The Carolina Panthers are always looking for ways to improve the squad. General manager Dan Morgan is a methodical roster builder, but he's not going to mortgage the franchise's future for anybody.
If he can find value in free agency or an incoming trade, he won't hesitate. However, the front-office leader was out of luck in his pursuit of one recent target who was intensely coveted around the league.
The Panthers caused a stir among the fan base by arranging a visit with free-agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. He got the all clear from doctors following spinal fusion surgery, and interest was unsurprisingly high for any cornerback-needy teams around the league.
Asante Samuel Jr. spurned the Carolina Panthers in favor of the Steelers
Carolina was first on the meeting list. Head coach Dave Canales wanted to see where the player was at and how he would fit into Ejiro Evero's schematic concepts. He was noncommittal aside from that, probably knowing that others could offer more.
That turned out to be the case. According to Ian Rapoport from the NFL Network, Samuel is signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers' practice squad. This will allow the defensive back to get up to speed after missing so much football. If everything goes well, it won't be much longer before he's activated to the 53-man roster.
This could be perceived as a blow to the Panthers. Even so, the fact that a player of Samuel's stature even agreed to meet with Carolina at this late stage of proceedings shows how far this ambitious project has come in 2025.
That doesn't change the need to find another productive cornerback. Jaycee Horn is a lockdown presence, but when he doesn't play well, the cracks show. There is an overreliance on the former South Carolina standout that cannot be sustained, and this must not persist long-term if the Panthers want to make their presence known as a legitimate challenger.
Morgan will have a plan of attack. It would have been nice to get Samuel — an ascending player in their prime with some outstanding previous production — but at least the ex-linebacker took a swing.
It didn't pay off, but Morgan will have contingency plans in place if he believes more is needed. If he decides to roll through the second half of 2025 with what he has, then adding to the cornerback unit should be among his most glaring priorities during his third offseason at the helm.
As for Samuel? He deserves a little bit of luck, and he believes that the Steelers represent the best place to galvanize his career.