7 Carolina Panthers players Dan Morgan was right to part ways with in 2024

Jeremy Chinn - Former Carolina Panthers S

Anyone predicting Jeremy Chinn wasn't going to get a second deal with the Carolina Panthers would have had some strange looks following his rookie campaign. However, that's what befell the versatile defensive weapon after his influence waned during the 2023 campaign.

In truth, the Panthers mismanaged Chinn. He took the league by storm as an outside linebacker in 2020. In previous head coach Matt Rhule's infinite wisdom, they switched him to the safety position, where he didn't look nearly as comfortable.

When defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero came into the fold and switched Carolina's unit to a 3-4 base scheme, Chinn became an afterthought. His snaps diminished significantly, other less heralded players were preferred when injury struck, and the player's frustrations grew to the point where he was relishing the start to start fresh elsewhere from a long way out.

The Panthers were right to let the former second-round pick out of Southern Illinois take his chances on another NFL team given Evero doesn't have much use for the player. That won't be the case at his next destination, with Dan Quinn sure to maximize Chinn's athletic attributes more effectively after he signed a one-year deal with the Washington Commanders in free agency.

Hayden Hurst - Former Carolina Panthers TE

The Carolina Panthers have gone through a conveyor belt of tight ends in pursuit of finding production since Greg Olsen departed in 2020. Hayden Hurst was the latest big name to join the ranks last spring. He also became the latest in a long line to fluff their lines.

Hurst didn't manage to carve out a significant role for himself. Dealing with a concussion that caused post-traumatic amnesia meant his campaign was cruelly cut short. Factors this in with his poor production, it didn't come as a great surprise to see Dan Morgan end this experiment early despite no financial benefit to the player's release.

The former South Carolina star was urged to retire by many after such a serious head injury. That didn't enter Hurst's mind, who also signed for the Los Angeles Chargers to link up with former teammates Bradley Bozeman and D.J. Chark immediately in a different environment.

Carolina didn't stand pat at the position, spending the No. 101 overall selection on Ja'Tavion Sanders. Hopefully, the pass-catching threat can finally provide some much-needed stability at a spot that's offered nothing since Olsen was allowed to walk.