Dan Morgan is an aggressive roster builder who always thinks outside the box. The Carolina Panthers are finally in good hands under his leadership. Still, the general manager got a sour taste of his own medicine shortly before preparations for a crunch Week 16 home showdown with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers gathered pace.
Morgan has plucked several players from practice squads around the league this season. It's an unusual way to find reinforcements, but in some cases it's proven highly effective.
The shrewdest move was last season when the Panthers scooped offensive lineman Cade Mays from the New York Giants after Austin Corbett went to injured reserve. He thrived returning to the team that drafted him, and the team's starting center could be in line for a lucrative long-term contract extension when the campaign concludes.
It can also go the other way.
Carolina Panthers lose practice squad RB DeeJay Dallas to the Jaguars
The Panthers actually signed defensive lineman Jacob Harrison-Hunte to their 53-man squad when Morgan got word that an unnamed AFC club was casting alluring glances in his direction. However, the front-office leader lacked the space to prevent the Jacksonville Jaguars from signing DeeJay Dallas to their active roster.
The #Panthers have poached quite a few dudes away from other practice squads this season.
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) December 16, 2025
Today, the Jaguars poached DeeJay Dallas from the Carolina practice squad.
Dallas is from nearby Brunswick, Ga.
Dallas has featured three times for the Panthers this season. The running back accumulated just one carry out of the backfield, but he made four tackles on special teams. He also managed to gain 141 yards from six kick returns.
There was no real chance of Dallas staking a claim in Carolina's running back room. They have Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard leading the charge as a dynamic 1-2 punch. Fourth-round rookie Trevor Etienne is the backup and starting kick returner. There is also the pending offseason return of 2024 second-round pick Jonathan Brooks, which is getting overlooked right now. Depending on how he recovers from two torn ACLs, it could make a significant difference.
Now, the former Miami standout is getting a chance to make an impact with the Jaguars, who have been a revelation this season under new head coach Liam Coen. They beat the Panthers in Week 1 and currently lead the AFC South with three games remaining. If Dallas can make an impression — whether that's on the ground, catching passes out of the backfield, or in the return game — the better Jacksonville's chances will be.
That's a far cry from being buried down the depth chart in Carolina.
Morgan saw the situation for what it was and let Dallas leave without much of a fight. And the fact that teams are actively trying to sign players from Carolina's practice squad shows how far they've come in a short timeframe.
Long may it continue.