Amare Barno - Carolina Panthers OLB
Amare Barno became something of a forgotten man last season. The former sixth-round pick dealt with yet more injury issues that dented his chances of making a significant impact. He featured just five times and accumulated 57 snaps on the defensive rotation.
Barno was much more involved on special teams when healthy. The Virginia Tech graduate gained a decent reputation for himself in this discipline over the 2023 season. That might also be the reason he's getting another opportunity to prove himself throughout the Carolina Panthers' preparations for the upcoming campaign.
As previously mentioned, the Panthers are going to add more edge rushers via the 2025 NFL Draft. That is a guarantee.
Any more incomings are going to push Barno dangerously close to the roster bubble if he isn't there already. If they also force their way into special teams contention, that'll spell bad news for the 2021 draftee on the final year of his deal.
There's no doubt Barno deserves a bit of good luck after appearing 29 times over his first three seasons. The Panthers wanted to give him a fair chance, especially considering the lack of financial implications regarding his release. However, a huge effort is needed over the summer to secure his spot on the 53-man roster.
Shy Tuttle - Carolina Panthers DL
Things didn't look especially promising for Shy Tuttle heading into the offseason. The veteran defensive lineman went through more turmoil than most during the 2024 season, which led most to suggest he'd be a salary-cap cut candidate depending on what reinforcements arrived.
Tuttle is not suited to the nose tackle position. The Panthers deployed him there because they had nobody else for two seasons and paid a heavy price. Just why Dan Morgan didn't address this need urgently before this offseason is anyone's guess. Thankfully for everyone associated with Carolina, that's all changed.
The Panthers signed Bobby Brown III in free agency. This is the space-clogging defensive line anchor Carolina has craved since they switched to a 3-4 base scheme. He's got a previous connection to Evero from their time together on the Los Angeles Rams, so the transition should be seamless.
This saw Tuttle's future look increasingly bleak, but it was the right call to make. Most expected an announcement regarding his release soon after. The Panthers opted to keep the former Tennessee standout around on a reduced salary instead.
Tuttle will now count $5.73 million against the cap in 2025. With Tershawn Wharton, Brown, and the return of Pro Bowl lineman Derrick Brown from injury, he'll likely become a rotational piece rather than an undisputed starter.
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