The Carolina Panthers should be looking to improve every area of their defense during the offseason. This bears more significance on the backend of Ejiro Evero's unit with four players out of contract.
One intriguing development surrounding a pending free agent is unlikely to go unnoticed by general manager Dan Morgan.
Xavier Woods, Jordan Fuller, Nick Scott, and Sam Franklin Jr. are on the lookout for new deals. It would be surprising if all four departed the ranks, but Morgan won't get a better opportunity to revamp his safety group to give Evero a fighting chance of making the improvements needed in 2025.
The Panthers will address this during the draft with nine selections at Morgan's disposal. Considering the pressure Evero is under entering his third season, finding a productive veteran who can impact proceedings immediately would be beneficial.
Carolina Panthers must shoot their shot with Jevon Holland in free agency
Cameron Wolfe from the NFL Network revealed that the Miami Dolphins don't plan to use the franchise tag on Jevon Holland. They are up against it financially despite the salary cap rising more than originally anticipated, so the former second-round selection will test the market and potentially draw significant interest.
"The Dolphins do not plan to tag Jevon Holland as of now. They will allow him to test the free-agent market. It's not a surprise given their cap situation. They have a lot of needs elsewhere, and not as much money to spend it on. Jevon Holland is listed as the top safety on a lot of people's boards. He's going to get a chance to test that market and see where he can cash in big time on a potential new payday. Somebody is gonna get a guy under 25 still ready with that playmaking ability."Cameron Wolfe
Dolphins not expected to put the franchise tag on safety Jevón Holland putting him on track to test free agency as top player at his position, barring any surprises.
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) February 19, 2025
For @nflnetwork The Insiders nuggets on Holland, Terron Armstead, Tyreek Hill & interesting #Dolphins offseason: pic.twitter.com/OzsosJfg7t
Holland is a game-changing presence at the peak of his powers. He's dealt with injury issues over the last couple of seasons, so there's an element of risk attached. However, he's young, explosive, and looks like a good scheme fit within Evero's system.
The Oregon product can be a liability in coverage on occasion, although giving up 54.2 percent of targets in 2024 represented a positive step forward. Holland's best work is against the run, which the Panthers desperately need from their safety corps after mismanaging Jeremy Chinn before he signed for the Washington Commanders.
There's a lot to like about Holland's influence in this critical area of play. He's instinctive and intelligent, identifying where plays are going quickly before arriving at the contact point with aggression. He's a tone-setter capable of raising the performances of others through vocal leadership and by example. And the defensive back is only just entering his prime.
This would be an outstanding addition to the Panthers, but Holland won't be cheap. Spotrac projects the player to get around $15.05 million per season on a four-year, $60.21 million deal when he hits the open market. That's on the expensive side looking at Carolina's current cap predicament, but there are ways to structure contracts to benefit both parties.
Holland is an outstanding player who'll have a robust market. It'll be challenging for the Panthers to secure his services, but they have to try.