The Carolina Panthers are looking for linebacker help this offseason. General manager Dan Morgan has promised to attack the position with urgency. And fans are expecting movement soon after the legal tampering window opens.
Devin Lloyd is the primary option if the Jacksonville Jaguars don't reach an agreement in the coming hours. However, an intriguing development elsewhere could provide the Panthers with another second-level presence worth considering.
The Green Bay Packers raised a few eyebrows by trading for Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin in a rare player-for-player deal. Defensive lineman Colby Wooden is going the other way, which all but sealed Quay Walker's fate for good measure.
Packers trade all but confirms Quay Walker will be available for Carolina Panthers in free agency
Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network revealed that the Packers have tried repeatedly to reach a deal with Walker, to no avail. Now, all signs point to the former Georgia star testing the market, and interest in his services is expected to be robust.
"The Packers wanted to keep LB Quay Walker and made several runs at re-signing him before the Zaire Franklin trade. But it now appears the former first-round pick will hit free agency Monday, and he is expected to have a strong market."
Walker is young and athletic, with a solid track record since entering the league as a first-round pick. The Panthers may be eyeing Lloyd as their primary target, but this wouldn't be a bad contingency plan by any stretch of the imagination.
This would also be slightly cheaper than acquiring Lloyd, though it may not have the same impact. Walker needs to improve his discipline in coverage, which seems to be a core area Ejiro Evero needs to strengthen in his unit. However, he is young enough to keep progressing, and there would be nobody better to judge his outlook moving forward than Morgan.
Carolina's front-office leader was a prolific former linebacker himself. Morgan is a College Football Hall of Famer who earned Pro Bowl honors during his seven-year playing career with the Panthers. He's since become an exceptional talent evaluator, so fans are confident he can find the right reinforcements.
Walker has upside. The Panthers will have a price in mind for every possibility, but they aren't in a strong enough financial position to enter a bidding war. And, as evidenced by the saga with Milton Williams last year, Morgan has no trouble walking away from any transaction when the money doesn't work out.
Morgan will strike with conviction. Whether it's Walker, Lloyd, or someone else, he will do it quickly.
Buckle up.