Dan Morgan has his sights firmly set on the 2025 NFL Draft. That didn’t stop one NFL analyst from touting a free agent for the Carolina Panthers to fill a glaring hole.
The Panthers have managed their money relatively well this offseason. They have $16.3 million in available salary-cap space as things stand. Some cash will be saved for any in-season moves, but maintaining future financial flexibility is a big part of Morgan’s long-term strategy for sustained growth.
It would be surprising if the Panthers made any moves from the veteran pool before the draft. Morgan has nine picks and wants to move down for more. Once this process is navigated, coupled with undrafted free agency, any remaining needs will come from those remaining on the proverbial free-agent scrap heap.
Carolina Panthers linked with potential free-agent quest for Za’Darius Smith
This was a topic discussed by Mark Stolte from Pro Football Network. The analyst highlighted Za’Darius Smith as someone the Panthers should be looking to acquire. If they signed him and spent an early pick on an explosive edge rusher, he believes the benefits would be astronomical.
“There is a clear need for them to add some juice to the pass rush, and they can do this in both the draft and in the free agent portal. Za’Darius Smith makes a lot of sense here. He plays primarily as a standing edge rusher, which would fit nicely opposite Jadeveon Clowney for the Panthers and their 3-4 defense. Smith finished the 2024 season seventh in pressure rate generated and isn’t nearly as expensive as you would expect someone of his caliber to be.”
Mark Stolte
Smith is among the top performers remaining on the market. He’s biding his time after the Detroit Lions didn’t offer him an extension. Once the draft concludes, it shouldn’t be much longer before he finds a new home.
Whether the Panthers represent a logical landing spot is anyone’s guess. Smith’s at the stage of his career where landing on a legitimate Super Bowl contender is probably preferred. That’s not where Carolina is currently, so this does look unlikely all things considered.
The Panthers already have two established veterans in their edge-rushing room. D.J. Wonnum and Jadeveon Clowney should have important roles to play regardless of which draft prospects come into the fold. Both also stand a better chance of improving their respective contributions after some significant investments in Ejiro Evero’s 3-4 defensive front this offseason.
That might be enough to suffice if the Panthers get more explosiveness from the college ranks. Morgan’s got the assets to double dip on the edge depending on how the board falls. If he moves back at some stage for additional capital, achieving this potential objective would be relatively straightforward.
Smith is a good player who’d arguably represent an upgrade on anything Carolina has right now. But this is not in keeping with the Panthers’ current timeline.
If everything goes as or better than expected next season, the Panthers can make win-now additions like this. However, now is not the time.