The first week of NFL free agency is in the books, and the Carolina Panthers look a bit different than in years past. 

Brian Burns and other mainstays are gone, and the roster is being molded in the image of Dan Morgan, who coming into the process said he wanted to find some "dogs." 

With most. of the dust settled on the Panthers' prospective moves, let's take a second to assess where we are from a roster standpoint. 

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Quarterback (2) 

Starter: Bryce Young
Backup: Andy Dalton

How we got here: Not much has changed for the Panthers in the quarterback room. Bryce Young will be the starter, and unless something drastic changes, the names taking snaps under center will be the same come the start of the 2024 season. 

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Running back (6) 

Starter(s): Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders
Reserve(s): Raheem Blackshear, Mike Boone, Spencer Brown and Tarik Cohen

How we got here: The Panthers running back room didn't change too much during the first week of free agency. Questions persist regarding Miles Sanders' future, but for the foreseeable time ahead, Hubbard and Sanders will be the lead-backs in Charlotte. 

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Wide receiver (8)

Starter(s): Diontae Johnson (X), Jonathan Mingo (Z) and Adam Thielen (SLOT)
Reserve(s): Terrace Marshall Jr., Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Mike Strachan, Cam Sims, Jalen Camp

How we got here: The Panthers traded for Diontae Johnson so that he could be the lead wide receiver to make Bryce Young's life easier. With Mingo heading into his second year, he is expected to leap forward and Thielen will still get run in the slot, where he is most comfortable. 

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Tight end (5) 

Starter(s): Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas
Reserve(s): Stephen Sullivan, Chris Pierce and Jordan Matthews

How we got here: The Panthers' tight end room is arguably one of the team's most disappointing position groups on the roster. There is no question that Carolina needs to upgrade at tight end and fast. 

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Offensive line (13)

Stater(s): Ikem Ekwonu (LT), Damien Lewis (LG), Austin Corbett (C), Robert Hunt (RG) and Taylor Moton (RT)
Reserve(s): Brady Christensen, J.D. DiRenzo, Nash Jensen, Cade Mays, Chandler Zavala, Badara Traore, Ilm Manning and Ricky Lee

How we got here: The Panthers paid big for Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt. Protecting Bryce Young is what matters most in the 2024 season. Now it will be up to those big names to prove they were worth the investment. 

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Defensive line (8)

Starter(s): Derrick Brown, D.J. Wonnum and K'Lavon Chaisson
Reserve(s): Nick Thurman, Raequan Williams, Shy Tuttle, LaBryan Ray, A'Shawn Robinson

How we got here: The Panthers went chasing an edge rusher and may have found it in Wonnum. Chaisson is a flyer on a first-round bust, but if he lives up to his potential, Carolina may have landed the steal of the offseason.

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Linebackers (8)

Starter(s): Shaq Thompson, Josey Jewell, DJ Johnson
Reserve(s): Chandler Wooten, Luiji Vilain, Claudin Cherelus, Eku Leota and Amaré Barno

How we got here: The Panthers lost several key decision-makers at linebacker. However, Dan Morgan also added Jewell from Denver to make up for what was lost. We will see if it pays off. 

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Cornerback (7)

Starter(s): Jaycee Horn, Dane Jackson and Troy Hill
Reserve(s): Dicaprio Bootle, Lamar Jackson, D'Shawn Jamison and AJ Parker

How we got here: The big shake-up was the addition of Dane Jackson from the Buffalo Bills. His value to the Panthers will come from whether he can play next to Horn for extended periods.

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Safety (4)

Starter(s): Xavier Woods, Jordan Fuller
Reserve(s): Jammie Robinson, Alex Cook

How we got here: The Panthers shook up the safety position. Jodan Fuller comes over from Los Angeles, and he will be paired with Xavier Woods for the foreseeable future. 

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Specialists (9)

Starter(s): Johnny Hekker (P), Eddy Piñeiro (K), JJ Jansen (LS), Ihmir Smith-Marsette (PR) Raheem Blackshear (KR)

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