Dan Morgan knows that the Carolina Panthers are still a few pieces away from becoming legitimate challengers. And the supremely focused general manager will be looking to take his ambitious project up another notch during his third offseason at the helm.
Morgan believes that the culture being built by head coach Dave Canales, coupled with Carolina's playoff appearance as NFC South champions, could make his recruiting pitch to free-agent targets easier. Money is a little tight right now, but the number should increase once some in-house moves are made. Finding the right players is the most important thing above all else.
Some needs are greater than others. Morgan's already said edge rushers are on his mind, and reinforcing the linebacking corps should also be high on his to-do list. The options are endless, but one analyst believes he may have found the answer to Carolina's problems.
Carolina Panthers named as perfect landing spor for Chiefs LB Leo Chenal
Mason Cameron from Pro Football Focus named the Panthers the best landing spot for Leo Chenal in free agency. He's excelled as a rotational piece with the Kansas City Chiefs, and the analyst thought there wouldn't be a better time to branch out into an expanded role elsewhere.
"After playing a limited role as a situational run-stuffing and blitzing linebacker to start his career with the Chiefs, [Leo] Chenal is ready to take on a full-time role elsewhere. The Panthers' linebacking corps failed to produce a single player with a PFF overall grade above 55.0. Adding Chenal to headline the group as the new green-dot communicator would project well for a defense that ranked 23rd in EPA per play allowed this past season."Mason Cameron, PFF
Chenal slots into Morgan's recruitment model. He wants to find ascending players with their best years ahead of them. The 2022 third-round pick fits the bill in that sense, but much will depend on whether the Chiefs want to retain him and how much money the linebacker wants if he gets the chance to test the open market.
According to Spotrac, Chenal is projected to earn $4.63 million per season under a three-year, $13.9 million deal. That seems manageable enough, so it's a definite option for Morgan to consider if the Chiefs don't want to stump up the cash to keep him on the books.
It also helps that people around the league are starting to look at the Panthers differently. This is not the same toxic organization that became a laughingstock during some turbulent years under previous regimes. Everything is looking up now, which makes signing players with Chenal's upside much more realistic.
Time will tell...