3 guaranteed home runs from the Carolina Panthers' 2024 offseason
By Dean Jones
Dan Morgan made the best out of a difficult situation this offseason. The Carolina Panthers had to rebuild the NFL's worst team and mold it into a competitive outfit. They also had to make sure the franchise was in a more profitable financial predicament to enhance their chance of long-term sustainability.
Not exactly the most promising task, but Morgan did well overall. He was aggressive, formed an aligned vision with others in prominent leadership positions, and found the right characters fitting into his cultural reset in Carolina. Anyone not deemed worthy was moved on regardless of salary-cap considerations.
The Panthers are in a much better place as a result. Success might not happen right away, but the strategy is clear. Not every transaction will reap rewards. However, some moves should look primed to make a big contribution for differing reasons.
With this in mind, here are three guaranteed home runs from the Panthers' busy offseason in 2024.
Carolina Panthers traded for Diontae Johnson
Finding more prolific pass catchers was imperative for the Carolina Panthers this offseason. Bryce Young couldn't trust anyone aside from Adam Thielen to produce the goods during a rookie campaign littered with errors. Dan Morgan made this among his top priorities with a major statement of intent early in his tenure.
The Panthers were planning to make Donte Jackson a salary-cap casualty before free agency. Morgan turned this into a trade for wide receiver Diontae Johnson. All it cost him was the cornerback a late-round pick swap with the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is the definition of a low-risk, high-reward pickup by the organization that can help Young flourish in 2024.
Any concerns about Johnson becoming a locker room distraction were alleviated over early workouts. The former third-round pick transitioned well and has been working exceptionally hard away from the team in readiness for his upcoming challenges. This is also a contract year for the Toledo product, so the added incentive is there for all to see.
If Johnson puts the new chip on his shoulder to good use, this is a home-run hit for the Panthers.