also that you made good picks in the first round.Ikem Ekwonuwould be next on that list, and Morgan has already said he wants to extend him as well to maintain that base on the offensive line he spent building last year.

Keeping your own guys that you want to build around and filling in blanks in free agency allows you to draft more guys you want to build around in the future. It's cyclical. The draft should never be a one-year consideration. You're always thinking about the future if you're thinking correctly.

And with the busy free agency, Morgan has greatly reduced the actual needs of the team. The only real vacancies on the depth chart at the moment are at safety, returner, and then depth in a lot of spots. That doesn't mean the roster is in perfect shape; it's probably going to take another year and good drafts to get it to the point they want it. But having qualified defensive linemen surrounding Brown is a start, as is retaining the top nine offensive linemen from last season, when they took significant steps in pass protection and the run game.

Chuck nailed it, gang, and for his prescience and positivity, he's this week's Friend Of The Mailbag, and we'll get the appropriate honorarium on the way to the High Country soon. Hopefully, I can chase it up the mountain and possibly attain the kind of wisdom Chuck has, that only comes with altitude.

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I was surprised and happy to see Dan Morgan so active in free agency. However, I will still be disappointed if he doesn't use the first three or four picks on defensive players. What say you? Also, any educated guess on who will be the first pick? Thanks. Love your content.Clarence, Forest City, NC

It's justifiable. They need a lot of dudes on that side of the ball. Of course, they're also in the market for some future parts at some other positions (wide receiver, in particular), but the defense needs to get to the point where you don't have to add six starters or regular contributors in a single offseason.

When you look down the road, the Panthers only have eight defensive players under contract through 2027 or beyond. (Horn, both Browns [Derrick and Bobby], Wharton, Moehrig, and 2024 draft picksTrevin Wallace,Chau Smith-Wade, andJaden Crumedy.)

My educated guess on the first pick is that he'll be someone to chase quarterbacks. That's the biggest need around here. Even though you added 13.5 sacks in Wharton and Jones, you still need people there, particularly at outside linebacker. If you can find someone at No. 8 who can anchor one of those spots for more than a year at a time, that's ideal.

And even after the first pick, it's reasonable to expect the remaining selections to go toward things like linebacker depth, safeties, young corners, and maybe one more defensive lineman. They won't all be defensive players, but "most" seems like a fair estimate.

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I must say I love the approach Dan Morgan is taking these last two offseasons. However, it "feels like" we are overpaying for free agents. Take safeties as an example. We are paying $17M APY for Moehrig, yet the rest of the top FA safeties are between $11.5M (Justin Reid) and $15M (multiple). And even though we saw a revamp of the OL last year, we clearly overpaid based on the market for our FA acquisitions. I trust they know what they are doing, just hoping for a little insight. I live in Dallas and the media here would love to see these kind of moves but they would blast them at the same time for overpaying. Just looking for your thoughts.Bryce, Frisco, TX

I try not to obsess over the dollars reported for free agent contracts for a few reasons, the first and most important of which would be "it ain't my money." And worrying about other people's money is tacky.

Sometimes you spend the amount it takes to get the people you want, LikeRobert Huntlast year (a young and ascending player at the top of his position), there was a need this year for a safety who could run and make plays in the middle of the field. Moehrig's 26. If you're spending top-of-market dollars for 30-year-olds, that's a different question. But it's reasonable to think he'll be here throughout that contract.

My other thought on money is that it's always relative in the NFL. The salary cap keeps cranking up another $20 million or so every year, which is a sign that everybody's making money. But the deals they're signing are either fairly balanced or short enough to not be a hindrance to the future.

And again, the point of free agency is doing enough of it to stabilize your roster so you can draft the ones who make the biggest differences. If you do that and have room to keep those guys in the future, the hope is you don't have to spend $150 million on two guards or sign six guys on defense every year.

Besides, winning March is not the point, in any market. They needed players to be competitive on defense and give an improving offense a chance. They went and got them. The important work is all ahead of them.

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Will the Panthers sign a No. 1 receiver like Stefon Diggs, Cooper Kupp, or Amari Cooper? We also, in my opinion, need to sign a corner or make a move to trade for one. People to look for could be someone like Rasul Douglas, Asante Samuel, or maybe Jaire Alexander. These guys are all vets and could be great for the other side of Jaycee Horn, and they could also be able to teach someone like Chau-Smith-Wade.Spencer, Virginia Beach, VA

Any chance we could pick up a WR like Tyler Lockett since there is a connection with HC and OC?Tim, Santa Clarita, CA

This is a traditional free agency question. "When is (your team of preference) going to sign (a player I have heard of)? Could they use another corner? Sure, they're set for starters, but they only have five on the roster, so they need to add some.

