5 free-agent defensive linemen the Carolina Panthers could sign in 2023
By Luke Gray
Carolina Panthers could re-sign Matt Ioannidis
The Carolina Panthers may look to resign Matt Ioannidis after he spent the 2022 season with the team. The former Temple man signed a one-year deal after injuries curtailed his tenure with the Washington Commanders, and while the numbers don’t jump off the page, he formed a solid partnership alongside Derrick Brown.
If the Panthers were to re-sign Ioannidis, one would imagine it would be less than the $9.5 million he signed for in 2022. While the player’s numbers weren’t elite as he ended the season with just a single sack, it’s important to note his influence on Brown and the role he played in his improvement into one of the league’s premier defensive tackles.
New defensive line coach Todd Wash may look to a familiar face as he molds his group after his intriguing arrival into the mix. Looking at the player’s measurables, at 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, he has the frame to play as one of the bigger defensive ends in a 3-4 system that will be the Panthers’ base under Ejiro Evero.
This will depend on whether Ioannidis wants to stick around in Carolina now that his former college coach Matt Rhule is no longer around. But this is arguably his best chance of retaining a starting role as an NFL player rather than taking his chances elsewhere.