Jaycee Horn's long-term deal
Jaycee Horn proved his worth as a core foundational piece this season. The Carolina Panthers cornerback always had the talent, but staying healthy was an ongoing concern that needed to be alleviated.
The Panthers gave Horn a supreme vote of confidence and provided a little extra flexibility by triggering Horn's fifth-year option during the offseason. He repaid this faith by featuring in 15 games and cementing his status among the league's most accomplished shutdown cornerbacks.
Horn was nothing short of sensational from start to finish. He locked down one side of the field with minimal fuss. Teams were wary about looking in his direction. For all Carolina's problems on defense, and they were in plentiful supply, the former first-round pick's exceptional production was a beaming light amid the chaos.
The South Carolina product earned his first-ever Pro Bowl selection as a result of his efforts. Horn left no doubt regarding his importance to the Panthers' future. Getting a long-term deal done won't be cheap, but it should be among Dan Morgan's top offseason priorities regardless.
Spotrac projects Horn to command around $19.63 million per season on a four-year, $78.53 million deal. This would place him fifth among NFL cornerbacks. Although it could be a conservative estimate, a mutually beneficial agreement should be pretty easy to figure out.
Ikem Ekwonu's fifth-year option
Ikem Ekwonu came into the 2024 season with questions to answer. The left tackle admitted to getting complacent in Year 2 of his professional career. He thought the hard work was done after a promising rookie season and paid a heavy price with significant regression.
The Panthers kept faith with Ekwonu. Offensive line coach Joe Gilbert got to work on improving his technical flaws and Dave Canales implemented blocking concepts that suited his strengths. What followed was a much-improved campaign overall from the North Carolina State product.
Ekwonu looked much more like his old self. He was a dominant run blocker and held his own in pass protection. Having more stability across the interior helped enormously and the unit became Carolina's biggest strength.
The No. 6 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft needs to work on discipline after giving up 12 penalties, but his performance levels represented a step in the right direction. This also came at a good time with his fifth-year option decision due this offseason.
According to Over the Cap, Ekwonu's fifth-year option will cost the Panthers $18.42 million based on his playing time. Giving him a long-term extension would be risky, but Dan Morgan will probably trigger the contract clause and see if the edge protector can build on a promising campaign.