The Carolina Panthers need urgently improve their defense this offseason. And there's a growing sense around the league that general manager Dan Morgan is going to be active in free agency to achieve this objective.
One potential marquee target, in particular, is gaining significant momentum at the right time.
Watching Carolina's defense was a painful exercise last season. They were abysmal almost from start to finish, lacking the right quality or sufficient depth to remain even remotely competitive. Ejiro Evero couldn't adjust due to a lack of talent at his disposal. What followed was one of the worst overall defensive campaigns in NFL history.
Morgan conceded mistakes were made with recruitment. He took a calculated risk by shifting his primary investments to the offensive side of the football. That won't be his preferred approach this spring, so expect to see some drastic alterations and no expense spared to give this unit the best chance of bouncing back in 2025.
The Panthers are going into the offseason ready for anything. Fans are hoping for some quick fixes from the veteran pool and long-term options from the college ranks. Two notable insiders think Milton Williams will be high on Carolina's list of targets when the legal tampering period opens next week.
Milton Williams emerging as potential Carolina Panthers' free-agent target
Dan Graziano from ESPN named Williams specifically as someone who could interest the Panthers given their need for reinforcements along the defensive front. This was a sentiment echoed by Joe Person of The Athletic, who touted the former third-round pick as a name to watch among others from Carolina's perspective.
"Some names to watch include Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun and Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams and Denver Broncos nose tackle D.J. Jones, who has ties to Ejiro Evero. Morgan and executive VP of football operations Brandt Tilis want to try to check as many boxes as possible in free agency so they can go best player available in the draft. But the Panthers’ needs are so numerous on defense that their draft board figures to be full of defensive players as well."Joe Person
Williams is one of the top free agents this year after an outstanding campaign with the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Acquiring him won't be cheap and the Panthers already have a substantial amount tied to Derrick Brown, but this represents an immediate difference-maker already familiar with operating effectively in a 3-4 front.
Acquiring Williams will be challenging. He's projected to get around $20 million per season on his next deal and the Panthers don't have much money to spend. That was also the case last offseason before some creative contract construction brought Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis into the fold.
Brandt Tilis knows how to work deals to the team's advantage. Adding to the defensive front via a deep group of draft prospects is almost guaranteed, but Williams also has a long-time upside attached at 25 years old with his best football ahead. This would be money well spent in no uncertain terms.
The Panthers won't be alone in coveting Williams if the Eagles let him test the market. A bidding war might price them out, but it seems as if Carolina is going to make a bold bid for the interior force reading between the lines.
Let's hope they can do enough to secure his services.