The free agent period has largely come and gone. While there have been some solid signings by the Carolina Panthers, many of the top-flight free agents have gone elsewhere yet again.
Namely, the snatching of defensive lineman Milton Williams from under their nose by the New England Patriots.
The Panthers have pursued top-end players only to see them spurn their advances and go toward other options in recent years. In some cases, they are not even losing out to competitors for championships or situations that are on the surface no better than where the team is currently.
So why might that be? One big possibility is the cultural and image issues that the organization has unfortunately had over the Dave Tepper era.
Whether that is due to leadership or a coaching issue with some of the previous regimes, the point still stands. The Panthers have become a place known for tumultuous decision-making and mediocrity.
It has also become a place known for throwing away a player for having a down year or not performing up to unrealistic standards given the situation. See Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold for living proof of this.
If you are a player who is looking to further your career and have the choice of any team in the league, why go to a place that is only known for providing down years to quality players?
There has been a lot of progress made in the last year with the hiring of Dave Canales to reshape this image. Especially through the handling of the benching of quarterback Bryce Young. Widely seen as a questionable move and the end of the second-year player's tenure with the team, it instead revitalized his career.
Even so, there still is an aura about this team that turns free agents away. It will take continued success and loyalty to change the narrative.
This is not to say that the team should hang onto players who do not contribute or fit. But it does mean that giving some a chance to prove themselves is not a bad thing.
You have to have a solid foundation to build upon to attract those top-end free agents, and it simply is not there yet. Proven veteran performers don't want to play for unproven coaches and organizations.
The NFL is a business after all. Going to the place where you have the best chance of winning is the best decision if you have the means and opportunity to do so.
So what does that mean for the Panthers currently?
The team is not going to compete for a championship this season, that much is certain. Even competing for the division might be enough to start turning around that image. However, the majority of the Panthers' roster building must come through the draft.
There is finally some real, tangible, hope for this organization. Fans just have to hope that the Panthers can finally have some stability and good publicity to cash in on it.