5 Carolina Panthers who could get cut without playing a snap in 2024
By Dean Jones
K'Lavon Chaisson - Carolina Panthers OLB
The Carolina Panthers have serious questions surrounding their edge rushing options in 2024. Those in power traded Brian Burns to the New York Giants. Frankie Luvu and Yetur Gross-Matos took their chances elsewhere in free agency. New faces were acquired, but whether they'll be able to fill the void is the big question nobody knows the answer to right now.
Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum project to be the starting edge-rushing tandem within Ejiro Evero's 3-4 base scheme. The Panthers are counting on the veteran duo to produce and remain healthy. This bears more significance upon further examination of the indifferent depth behind the top two options.
Unless someone takes a monumental leap forward, the Panthers are desperately short of reliable options. Adding to the unit at some stage before Week 1 at the New Orleans Saints rolls around is possible, with general manager Dan Morgan stating his intent to be aggressive on the waiver wire from atop the priority list.
Any new arrivals would not reflect well on K'Lavon Chaisson. The edge rusher ended his less-than-profitable stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason, where he accumulated five sacks in four years after being taken No. 20 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
This isn't the first reclamation gamble the Panthers have brought from Jacksonville. C.J. Henderson and Laviska Shenault Jr. were added via trade but failed to meet even modest expectations. If Chaisson ends up falling into the same category, his time in Charlotte will be short-lived.
This is a big challenge for Chaisson, who got a one-year deal in free agency. If the Panthers feel like his performance levels aren't up to the required standard, the former LSU star can be cut with just $500,000 in dead cap money compared to $2 million in savings. It would also be disastrous for the player's future NFL aspirations, so the stakes couldn't be much higher.