The Carolina Panthers were expected to be aggressive in pursuit of solving their defensive issues. After narrowly missing out on defensive lineman Milton Williams, general manager Dan Morgan managed to hit a significant home run shortly after.
According to Ian Rapoport from the NFL Network, the Panthers have a new No. 1 safety after Tre'von Moehrig signed from the Las Vegas Raiders. He was one of the best backend presences on the market and represents an immediate upgrade on anything Carolina churned out in its safety room last season.
Carolina Panthers land marquee safety with Tre'von Moehrig arrival
To get the best free agents, you have to pay. That was the case with Moehrig, who received a three-year deal worth $51 million that could rise to $60 million if he reaches his incentives. Safety was among Carolina's biggest needs entering free agency. This goes a long way to rectifying this issue.
More is needed, but the Panthers have a legitimate difference-maker in the secondary. Moehrig is a hard hitter who excels against the run and is assured in coverage support. It's exactly what Carolina lacked on its historically bad defense in 2024.
With Xavier Woods, Nick Scott, Sam Franklin Jr., and Jordan Fuller all entering free agency, Morgan struck with conviction to land his preferred target. There is a lot to like about Moehrig's potential within Evero's schematic concepts. While some lapses in concentration in coverage need to be rectified, the former second-round pick out of TCU is still just 25 years old with room for growth.
One area where Moehrig thrives is versus the run. He's a dominant force at the defensive second level. He's got no trouble impacting games closer to the line of scrimmage with dominant tackling and outstanding anticipation. Considering how the Panthers coughed up more than 3,000 rushing yards per game last season, this part of his game is going to help enormously.
Perhaps Moehrig's arrival ends Carolina's rumored interest in Jevon Holland. Then again, losing out on the Williams sweepstakes to the New England Patriots means there's money to sign both and completely resurrect the team's safety corps. This is also a deep draft class for defensive linemen to exploit if Morgan doesn't fancy any remaining veteran options on the market.
As for Moehrig? He'll be an instant difference-maker from the moment he steps onto the field. The Panthers are a better team for his presence, make no mistake about that.