Dan Morgan took a big risk during his first offseason as Carolina Panthers general manager. With relationships strained and his contract situation mismanaged by the previous regime, the general manager traded star edge rusher Brian Burns to the New York Giants.
The Panthers famously turned down two first-round picks and more from the Los Angeles Rams for Burns. Despite this controversial stance, those in power at the time didn't want to pay him. Morgan ended up using the franchise tag before shipping him to the Giants for far less than his perceived market value.
Couple this with the loss of Frankie Luvu, Jeremy Chinn, and Yetur Gross-Matos — together with key injuries to Derrick Brown and Shaq Thompson — and it wasn't hard to predict what would come next. Ejiro Evero's defense went through one of the worst overall campaigns in NFL history. Morgan's gamble brought improvements on offense, but it came with a heavy price attached.
Morgan plans to be aggressive in pursuit of bolstering the defense this offseason. The Panthers have almost $30 million in available salary-cap space, so lavish spending in free agency will be difficult unless the contracts are backloaded. They do have nine selections during the 2025 NFL Draft, which isn't a bad fallback option to call upon.
Generating pressure was difficult in 2024. A starring performance from one polarizing prospect at the NFL Scouting Combine invoked memories of Burns from an explosiveness and movement standpoint.
James Pearce Jr. gives Carolina Panthers plenty to ponder at NFL Scouting Combine
James Pearce Jr. was arguably the top performer among defensive linemen, pass-rushers, and linebackers during on-field drills at Lucas Oil Stadium. His fluidity and quick-twitch traits were as advertised — something that also came across strongly on the player's tape during his time at Tennessee.
Light work for James Pearce Jr. 🔥
— NFL (@NFL) February 27, 2025
He's @MoveTheSticks' 21st-ranked player.
📺: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/MEe6tGgBIs
Pearce enhanced his draft stock considerably with a starring effort in front of scouts, coaches, and front-office personnel. It's easy to forget he was projected to be in contention for the No. 1 overall selection before his final campaign with the Volunteers. An anonymous director of personnel also brought forward some potential character concerns to WalterFootball.com that could be offputting.
"He’s in danger of getting dropped off our board. Granted, we are a strict team in terms of character, but we have a lot of concerns, and I think he probably isn’t a fit for us."Anonymous director of player personnel
Just what these off-the-field issues are wasn't disclosed. It doesn't seem like there was substance attached to them, but it always happens at this time of year. What's important for Morgan is doing his due diligence if Pearce enters legitimate consideration at No. 8 overall.
The similarities with Burns are there. Explosiveness to the contact point, pass-rushing bend, and closing speed are reminiscent of the two-time Pro Bowler. And like the former Florida State player, he struggles with getting off blocks and can sometimes be ill-disciplined against the run.
One could argue that Pearce is a little more polished than Burns coming into the NFL. Whether he's got the same upside is debatable. Morgan needs to figure out if this is a risk worth taking. But if the Panthers don't take him at No. 8, he might not be around for much longer after that.
Regardless of whether it's Pearce or someone else, the Panthers must find a dynamic pass-rushing force in the draft. Anything else is organizational malpractice.