Dan Morgan wants to fix the problems that plagued the Carolina Panthers during his first year as general manager.
Entering the offseason, Morgan, who was a Pro Bowl linebacker for the franchise in the 2000s, didn’t pull punches with his internal evaluation of last year’s roster, specifically on the defense. The unit, which Morgan knows all too well, was a disaster of epic proportions, giving up the most points in a 17-game season and the most rushing yards in a campaign since 1980.
Morgan found last year’s product on defense hard to stomach. And while Morgan and head coach Dave Canales retained defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero — but replaced a couple of key members of his staff — both decision-makers knew that this year’s free agency had to center on a massive defensive reconstruction.
Morgan saw last year’s defensive woes as a product of the talent on the depth chart (read: his department) and not the scheme. So, he and his evaluators studied the tape, matched the scheme to the free-agent standouts, and put significant money toward the team’s most evident problem.
“We were getting pushed around up front,” Morgan told The Observer last week in Palm Beach, Florida, during the NFL’s annual meeting at The Breakers. “Watching our linebackers last year — I think when they have guys in their laps, when the line of scrimmage is getting pushed into their laps, that’s never ideal. You’re not going to win football games with that type of defense.”
The Panthers splurged on the defense during the first week of free agency, signing five veteran players to noteworthy contracts.
Defensive end Tershawn Wharton, nose tackle Bobby Brown, pass rusher Patrick Jones, safety Tre’von Moehrig, and linebacker Christian Rozeboom are a collective that Morgan hopes will solidify Carolina’s core defense for years to come. The new group will also give the GM and his evaluators flexibility as they enter an all-important NFL Draft with nine picks — including three selections in the top 75.
The Observer sat down with Morgan and Canales to discuss the new defenders to get a better understanding of what they will bring to the fold and how they’ll impact the team’s approach throughout the rest of the offseason.
Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown: Two for the platoons
Morgan and Canales have consistently preached about the importance of winning in the trenches since they teamed up in 2024.
That philosophy is why they signed offensive guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis to long-term deals last offseason. It’s also why the squad double-dipped on defensive linemen in March, adding Wharton and Brown to a pair of three-year deals in free agency.
Wharton, who signed a $45 million deal, is seen as an undersized interior pass rusher who can weave in and out of the lineup in a variety of ways. Brown, who is signed for $21 million over three years, is built like a traditional nose tackle, but the 24-year-old has the athleticism and upside to move around the line.
Morgan and Canales wanted to add some upgraded defenders to the line to rotate with Derrick Brown, who is returning from a season-ending knee injury, and A’Shawn Robinson. With Wharton and Brown in town, Shy Tuttle and second-year defensive lineman Jaden Crumedy shift further down the depth chart.
“I think, obviously, that (depth) is important, not just numbers but the quality of the players, too,” Morgan said. “We’ve got to have a rotation of guys that kind of have different skill sets.”
A word that Morgan likes to use when talking about the defensive line is platoons.
Perennial contenders like the Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles have long made use of platoons, which mix and match personnel within a unit. The philosophy is twofold: keep the linemen fresh while also keeping them effective.
“That’s why, going into free agency, that was our number one thing: get the defensive line strong — get it with a variety of players with different skill sets,” Morgan said.
Canales’ outlook on the defensive line is more about efficiency than variety.
Working in the trenches can be rigorous, no matter how many bodies there are on the depth chart, and Canales wants to make sure the group is getting a worthwhile return from everyone who touches the field.
It’s important “when you have to rotate — because everybody rotates — that we have consistent performance … so that teams can’t feel like, ‘Hey, just be patient and keep running the ball (because) we’ll get into their depth,’” Canales said. “Well, when we rotate now with Tershawn, with Bobby Brown in there with A’Shawn and Derrick and Shy, you really feel like there’s a good rotation in there in the interior.”
Patrick Jones: All three downs
Similar to the defensive line group, the Panthers want to have a healthy rotation at outside linebacker.
While last year’s free-agent additions, Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum, were serviceable when healthy, Carolina knew it couldn’t simply rely on that duo to help turn around the entire defense. So, the Panthers dug into the tape.
