The Carolina Panthers made some impressive strides over the second half of 2024. It took a while for head coach Dave Canales' methods to click, but they were more competitive against playoff contenders and managed to pick up a few morale-boosting wins along the way.
Building on this positivity became general manager Dan Morgan's most pressing priority above all else this offseason. The Panthers didn't have much spare salary-cap space, but the front-office leader did well with the resources available.
Carolina strengthened its horrible defense and retained some core pieces on the offensive line — one of the few prolonged bright spots from the previous campaign. It's a good start, but Morgan can speed up his rebuilding project by maximizing the nine selections at his disposal in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Not every decision is going to work out. Morgan is placing a lot of faith in his first draft class making significant progress in Year 2 of their professional careers. There were also some contentious decisions to retain or give reprieves to those who lack the standards needed to help Carolina enter NFC South championship consideration in 2025.
With this in mind, here are five Panthers players who didn't deserve another season, but got one anyway.
Carolina Panthers players who don't deserve another season (but got one anyway)
David Moore - Carolina Panthers WR
I get it. David Moore is a solid professional and has the trust of head coach Dave Canales. But re-signing the veteran wide receiver was underwhelming nonetheless.
The Carolina Panthers stood pat at the wide receiver position this offseason. Dan Morgan shifted the team's primary investments to the defensive side of the football and rightfully so. But it represents a leap of faith regarding some individuals on offense who couldn't quite meet expectations during the previous campaign.
Moore got more work than initially expected after earning his spot on the 53-man roster. The former seventh-round pick wasn't the most dependable, bringing in 56.1 percent of his targets. His 49.1% route success rate and 64.0 receiving grade from Pro Football Focus (ranked 77th out of 98 qualifying receivers) didn't exactly scream consistency either.
The Panthers could have easily moved Moore on with little fanfare attached. They want to see if he can turn things around instead, which is a risky strategy unless attention isn't given to the wideout room during the 2025 NFL Draft.
Carolina has faith in the options at quarterback Bryce Young's disposal. But Moore has a lot of hard work ahead in the coming months.