Dan Morgan needs to strengthen the personnel at his disposal this offseason. The Carolina Panthers made some encouraging strides down the stretch in 2024, but becoming complacent is not an option.
And not everyone is going to come along for the ride.
Before Morgan turns his attention to recruitment, the Panthers have some difficult decisions to make. There are several free agents with their futures hanging in the balance. Carolina also needs to free up additional financial resources to upgrade the playing personnel.
Contract extensions ahead of time or restructures can get the number up. One couldn't rule out the prospect of some players being removed from the equation before their deals expire either.
Some salary-cap casualties are more obvious than others. Speculation surrounding the futures of defensive lineman Shy Tuttle and running back Miles Sanders continues to rise. A leading Panthers insider fanned the flames regarding their departures from the organization.
Carolina Panthers insider paints bleak future for Miles Sanders and Shy Tuttle
Joe Person from The Athletic touted Tuttle and Sanders as strong salary-cap cut candidates in his first mock draft of the cycle. His thoughts seemed to suggest it will be a done deal when push comes to shove.
"With Shy Tuttle a strong possibility to be a salary-cap cut, the Panthers need a big, burly nose tackle to line up between [Derrick] Brown and A’Shawn Robinson. Running back is another sneaky position of need for the Panthers, given that Miles Sanders is another expected cut and [Jonathon] Brooks likely will miss most if not all of 2025 after his second ACL surgery."Joe Person
Not many Panthers fans will be crying at the possibility of Tuttle and Sanders being made surplus to requirements. Both veterans have underperformed over the last two years. Morgan can have no room for sentiment whatsoever when molding a potential contender in Year 2 of his ambitious project.
Sanders was the marquee arrival in 2023 to fill the void left by Christian McCaffrey. Injuries hindered his early transition, but the spark was missing more often than not. With Chuba Hubbard cemented as the undisputed No. 1 option, the former second-round selection's release comes with $5.22 million in savings that could be better spent elsewhere.
Ejiro Evero continued to deploy Tuttle at the nose tackle spot with little success. There was no urgency from the Panthers to find a backup, which bordered on blind delusion from the front office and coaching staff. His subpar performances weren't down to a lack of effort, but the physical traits of a 3-4 anchor just weren't there.
Cutting Tuttle saves the Panthers $3.27 million with $6.1 million in dead money. If they do this with a post-June 1 designation, the money saved will surge to $6.5 million in 2025. That seems like a realistic outcome all things considered.
This is the price of progress every year around the league. Players get big contracts in free agency. If they don't meet their billing, there are ways to get off the deals. Tuttle and Sanders tick those boxes, but others will also be nervously looking over their shoulders until official confirmation arrives.
Buckle up. It's going to be another eventful few months before organized team activities resume.