3 NFC South departures the Carolina Panthers won't miss in 2024

Carolina Panthers won't miss Shaquil Barrett

As previously stated, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a concerted effort to retain their top stars rather than focus on free-agent recruitment. The likes of Mike Evans, Baker Mayfield, and Lavonte David all re-signed, which was a major positive for head coach Todd Bowles as he looks to keep his stranglehold on the NFC South.

There were some sacrifices. Shaquil Barrett was released following an outstanding five-year spell with the franchise that saw him attain 19.5 sacks in his first season and play a significant role in their Super Bowl triumph.

Barrett is firmly in his career twilight, but he wasn't out of work for long. The edge rusher signed for the Miami Dolphins, which keeps him in the warm Florida climate on a team that still harbors hope of deep postseason involvement.

Nobody on the Carolina Panthers offensive line will be shedding any tears about Barrett leaving the division. Despite his sack numbers being down of late, he remained someone teams actively tried to counteract. Much of his good work didn't show up on the stat sheet, absorbing double teams and allowing others around him on the defensive front seven to flourish as a result.

Carolina is expecting bigger things from its protection in 2024 after spending big money on Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. Not having to deal with Barrett flying off the edge and becoming impactful against the run will only help their cause.