Raheem Blackshear - Carolina Panthers RB
The moves made this offseason show the Carolina Panthers have little trust in Raheem Blackshear moving forward. He finds himself at RB4 on the depth chart after Dan Morgan added both Rico Dowdle and Trevor Etienne to support Chuba Hubbard.
Blackshear made his name on special teams, and even that role is being brought into question. The selection of Jimmy Horn Jr. in the sixth round adds a different dynamic to the receiving room. The former Colorado stud also brings skills in the return game to Carolina.
Horn was impressive, albeit in shorts against air, at Carolina's rookie minicamp. Many have pointed out just how quick the player is in the open field. And with the NFL’s new dynamic kick-off returns, having someone with blazing speed is only a plus for teams.
This will likely leave Blackshear looking over his shoulder as we head into the next portion of the offseason. He’s unlikely to make the roster purely as a ball carrier with the names currently ahead of him. And if others impress special teams coordinator Tracy Smith, the ex-undrafted free agent may see his place on the roster go elsewhere.
Ejiro Evero - Carolina Panthers DC
Arguably, the biggest surprise for fans this offseason was the retention of defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. But anyone listening to the way head coach Dave Canales spoke toward the end of the campaign, it seemed clear that he would be going nowhere despite the team's struggles on defense.
Evero is a well-respected coach around the league. Every team deals with injuries, but the Panthers could not adapt. Canales was adamant it was not the scheme, but those operating within it. Still, it is more than fair for fans to question some decisions made.
Not knowing how to correctly utilize Frankie Luvu and Jeremy Chinn in 2023, persisting without a true nose tackle, and not allowing his premier corner Jaycee Horn to shadow the opponent's top wide receiver, just to name a few. The Panthers invested heavily in the defensive side of the ball this offseason, so Evero has little excuse moving forward.
The coordinator is entering the final year of his deal. Unless there is a miraculous turnaround, it would be shocking to see Evero given a new contract. One also wouldn’t blame the coach for wanting to move on and pursue a head coaching job that has alluded him to date.
While fans have been fair in criticizing some aspects of the defense, it seems Dan Morgan and Canales are giving him a good opportunity to at least improve the defense to some degree in 2025.