David Moore - Carolina Panthers WR
The Carolina Panthers' youth movement in the wide receiver room has made Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan a legitimate 1-2 punch for quarterback Bryce Young to depend on. Xavier Legette's development remains a concern, and Jimmy Horn Jr.'s crucial drop in the wild-card round showcased how much hard work is ahead for the sixth-round pick.
David Moore was the experienced figure in the unit, although he spent much of the season's second half on the shelf. He's a trusted associate of head coach Dave Canales, having worked together at two previous stops before linking back up in Carolina. He's also a valued special-teams presence, but the Panthers have Brycen Treymayne for that now if he is extended.
The stakes are enormously high for Young in Year 4 of his professional career. That makes finding a proven pass-catcher crucial to complement what the Panthers already have. If this scenario comes to fruition, Moore might be on the outside looking in.
D.J. Wonnum - Carolina Panthers OLB
As previously mentioned, the Panthers need a rethink of their edge-rushing room. Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen showed promise as rookies. Patrick Jones II's presence was sorely missed when he went down with a back injury. Then there's the complex situation involving D.J. Wonnum to factor in.
Wonnum was tasked with being a disruptor, but in a different way. The South Carolina product set the edge against the run well, freeing up space for others. He was often dropped back in coverage, limiting his impact in pass-rushing situations.
A lot of Wonnum's good work didn't show up on the stat sheet. However, if the Panthers are planning on finding an explosive game-wrecker on the edge to take Ejiro Evero's defense up a notch, he might be the one who makes way.
Considering the money Wonnum may be looking for in another deal, general manager Dan Morgan should try to find something better at a lower price.
Rico Dowdle - Carolina Panthers RB
The Panthers and Rico Dowdle got what they wanted out of their one season together. Carolina received outstanding overall production for a low price. The running back got the opportunity to enhance his stock before embarking on another free agency this spring.
Dowdle took the Panthers by storm when finally given a chance to shine. Chuba Hubbard struggled with an injury early on, and the South Carolina product seized the moment en route to becoming the starter.
That was immensely positive, and he did manage to go over 1,000 rushing yards. Still, his limited reps down the stretch and into the playoffs perplexed a player who freely admitted that he needs volume to thrive.
Nothing has been confirmed for sure. Dowdle said he would take his decreased involvement into consideration before deciding on his next move. The Panthers also know he was far less impactful over the second half of 2025, so it would be surprising if another deal arrived.