Dan Morgan knew what had to be done this offseason. The Carolina Panthers needed to improve their historically bad defense above everything else. And this all started in the most important place of all.
That, of course, is the trenches.
Ejiro Evero's 3-4 defensive front was outmatched and bullied throughout an abysmal campaign. Losing Pro Bowl lineman Derrick Brown after just one game to a serious knee injury didn't help, but the lack of starting-caliber talent or capable depth was glaring. Thankfully, this is something the ambitious general manager also recognized.
Things look more promising now. However, it's placed a rising star into afterthought status unless he takes a monumental surge forward this summer.
Jaden Crumedy cannot afford to get lost in Carolina Panthers' reshuffle
The Panthers saw something others didn't in Jaden Crumedy en route to making him the No. 200 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. He was a little undersized, but the athletic intangibles were well worth gambling on. His rookie campaign never took off, which is thanks in no small part to some frustrating injury problems that dented his momentum considerably.
Crumedy featured in just five regular-season games, accumulating 34 percent of the team's defensive snaps. He flashed brief moments of promise to secure 0.5 sacks, 13 tackles, and one quarterback hit, but he remains an unknown quantity. And the Panthers didn't have the luxury of waiting around.
Morgan signed Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III in free agency. He spent the No. 140 overall pick on Cam Jackson. He got Shy Tuttle to take a pay cut and opted to give A'Shawn Robinson another chance to impress. There's also the presence of undrafted free agent Jared Harrison-Hunte to factor into the equation after his outstanding start to offseason preparations.
This raises the stakes for Crumedy entering Year 2 of his professional career. He must remain healthy. He must improve against the run. He must prove he belongs amid the vast changes made across the defensive front this offseason.
The Panthers are not running a sentimental football operation these days. There's increased competition for places. Those who prove deserving will get rewarded. Anyone not developing sufficiently will be shown the door.
That's what Crumedy is looking to avoid. He cannot afford to get lost in the shuffle, because this scenario is only going to end one way.