Dan Morgan has some complex problems to solve this offseason. The Carolina Panthers have several critical needs and limited financial resources available. Any false moves could jeopardize their chances of becoming NFC South title players in 2025.
The Panthers are currently examining draft prospects in greater detail at the NFL Scouting Combine. Morgan and Brandt Tilis are making decisions regarding their free agents. Some have already been told their services are no longer required. Others have been offered new deals or will test the market to gauge interest from elsewhere.
Recruitment should also be at the forefront of Carolina's mind. This bears more significance on the defensive side of the football, which Morgan acknowledged needs the proper priority after he transitioned the team's primary investments last year to help quarterback Bryce Young.
Money is relatively tight, but it didn't stop the Panthers from making two landmark signings in 2024 when Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis were acquired to become Carolina's new starting guard tandem. If the same happens again, it must be on defensive difference-makers.
Carolina Panthers projected to land Eagles LB Zack Baun in free agency
This was a topic discussed by Aaron Schatz from ESPN. The respected analyst believes Super Bowl winner Zack Baun could be a tone-setting asset. Something that would add his name to the prestigious list of prolific linebackers throughout the Panthers' three-decade existence.
"The Panthers finished dead last in defensive DVOA, so why not sign this past season's best defensive playmaker? Baun, who was barely used as an edge rusher for New Orleans, was a revelation as an off-ball linebacker with the Eagles in 2024. Baun was a first-team All-Pro and finished fifth in the Defensive Player of the Year balloting. He led the league with 34 defeats, a stat that counts big plays including turnovers, and registered 11 tackles for loss. He would easily slot in as an inside linebacker next to Josey Jewell and become the focus of the entire Panthers' defense."Aaron Schatz
Baun went from a rotational edge rusher to an All-Pro linebacker in the blink of an eye. The Philadelphia Eagles allowed the former third-round selection to be instinctive at the defensive second level behind their dominant 3-4 front. Improvements were instantaneous, accumulating 151 tackles and emerging as an exceptional presence in coverage for good measure.
This contributed significantly to the Eagles winning the Super Bowl with a dominant success over the Kansas City Chiefs. Keeping everyone around will be difficult from Philadelphia's perspective, so Baun could take this opportunity to cash in and earn generational wealth on the free-agent market.
The Panthers are looking for linebacking assistance after ending Shaq Thompson's decade-long stint with the franchise. Josey Jewell and Trevin Wallace are solid if not spectacular options. However, someone like Baun would instantly improve the group. He's also got proven production in a 3-4 scheme, which will help Ejiro Evero heading into a make-or-break campaign for the defensive coordinator.
This might be a little out of Carolina's price range, especially if Baun's availability instigates a bidding war around the league. Fans also thought the same last season before Hunt and Lewis were acquired, so nothing should be completely ruled out.
If there were to be a big splash, Morgan's comments at the NFL Scouting Combine suggested it would arrive on the defensive front. But there's no doubt Baun could help the Panthers' defense become a force once again.
Watch this space…