As far as the receivers, Kupp is off the market since Spencer's question came in on a big deal to return home to the Pacific Northwest. But Diggs (coming off a torn ACL at 31), Cooper, and Lockett remain available, and there could be a time when they're of interest.

But the Panthers aren't at the place where random 30-plus free agents are the most desirable targets. I could see a time when one of them could be a fit, but that time is likely after the draft, or at least closer to it.

Dave Canales really likes coaching up young players, and if you want to get him going, ask him about his plans for a receiver in years one, two, and three. He has thoughts about each interval, and they are detailed.

So, while I could see them considering adding one later, I'm more curious whether they add one in late April. With nine picks, there will be opportunities to add to the room, guys who can grow withXavier LegetteandJalen Cokerfor the long haul.

I wouldn't be stunned if they add a vet at some point, but they already haveAdam ThielenandDavid Moore(perhaps the perfect fourth or fifth receiver because he knows his role, contributes when he has chances, and can also play special teams). Ask me this question again in a month.

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Hello Darin. I enjoy reading your commentary and answers to questions. Since free agency has provided some defensive help on the DL, how would you feel about us drafting Jihaad Campbell at No. 8 and Landon Jackson at 57?Thomas, Florence, AL

This is another spin on a familiar theme, but it gives me a chance to make a point, and there's nothing old people like better than making the point they want to make, regardless of question.

Kassidy Hill laughs at me sometimes for saying things that sound reductive but are provably and demonstrably true. Like when I say, "You know what this defense could really use? Somebody likeLuke Kuechly." Find the lie.

That's not to say that I consider Jihaad Campbell to be like Luke Kuechly. Honestly, I didn't really consider Jihaad Campbell at all until a couple of months ago when his name became part of the pre-draft cycle. But the point is, the Panthers need excellent players on defense, regardless of position or historical comparison.

So if the picks at 8 and 57 (or wherever they end up picking) turn into a pass-rusher and an off-ball linebacker, or a pass-rusher and a corner, or a pass-rusher and a safety, or a pass-rusher and another interior defender, that could work. It's really more about the players themselves than the positions.

We tend to talk about draft prospects as abstract concepts or nondescript and equivalent commodities, like we're walking through the Harris Teeter and say, 'Oh, we need a can of tomatoes, grab me one of those.'

But just as not all tomatoes are created equal (the store brand is fine if you're making soup from the leftovers at the end of the week, but a good sauce or a shakshuka might call for those nice Pomis in the box that cost a little more), not all players at a certain position are the same.

I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not familiar enough with Landon Jackson's game right now to know if he's a difference-maker or not. I like Arkansas mostly because of the red plastic pig hats and the fact it's my grandmother's middle name (pronounced are-KAN-zuss, believe it or not). The internet is full of people who either know about Landon Jackson or try to convince you that they do. Many of them are frauds. I'll leave it to you to keep score and know the difference.

Now, I promise you, if Jihaad Campbell and Landon Jackson end up here, I will end up knowing them and their games in microscopic detail. Until then, I'm not the internet scouting expert you're looking for to break down second-rounders and beyond.

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When will the Panthers' dates/schedule be released? I saw opponents, but I'm trying to synch my calendar.Michael, Mooresville, NC

That happens in May, after the draft.

The Panthersknow exactly where they're going (sort of), just not the whens.

That'll get filled out in a big dramatic reveal, and then you can plan your year accordingly.

There's even a chance they end up overseas again, as their list of road opponents includes the Jets and the Jaguars, who have home games in London this year.

But you're going to have to wait to buy those plane tickets or make those reservations, or plan the tailgates for home games.

Ticketmaster

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Assuming the NFL Rules Committee makes no changes to the tush-push, short-yardage strategy, why don't more teams try to execute it? Obviously, only a couple of teams have the QB with the size and strength to pull it off (Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen), but every team has big and strong non-QB players who could also be candidates to play the QB role?. Many of these players are terrific athletes. It seems to me that utilizing these players in the strategy would make it more interesting and fun.Paul, Charlotte, NC

Canales seems pretty agnostic about the play. When asked about it at the combine, he shrugged and said, "It's the quarterback sneak." I mean, as long asBryce Youngis the quarterback, it's not like it's something they're going to start doing.

Of course, the way the Eagles do/did it is different (and they weren't as good at it this year, partly because Jason Kelce wasn't snapping the ball to the tush-pushee. A great center makes a big difference.)

Now, the Panthers do have the kind of line that could facilitate good short-yardage play and a good inside runner inChuba Hubbard? They do. Want to hand it off toTommy TrembleorCade Maysor something? All for it. Let's get weird. Your suggestions have been forwarded.

