Dan Morgan wants to strengthen the edge-rushing options this offseason. The Carolina Panthers general manager wasn't thrilled with the lack of pressure on opposing quarterbacks, which showed up time and again. A shakeup is coming, but how he goes about it hasn't been determined.
Nobody aside from Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen should consider themselves safe for next season. Free-agent signing Patrick Jones II performed well earlier in the campaign, but he's coming off back surgery and might be a cut candidate. Then, there is D.J. Wonnum.
The veteran edge defender is a free agent this offseason. Wonnum flashed when finally given the green light to return from injury over the second half of 2024, but things didn't go nearly as well this time around.
Wonnum did a lot of the dirty work, but the pressure and sack numbers just weren't where they needed to be. A longtime NFL scout thought the South Carolina product hadn't been the same since his quad injury, leaving Joe Person of The Athletic to wonder if this will be the end of the road for the player in his current place of employment.
"A longtime scout for another NFC team said the 28-year-old [D.J. Wonnum] hasn’t looked the same since his quad surgery (and complications stemming from it). The Panthers used their second- and third-round picks on edge rushers Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen last year, and will look to upgrade the position again this offseason."Joe Person
This is not a time for sentiment. Wonnum is a productive player whose contributions don't show up entirely on the stat sheet. At the same time, he is not a needle mover. If the Panthers can find an upgrade this offseason, Morgan won't hesitate to pull the trigger.
Would things be different for Wonnum if he hadn't experienced significant problems after his quad surgery? Perhaps, but the Panthers are firmly focused on taking the next step. If that means letting the Stephenson High School graduate take his chances elsewhere, so be it. And, in all honesty, the player has no real complaints.
Morgan is embarking on a franchise-defining offseason. The Panthers are close, but they are not close enough just yet. If they can find the right pieces, and their young core keeps developing at their current rate, nobody will be looking forward to playing Carolina in 2026.
Whether those plans include Wonnum remains to be seen, but it's not looking especially promising for an extended stay.