Franchise-altering pass rushers typically don’t hit the open market, and trading for one would have depleted financial and draft resources. So, instead of shooting for the stars, the Panthers looked for the best fit for their scheme with an emphasis on upside.
Carolina ultimately reached a two-year, $15 million contract with Jones, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings, who can earn another $4 million in playing incentives.
The 26-year-old outside linebacker is coming off a career-high seven-sack season, which would have led the Panthers’ defense in 2024.
“It first starts off with (our) scheme, knowing that you want to have players on the edge who are disruptive in the run and pass game,” Canales said. “And so that took us to evaluating the (outside linebackers) in this free agency class, and Patrick Jones — big, physical, play-style-wise (has) a high motor, all that — his ability to play all three downs was really attractive, and he’s got inside rush (ability), so he gives us some versatility with our pass rush plan.”
Jones’ projected versatility can help Carolina craft plans around their front seven. Instead of relying solely on established names like Clowney, Wonnum, Robinson, Tuttle, and Derrick Brown, the Panthers can sprinkle in the likes of Jones, Wharton, and Bobby Brown to disguise and disrupt the offense before and after the snap.
Also, with Jones on the roster, the Panthers don’t need to force a pick at the outside linebacker position early in the draft. They don’t need to fixate on a specific type of pass rusher, either.
“You’ve got Patrick Jones (and) D.J. Wonnum, these big bodies that are really stout and can play the run well — gives us some flexibility on who we could potentially draft,” Canales said. “Like, we could draft someone who is similar, or we could draft someone who is more of a pass rusher.”
Tre’von Moehrig: Finding the Enforcer
The Panthers came into the offseason with a clean slate at safety. Outside of second-year defensive back Demani Richardson, the cupboard was bare, and for good reason.
Last year’s group struggled mightily against the run, contributing to the defense’s shortcomings on the ground.
The Panthers wanted to find an enforcer of sorts for the back end, and that route led them to Moehrig, who is the crown jewel of their free agency class with a three-year, $51 million pact.
“We’re going to be able to utilize him in a bunch of different ways, and I think in free agency, that’s why he was so intriguing to us,” Morgan said. “He can play deep, but you can also bring him up into a big nickel role. You can blitz him; he’s going to be able to play the run from there, dominate receivers — he can play off tight ends, too — so just to have his skill set in our defense is going to do wonders, just with the run fits and the tackling.
“Our tackling wasn’t good enough last year, either. So, that was obviously a big point of emphasis: just getting guys that can bring the ball-carrier down as well.”
Moehrig has an edge to him. And while the Panthers are excited about his versatility, his technique and tenacity are what have been his calling cards over the past four years with the Las Vegas Raiders. He’s a sound tackler with a nose for the ball.
But he’s not just an in-the-box safety with a knack for tackling. He’s also known for filling out the box score with playmaking highlights. In his career, Moehrig has three sacks, 29 pass breakups, and six interceptions, a product of the Raiders using him in a variety of ways.
“With Tre’von, it was about the possibilities of how you could use him in the deep part of the field when there are two safeties rotating down in the box and blitzing him and playing him in the slot,” Canales said. “He gives you a lot of different things because of his ability to affect the line of scrimmage in the run game and the pass game. Finding that versatility was really important to us there.”
And the Panthers know they still have some work to do at safety beyond Moehrig.
While they brought back veteran defensive back Nick Scott on a one-year deal, he’s likely to be used as more of a special teams ace. Richardson, who flashed as an undrafted rookie, will get an opportunity to compete for a bigger role, but the Panthers are likely to try to upgrade the position over the next couple of months.
The team hosted veteran free-agent safeties, Julian Blackmon and Marcus Williams, on a shared visit last month. And while both remain eligible to sign, the Panthers could also go the rookie route with Moerhig leading the way at one of the starting spots.
“We have high hopes for Demani, and he got out there and played some pretty good football (last year),” Canales said. “And we feel pretty confident that Demani’s going to take another step. Signing Nick Scott back was huge from a defensive standpoint, but also from a special teams standpoint. And for me, it’s just a cultural fit thing for me with Nick.
“Could we add a premier post safety? Sure,” Canales continued. “If that presents itself, that would be really cool. Right now, we feel confident in the group we have.”
