After such a dismal season - something that resulted in another head coach being fired and team owner David Tepper disgracing himself further - nobody expected the Carolina Panthers to stand still this offseason. Dan Morgan was on damage control for the most part, but he's managed to emerge from a frantic recruitment period with credit in difficult circumstances.
Morgan made no secret of his desire to re-establish the culture that made the Panthers great once upon a time. That's not going to happen overnight, but the general manager made a good start by finding the right characters in free agency and the draft. Of course, there was always going to be some collateral damage centering on those who failed to meet expectations last time around.
There's been a level of ruthlessness to the team's roster construction that wasn't evident under previous regimes. The Panthers have adopted a business-first model with no sentiment attached to their thought process whatsoever. Morgan's also taken some short-term financial hits for future flexibility in keeping with his long-term plans for sustained growth.
With this in mind, here are seven Panthers players that Morgan was right to part ways with during his roster revamp in 2024.
C.J. Henderson - Former Carolina Panthers CB
When the Carolina Panthers struck a trade agreement with the Jacksonville Jaguars for C.J. Henderson, those in power felt this was the sort of environment that could help the cornerback reach his pre-draft billing coming out of Florida. While there were moments of quality from the former first-round selection, the same consistency issues remained.
Henderson struggles to maintain concentration in coverage. He's got all the athletic tools to be productive, but there's just something missing. Dan Morgan wasn't willing to offer him a new deal on the off chance he'd finally start reaching his potential.
As is the case with most players taken in the top 10, Henderson got another shot at redemption. However, if the defensive back cannot galvanize his performance levels with the Houston Texans and head coach DeMeco Ryans in 2024, this might be the last we see of him on an NFL roster.
Bradley Bozeman - Former Carolina Panthers C
Bradley Bozeman was a popular figure who did a significant amount for the community in a relatively short space of time. He was more than deserving of a new contract after impressing considerably during his first season with the Carolina Panthers. But things didn't go according to plan in 2023 and he was let go by Dan Morgan as a result.
Bozeman is a good player and a veteran leadership presence who'll be missed. However, he didn't look suited to the zone-blocking concepts implemented last season. With new head coach Dave Canales looking to adopt a similar approach, the Panthers took this chance to remove the former sixth-round selection out of Alabama completely from the equation.
The Panthers are taking a big risk at the center position in 2024. Austin Corbett is transitioning to the anchor role after Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis were acquired to become the team's new offensive guard tandem. That said, his injury history and lack of experience make not having a specialist on board aside from undrafted free agent Andrew Raym concerning.
As for Bozeman? He was snapped up quickly by the Los Angeles Chargers. This looks like a tremendous fit when one considers how Jim Harbaugh likes to run the football physically.
D.J. Chark - Former Carolina Panthers WR
The Carolina Panthers worked hard to secure the services of veteran wide receiver D.J. Chark during the 2023 offseason. It took some convincing, but the vertical threat eventually agreed to come on board, much to the delight of Frank Reich, Thomas Brown, and Scott Fitterer.
Hopes were high that Chark could provide rookie quarterback Bryce Young with a dependable target in the passing game to smooth his transition. However, it didn't take long to figure out this was not going to go as those in power hoped.
Chark struggled to create separation and seemed to have lost the explosiveness that made him a Pro Bowler once upon a time. He also suffered some concentration issues, leading to unnecessary drops. All things considered, his free-agent switch was a disaster.
Dan Morgan decided not to offer Chark another deal, which is understandable in the circumstances. The veteran wideout found another home recently, penning a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers in the hope of filling the gaping void left by Mike Williams and Keenan Allen.
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.
Donte Jackson - Former Carolina Panthers CB
There were many more polarizing figures in recent years than Donte Jackson among Carolina Panthers fans. The veteran cornerback enjoyed much-improved fortunes in 2023 working under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero - especially against the run - but it wasn't enough to justify the salary coming the former second-round pick out of LSU's way in the final year of his deal.
The Panthers publically announced they were planning to release Jackson unless a trade could be figured out beforehand. Morgan pulled off a masterstroke by including him in the package that secured the services of wide receiver Diontae Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jackson left for the Steelers, which is a chance to assist a decent defense capable of making strides in 2024. The Panthers got one of the league's best route-runners in return, which should help quarterback Bryce Young greatly as he looks for a bounce-back campaign.
This is a win-win for all parties. Jackson gets the chance to join a team with better chances to contend and the Panthers get an exceptional separator to fit within Dave Canales' expansive offensive scheme.
Laviska Shenault Jr. - Former Carolina Panthers WR
Another failed trade from the Carolina Panthers saw Laviska Shenault Jr. arrive from the Jacksonville Jaguars with high hopes of carving out a significant role for himself in a different scheme. His versatility and ability to generate yards after the catch came with some intrigue attached, but it never turned out to be anything more than fleeting moments of promise.
Shenault struggled to firmly establish himself and the coaching staff couldn't work out how to involve him heavily. The former second-round pick's route-running came in for severe criticism, which shouldn't have come as a great surprise considering how his career unfolded up to this point.
Dan Morgan didn't think twice about going in a different direction during his first offseason at the helm, leaving Shenault surplus to requirements. The wideout got another chance to showcase his abilities elsewhere, signing for the Seattle Seahawks on a one-year deal. There remains hope he can finally put everything together, but the Panthers were right to give others a chance to prove themselves.
Whether they can capitalize on their respective opportunities will be a deciding factor behind Bryce Young's ability to bounce back in 2024.