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Hey, Darin. I am a loyal fan of the Mailbag and a fan from the West Coast. What do you think of the first few moves of free agency? Can we expect more moves to still come? I go to every Panthers game in Seattle and Arizona and, most recently, Las Vegas. What's your fondest road game memory? And what is your favorite current road stadium to visit?Trey, Mountlake Terrace, WA

Most of the work is done. That's not to say they won't shop around the edges of free agency, but that table has been picked clean like a church potluck after the people who sit in the back go through the line first. The deviled eggs and good chicken are gone, but there's all the three-bean salad and eight varieties of slaw you want.

Beans and cabbage are important too, just harder to get people excited about.

My favorite memory of a Panthers road game is in a city that doesn't even have the NFL anymore. The double-overtime playoff game in St. Louis after the 2003 season will always stick in my mind, or whatever of it is left.

Not just because I was standing on the sidelines during the entire overtime, watching the respective offensive and defensive lines rise and fall gently against each other like tides, long past the time they had the crashing energy of waves.

And not just because Steve Smith's "X-Clown" touchdown made one of the loudest stadiums I've ever been in as quiet as any funeral home I've ever been through. (Head down, a mumbled "sorry for your loss," as you walk out with a respectful nod.)

But after that game, watching Jake Delhomme and Kurt Warner walk off the field and toward the locker room, arm in arm, was something I'll always remember. Delhomme might have been Warner's backup with the Amsterdam Admirals in 1998, but that day in 2004, he beat one of the best offenses the game has ever seen at their own game. It was a moment a young Panthers team announced to the world it was legit.

As far as the road trip itself, it's hard to beat your hood. The Pacific Northwest is amazing. Vacationed there once in the summer, and it was sublime. I am reliably informed it's not always July, however. The 2005 Panthers had their walk-through before the NFC Championship Game at Husky Stadium, which might be the most picturesque setting for football I've ever seen other than Kidd Brewer Stadium. Seattle is an amazing town in so many ways beyond the fish-throwers at the market or Starbucks One (where I once ordered "medium coffee, black" because I'm just difficult sometimes). From the Fremont Troll to the Lenin Statue just because to a perfect 10K loop around Lake Union, to the music to the food, it's a great city.

It's a long trip, and it never lasts long enough, but I always love going there.

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I never hear anything about my grandson,A'Shawn Robinson. I want to see him in the Pro Bowl.Vera, Fort Worth, Tex.

I will never argue with Grandma, that would be foolish. So yes, I'm on board.

A'Shawn deserves a lot of credit for the job he did last year, fighting through aches and pains but staying on the field because he had to. Maybe now that they have some help around him, he'll be a better version of what was already a pretty good self.

He played 762 snaps last year (66 percent of their team total), which was nearly 250 more than he did the year before. That's too many. But he still put up a career-high 5.5 sacks and was a legitimate player at a time when the Panthers didn't have enough of them.

You could tell he was hurting, and he could barely practice coming down the stretch, but he did his job, and he did it competently and professionally and with skill. Clearly, he was raised well.

Plus, today's his birthday, so we should all celebrate A'Shawn, and his grandma who loves him.

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And on that note, let's go lightning round, brought to you by the patron saint of the lightning round Jeff from Fuquay-Varina, to close it out this week.

From my perspective, as a Carolina Panthers fan, we should draft a defensive line and an o-line. I just want them to address what I have seen and what we have problems with on this football team.Hunter, Butler, MO

All linemen, all the time. It would certainly make a statement. But life is all about balance, so occasionally, you have to draft a running back and a corner or two.

How's your bracket looking?Will, Rock Hill. SC

Please forward all bracket questions to Kassidy G. Hill. I only recognize former Colts linebacker Gary Brackett this time of year.

Would and could they re-sign Shaquille Green Thompson on the cheap?George, Liberty, SC

Those are two different questions. I will always respect Shaq and the job he did here for the last five years, being an island of leadership and professionalism in some stormy seas.And I'm not the only one. But they're moving on with younger players now.

Like the direction Dan is doing on defense! I hate we missed Milton Williams from the Eagles. One question for you: the long hair? Miss the old days?Tommy, Albemarle , NC

Milton Williams is a heck of a player. I'd have had a hard time paying a guy who's never played more than 501 snaps in a season more money than I'm paying Derrick Brown, but that's just me. Again, I try to stay out of other people's money, but that's just on principle, not prinicipal.

Otherwise, respect the flow, Tommy. Most of the people who give me a hard time about it would grow theirs out. If they could.

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