Christian Rozeboom: Competition is key.
The inside linebacker position was another spot the Panthers wanted to address before the draft.
The team decided before the NFL Scouting Combine that longtime captain Shaq Thompson wouldn’t return after back-to-back season-ending injuries, and Morgan, a former linebacker, wanted to infuse the position with youthful-but-experienced depth.
The Panthers went back to the Rams once again, adding Rozeboom on a one-year deal.
Rozeboom, coming off a career year with Los Angeles, gives the Panthers a proven commodity on defense and special teams. He can push starters Josey Jewell and Trevin Wallace while also working with Claudin Cherelus and Jon Rhattigan on special teams.
“I like competition, period,” Morgan said. “I think we didn’t have that enough on our roster the last couple of years — really, since I’ve been here (after rejoining the franchise as assistant GM in 2021). I think when you create healthy competition, it just makes everybody better. I think that’s Dave’s program; that’s what he wants. He wants a competition base, and I want the same thing”.
Rozeboom, like Moehrig, is known for his tenacity and tackling ability. The former undrafted free agent from South Dakota State had to push his way up the Rams’ depth chart over the past five years, and he got to the top by taking advantage of his limited defensive snaps before his 2024 promotion.
“I think signing someone like Christian — a veteran guy, he had 135 tackles last year — he can come in and he can play,” Morgan said. “It’s going to push Trevin to be better, it’s going to push Josey, it’s going to push all the linebackers to be better. That’s why we want that type of competition, because everyone knows they need to bring it on a day-to-day basis. Otherwise, you’re not going to be in the starting lineup.”
Canales, who wants to avoid complacency on his roster, is excited about Rozeboom’s arrival. Competition and depth are at the foundation of Canales’ program entering Year 2 in Charlotte.
“Christian Rozeboom, another really important one for us, to just have players in there in a position that a lot of times does see injuries because of the high-impact plays of the inside linebacker spot,” Canales said. “To have somebody who knows the scheme so that we just continue to grow out our depth.”
The offense? Wait and see.
With so much work being done on defense, it’s fair to wonder when the offense will receive some reinforcements.
Yes, the Panthers signed running back Rico Dowdle to partner with Chuba Hubbard in 2025, but that signing was largely a response to the release of fellow veteran Miles Sanders. And while the team has put quite a bit of money into the offense with the re-signings of linemen Austin Corbett, Cade Mays, and Brady Christensen and tight end Tommy Tremble, the NFL’s 29th-ranked group — led by third-year QB Bryce Young — could still use some additional upgrades.
“I think re-signing the linemen that we re-signed, we kept our core strong on the offensive side of the ball,” Morgan said. “Obviously, we want to add big-time playmakers on the outside — whether that’s a receiver, whether that’s a tight end — like we want to continue to add guys who can make good plays. But on the defensive side of the ball, it was lacking and so apparent that it was lacking on the defensive front; we knew we had to do something, and we weren’t going to neglect it any longer.
“I think, in my position, we’re in the business of fixing things, and when you see a problem, you can’t just sit there and act oblivious to it. I’m going to go attack and attack the needs of our team, which we did in free agency.”
With the defensive splurge in free agency, the Panthers’ brain trust feels like it can play on somewhat even ground in the draft. If a top-rated offensive prospect falls to them, they won’t hesitate to select that player for the sake of the defense, and vice versa.
And yet, the front office could still double dip a few more times on defense later this month. Canales, an offensive-minded head coach, wouldn’t necessarily have a problem with that.
“It’s my confidence in our players on offense and the guys that I know can take the next step in our schemes,” Canales said. “Knowing that Xavier (Legette) is going to come in and have a great year this year. Adam (Thielen) is out there, bringing what he brings to the table. Seeing what Jalen Coker can do. And signing a guy like David Moore, which was really huge for me, building culture and the system and those things. And having Chuba and Rico for the play style and the toughness that we want to have offensively — Tommy is a big part of that, the effort that he plays with.
“So, we have a really solid core there; we want to build a really solid core on the defensive side, add some young guys through the draft, challenge those guys to compete for spots to see where they fit in, but we just wanted to complement (the roster) so we could play really good football as a starting point.”
