3 future free agents the Panthers' front office should pay close attention to during the NFL playoffs
Although they played better down the stretch, the Carolina Panthers had a disappointing season with a 5-12 record. They still have a lot of work to do to get their roster constructed well enough to contend for the postseason. The Panthers currently have nine picks in the 2025 NFL Draft and nearly $33 million in […]
Although they played better down the stretch, the Carolina Panthers had a disappointing season with a 5-12 record.
They still have a lot of work to do to get their roster constructed well enough to contend for the postseason. The Panthers currently have nine picks in the 2025 NFL Draft and nearly $33 million in salary cap space, which isn't a ton but isn't bad.
Carolina can get to work on scouting potential free agents as the playoffs begin this weekend. There will be plenty of great players to watch who are about to get invaluable high-stakes experience. Here are three future free agents in particular the Panthers should keep their eyes on in the postseason.
Kansas City Chiefs WR Hollywood Brown
The Panthers have a solid trio of wide receivers in Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette, and Jalen Coker, but each have question marks moving forward. Thielen has admitted to be considering retirement, and at 34-years-old who knows how many productive years he has left.
Legette had a solid rookie season, but is still a work in progress and can't be counted on as a WR1. The same can be said for Coker. Enter Hollywood Brown, who is a six-year veteran that has had three seasons with over 700 receiving yards. Brown would instantly be Carolina's best receiver and provide a much-needed vertical threat to the offense.
If Thielen were to call it quits, Brown would provide leadership and experience for the young Panthers' receiving corps. Brown missed most of the 2024 season with a shoulder injury, but has looked great for the Chiefs since returning. He's still just 27-years-old and wouldn't be nearly as expensive to acquire compared to top free agent receiver Tee Higgins.
Washington Commanders DE Dante Fowler Jr.
The Panthers badly need a steady pass rusher after finishing 29th in the NFL in sacks with just 32. Fowler just had one of the best years of his career with 10.5 sacks, 20 quarterback pressures, 39 total tackles, two forced fumbles, and one interception for the Commanders.
At age 30, Fowler is a veteran but should still have plenty of tread left on the tires. He and A'Shawn Robinson would make for a nice pass rush tandem, and with star defensive tackle Derrick Brown coming back into the fold, suddenly Carolina's defensive front would be quite intimidating.
Pittsburgh Steelers QB Russell Wilson
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young made great progress in the second half of the season, giving fans hope that he can still be the team's long-term franchise quarterback. However, although he improved, Young still didn't exactly light it up. He averaged just 200 passing yards during his 12 starts, and less than two touchdown passes per game.
Carolina shouldn't give up on Young by any means, but bringing in a veteran like Wilson to push him would be a positive. Wilson may not be the caliber of quarterback he was with the Seattle Seahawks, but he has shown he can still lead a team to the playoffs. Bringing in Wilson could force Young to elevate his game even more, and Wilson would provide insurance if Young doesn't progress or suffers an injury.
Panthers continue to have a silver lining for their future that is more important than winning games in 2024
It could pay off for next year.
