Dan Morgan quickly turned the page to the 2025 season. The Carolina Panthers exceeded expectations, but this is all about what comes next for the general manager. And he made no secret of the team's primary objective when his third recruitment period commenced.
And that could be bad news for one veteran looking for a new deal to stick around this spring.
There were more positives than negatives for the Panthers this season. It wasn't perfect by any stretch, but making the playoffs as NFC South champions, winning eight games, and earning widespread plaudits for their efforts despite a narrow wild-card-round loss to the Los Angeles Rams have led the league to view this organization differently. Despite this newfound optimism, Morgan knows there is a lot of hard work remaining to get Carolina back into the Super Bowl picture.
Dan Morgan's offseason priority could mean bad news for one Carolina Panthers free agent
During an interview with the Mac and Bone Show on WFNZ, the front-office leader identified the pass rush as an area that needs improvement. Morgan wasn't satisfied with the lack of pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and it sounds like he'll be aggressive in addressing this issue.
"Obviously, the pass-rush. Everyone in the building will tell you it wasn't up to par. We had the second-lowest pressure rate in the league this year. Obviously, that's not acceptable. If you're not protecting the quarterback or you're not affecting the quarterback, you're not going to win many games in this league, especially at a consistent level. So, we know we've got to get better there, and like we do every offseason, we'll attack those perceived weaknesses and make our roster stronger."Dan Mlrgan via WFNZ
No fan should complain about additional quality entering the edge-rushing room. The Panthers are closer than ever to making some real noise. If they can find a couple of new faces to add more explosiveness, their chances will improve.
That won't be good news for everybody. Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen will be around. Patrick Jones II has one more year on his deal and was reportedly close to getting back for the postseason. That puts the future of D.J. Wonnum firmly under the microscope.
Wonnum is out of contract. He was asked to do a lot of the dirty work that didn't show up on the stat sheet in 2025, but the former South Carolina standout notched just three sacks and 29 pressures throughout the campaign. That is nowhere near good enough, and it appears he could become collateral damage if the Panthers prioritize more prolific pass-rushers via free agency or the draft.
There is no room for sentiment. While one can point to no pass-rusher truly thriving in Ejiro Evero's 3-4 scheme, Morgan wants to try something new. Unfortunately for Wonnum, that may leave him on the outside looking in when push comes to shove.
That is the unfortunate price of progress.