Panthers news: Dave Canales, Yetur Gross-Matos, Austin Corbett and trade target

Yetur Gross-Matos' improvement

There were very few bright spots for the Carolina Panthers in 2023. It was a season that promised much but didn't deliver once again. Something that left team owner David Tepper with no option other than to hit the reset button for the third time under the billionaire's leadership.

One of the more encouraging elements of Carolina's otherwise underwhelming campaign was the strides made by Yetur Gross-Matos. The edge rusher looked the part transitioning from a 4-3 defensive end to a 3-4 outside linebacker under Ejiro Evero. After many wrote off his chances of making a significant contribution, there was a lot to like about his improved consistency as a rotational presence and when introduced into the starting lineup.

This received deserved recognition from Zoltán Buday of Pro Football Focus, who named the former second-round pick out of Penn State as Carolina's most improved player from the 2023 season.

"It is not easy to highlight someone on the 2023 Carolina Panthers who has significantly improved compared to previous seasons. However, while [Yetur] Gross-Matos missed time due to an injury, he recorded career-high pass-rushing, run-defense and overall grades in his fourth NFL season."

- Zoltán Buday, PFF

Much will depend on how the new leadership team perceives his potential, but Gross-Matos' performances in a contract year indicate another new deal could be in the offing if the money is right for all parties. Not many predicted that before the season.