The Carolina Panthers are within touching distance of making the playoffs. However, there are still some holes for general manager Dan Morgan to address when the 2026 offseason arrives.
And thanks to a startling development around the league, he could be provoked into action much sooner.
Carolina's defense has made strides this season. They are a little hit and miss, especially against the NFL's big guns. It's been enough to get them in playoff contention this season, but it won't be sufficient to enter legitimate Super Bowl contention as this ambitious project progresses.
Carolina Panthers are an unlikely destination for Trevon Diggs after Cowboys release
There is a new situation that warrants a discussion in Carolina's front office. All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs' turbulent spell with the Dallas Cowboys has come to an end after relationships soured. He'll go through the waiver process but will be able to sign with another franchise immediately if no one claims him. Looking at his current contract, that scenario seems highly likely.
Diggs looked like a superstar once upon a time. Injuries derailed his momentum, and accusations about his overall attitude have seen the Cowboys take drastic action with someone they believed would be a franchise cornerstone. Things have not gone well this season, but at 27 years old, with some exceptional prior production to draw on, another team will roll the dice.
Whether that'll be before the playoffs or in the offseason is anyone's guess. The Panthers have Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson Sr. as their boundary corner tandem right now. Chau Smith-Wade is manning the nickel inconsistently. It's a high-risk move, but adding Diggs if he is healthy enough to make an immediate contribution seems like a gamble worth considering.
This would be an investment in the present and the future. It comes with significant possible complications, so Morgan has to weigh up the pros and cons of adding Diggs to the current dynamic.
Claiming him off waivers is a non-starter, but nothing prevents the Panthers from offering a short-term arrangement with the promise of more if the player slots into head coach Dave Canales' culture shift seamlessly.
It's intriguing, but highly unlikely.
Morgan may not want to upset the current dynamic, especially with the playoffs still firmly in their grasp. The players currently around have gotten them this far; shaking things up with Diggs doesn't fit into the way Carolina's front-office leader has gone about his business since his promotion.
Time will tell, but it would be a bombshell of epic proportions if Diggs found his way to Carolina.