Jadeveon Clowney - Carolina Panthers OLB
Jadeveon Clowney was the Carolina Panthers' marquee addition in 2024 free agency. The veteran edge rusher legitimized the project and wanted to play closer to home at this stage of his career. Of course, the two-year deal also helped greatly.
Clowney flashed promise as Ejiro Evero's defense crumbled last season. He was almost a one-man show on the edge until D.J. Wonnum returned. This emerged as a solid partnership down the stretch, albeit with no real explosiveness to scare opposing offensive lines.
The former No. 1 overall pick out of South Carolina never quite lived up to his generational hype. Clowney is still a solid pro and a respected leader, but he'll be 33 years old entering free agency next spring without ever having a double-digit sack campaign to show for his efforts.
Carolina is expected to acquire a young, dynamic pass-rusher with one of its early draft selections. Getting the chance to learn from Clowney will be a major asset. But if the choice is between the veteran and Wonnum for a new deal, the age factor comes into play.
There's an incentive for Clowney to get another short-term commitment. But unless further improvements arrive, retirement or a new team beckon when the 2026 offseason rolls around.
Yosh Nijman - Carolina Panthers OT
The Panthers' offensive line became a genuine success story in 2024. Dan Morgan invested heavily onto the interior to make this happen. His gamble paid off, although it came with defensive capitulation.
This was a long-standing issue for the Panthers. Bryce Young took time to trust his protection as the scars from his rookie campaign ran deep. Once this trust arrived, it didn't take much longer for the quarterback to take off.
Yosh Nijman was acquired last season to be the team's swing tackle option. Nobody was anticipating much playing time for the veteran, who accumulated just 187 snaps throughout the campaign. He gave up two sacks, one penalty, and 11 total pressures. Not exactly ideal, but deputizing at the drop of a hat is always difficult.
Nijman reworked his contract to stick around this offseason. He counts $3.37 million against the salary cap in 2025, which will come with the same responsibilities after Morgan held firm with his offensive line options.
All signs point to the Panthers and Nijman going their separate ways after the 2025 campaign concludes. Morgan could get a younger, cheaper backup piece through the draft. And in all honesty, the player might be looking for an opportunity to start elsewhere at this stage of his NFL journey.