The Carolina Panthers are always looking for ways to improve their roster. Head coach Dave Canales and his players are firmly focused on toppling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 18 to win the NFC South, but general manager Dan Morgan never settles in pursuit of progression.
That was evident once again by claiming veteran safety D'Anthony Bell off waivers. He featured against Carolina in Week 17, gaining six defensive snaps and 61.3 percent of special teams snaps. The Panthers must have been suitably impressed once the Seattle Seahawks deemed him surplus to requirements.
This solidifies the secondary during Carolina's regular-season finale and hopefully, into the postseason. However, it's also a damning indictment of how those in power perceive a once-promising breakout hopeful who was expected to play a bigger role in 2025.
Carolina Panthers claimed D'Anthony Bell off waivers, and that's bad news for Demani Richardson
Demani Richardson showed enough flashes last season to warrant more involvement. Fans were excited to see what progress could be made, but the Panthers moved forward with free-agent signing Tre'von Moehrig and Nick Scott as their starting safety tandem. And with fourth-round rookie Lathan Ransom making encouraging strides, the undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M has gone to the fringes.
Richardson has logged just 29 defensive snaps throughout the campaign. He's been much more active on special teams, but the second-year defensive back hasn't been active on game days since Week 13. Now, with Bell in the mix, his chances of featuring once again look bleaker than ever.
The Panthers have a massive decision to make with Richardson. He's an exclusive rights free agent, so keeping him around should be a simple task if they wish. That looked almost certain after his positive rookie campaign. Unfortunately for the player, things are not so clear-cut now.
Bell has more experience. He's coming from a contending team and has already impressed Carolina's coaching staff. Things are going the other way for Richardson, who is now facing an increasingly uncertain future when the offseason commences.
Giving Richardson another one-year deal to fight for his roster spot wouldn't be the worst idea in the world. The trajectory is no longer pointing up, but only Moehrig and Ransom are under contract next season. Bodies are needed, and Carolina is running a developmental staff who might not be ready to give up on him just yet.
It could legitimately go either way, but Bell's late arrival into the fold all but guarantees Richardson won't feature the rest of the way.
After that, all bets are now off.