Carolina Panthers urged to attempt major home-run hit in 2025 free agency

The Carolina Panthers are still trying to navigate their way through the 2024 season. Optimism is growing after a stunning victory at the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4, but their situation remains precarious until further notice. This is a constant assessment from those in power, who want to see growth in all areas before embarking on another pivotal offseason in 2025.

That might seem like an age away, but it'll come around sooner than you think. General manager Dan Morgan and his staff will already be making longer-term plans while focusing on what more is needed right now. The Panthers have talent, but much will depend on what they eventually have planned for quarterback Bryce Young after taking the former No. 1 pick out of the firing line.

Carolina Panthers urged to make their move for Tee Higgins in 2025

The Panthers could be in a position to swing for the fences with a marquee free-agent signing. The Bleacher Report's scouting department urged Carolina to do everything in its power to bring wide receiver Tee Higgins to the organization, who's playing on the franchise tag in 2024 after failing to reach a contract agreement with the Cincinnati Bengals.

"Carolina is currently projected to have about $43 million of cap space available this offseason, per Over The Cap, and the organization should be in the business of collecting young talent. Also, with Diontae Johnson being an impending free agent and Adam Thielen getting up there in age, the front office should load up on wide receivers for its next quarterback. Higgins will be one of the top wideouts, if not the top wideout, on the open market with his nearly 3,700 career receiving yards and 24 touchdowns in addition to only being 26 years old in January."

- Bleacher Report scouting department

Higgins has close ties to the region having played his college football at Clemson. The Panthers have other glaring needs as things stand - primarily at cornerback and edge rusher - but acquiring a legitimate difference-maker on the outside would be a massive boost for whoever Carolina has under center by this point.

It might be Young. It might be Andy Dalton. It might be someone else. But unless the Panthers have playmakers capable of making things easier, the same problems will surface.

There are plenty of intriguing factors in play here. Diontae Johnson is looking for a new deal next spring after joining via trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers. If the Toledo product performs as he did in Week 4 for the remainder of Carolina's regular-season engagements, the decision to extend the slick route-runner is an easy one.

Adam Thielen isn't getting any younger and could be cut or traded at season's end. Jonathan Mingo and Xavier Legette's progress will likely determine whether someone like Higgins becomes a legitimate option if the Bengals let him test the market as expected.

Higgins isn't going to be short of suitors in this scenario. There will be a queue of teams looking to bring him on board, so the Panthers will need to overpay or prove they are trending in the right direction with ambitious plans for the future.

Easier said than done, but Morgan must shoot his shot if Higgins becomes available. Whether that's enough remains to be seen.

More Carolina Panthers news and analysis