There was one lingering issue remaining for the Carolina Panthers to solve before training camp. And once the second-round dominoes began to fall around the league, it didn't take much longer for general manager Dan Morgan to get the matter resolved successfully.
The landscape for second-round rookie contracts completely shifted this offseason. Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger and Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins, the No. 33 and No. 34 selections in the 2025 NFL Draft, both got fully guaranteed contracts. This was a league first, and something others were reluctant to follow.
Of course, this didn't go unnoticed by the players. Their representatives held out for more guaranteed money and perhaps even fully guaranteed deals that weren't immediately forthcoming. But the closer teams got to training camp, the more pressure came to fix this complication.
A new bar was set when Alfred Collins had $9 million of his $10.3 million contract guaranteed by the San Francisco 49ers. That opened the floodgates with a flurry of second-rounders also signing on the dotted line soon after.
Carolina Panthers avoid unnecessary complications with Nic Scourton deal
The Panthers followed suit eventually. Edge rusher Nic Scourton, who Carolina traded up to acquire at No. 51 overall, now has his rookie deal locked in. This comes as a relief to fans, who were worried about the first-year pro potentially missing time at training camp.
Panthers announce they have agreed to terms with second-round pick Nic Scourton, two days before the team’s rookies are set to report for camp.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) July 20, 2025
Now, that's not the case.
Scourton participated in Carolina's offseason program without a contract. He couldn't do so at camp according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Given his possible role in 2025, this would have been an unwanted and unnecessary stumbling block.
Thankfully, the focus can now firmly turn to preparing effectively for the 2025 campaign from Scourton's perspective. The Panthers are expecting him to become a key part of the pass-rushing rotation immediately, perhaps even evolving into a starting-caliber performer as the campaign progresses. Missing pivotal time at camp during his early development could have jeopardized this outlook.
The Panthers had to pay a little more in guarantees, which is happening league-wide thanks to the Browns and Texans. But they are confident enough in Scourton to believe that they'll still get a significant return on this investment.
Everything worked out okay in the end. And now, the onus is on Scourton to repay the faith shown in him by the Panthers.
The sooner that happens, the better Carolina's defensive hopes will be.