Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images Let’s explore the rationale behind signing two guards, trading for Diontae Johnson, and other recent roster moves. As we look forward to the 2024 season, in the coming weeks we’ll ask 24 important questions that will shape the Panthers future. Why did GM Dan Morgan invest $153 million in guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis? The answer to this question is simple: There is nothing more important in 2024 than putting Bryce Young in a position to develop and succeed. Nothing - I mean nothing - trumps Young’s Year 2 development. Almost any rookie quarterback would have failed in the situation Bryce Young inherited last year. There were scheme changes, coaching changes, a weak running game, inconsistent offensive line play, and only one legitimate receiving threat in Adam Thielen. Dan Morgan brought in Hunt and Lewis on big contracts because the Panthers front office thinks they are the cure to what ailed Carolina’s blocking last year. According to Joe Person on X, the plan is to move Austin Corbett from guard to center while moving Brady Christensen from guard to swing tackle. Frankly, moving Christensen back to tackle is long overdue. As a die-hard BYU fan I’ve watched Brady Christensen play football since 2017 and he’s a more natural tackle than a somewhat undersized guard. If you don’t think Christensen is athletic enough to play on the edge, don’t fear. He played tackle all through college and was a 2020 consensus All-American. It’s his natural position. In the 2021 NFL Draft Combine he was ranked the No. 1 most athletic tackle evaluated that year and put up an elite 9.84 Relative Athletic Score. Moving him from tackle in college to guard in the NFL was a mistake, in my humble opinion. On paper the Panthers have a solid-looking offensive line with tackles Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton, guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, Austin Corbett at center, and Brady Christensen providing depth at both guard and tackle positions. The hope is a better offensive line with both open up the running game and give Bryce Young better protection in the pocket. Assuming that happens, 2024 will be an enlightening year as to what the Panthers have - or don’t have - in their young franchise quarterback. What free agency move hurts the worst? The answer to this question is simple, too: Losing Frankie Luvu. In 2021, Luvu’s first season with the Panthers, he was an impactful rotational player who produced 43 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and three fumble recoveries. Carolina’s front office saw enough in him to extend him on a two year deal for 2022 and 2023. In those two beautiful seasons Luvu morphed into one of the most disruptive linebackers in the NFL. He had 236 combined tackles, 29 tackles for loss, and 12.5 sacks over the last two seasons. I think he has been the second most important and impactful player on Carolina’s defense behind only Derrick Brown. Luvu played with passion and toughness. Watching him leave Carolina for the Washington Commanders on a relatively affordable 3-year, $31 million contract is hard to swallow. I know Carolina’s front office is focused on bolstering the offense, but I wish they would have found a way to make the cap work to retain Luvu. Thanks for the memories, Frankie. What potentially significant move has flown under the radar thus far? Trading cornerback Donte Jackson for wide receiver Diontae Johnson could be a home run for the Panthers. While Diontae had worn out his welcome with the Pittsburgh Steelers, his production through his first five NFL seasons has been solid. In 77 career games behind shaky quarterbacks he racked up 391 receptions (5.1 per game) for 4,363 yards (56.7 per game) and 25 touchdowns. At his best, Johnson is a Pro Bowl receiver. In 2021, his third NFL season, he made the Pro Bowl with 107 receptions, 1,161 yards, and five touchdowns. Through five seasons his worst campaign was his 2019 rookie year with 59 receptions for 680 yards. He immediately becomes the Panthers highest-ceiling receiver, provided he’s focused and motivated, and will be a nice compliment to Adam Thielen. The Panthers need legitimate receiving weapons for Bryce Young, and if all goes well Diontae Johnson has the potential to approach 100 receptions and 1,000 yards. He has done it before. As far as Donte Jackson goes, I think the vast majority of Panthers fans have nothing but love for the outgoing veteran. He spent six mostly productive seasons in Carolina. He did exactly what teams want from a second round pick by earning a starting spot in his 2018 rookie season and never relinquishing it. While he never played at a Pro Bowl level, he was generally a plus in the Panthers secondary provided he was healthy (which was less often than anybody would have liked). All the best, Donte. What remaining free agent should the Panthers sign? Yes, I’m a BYU homer, and that’s probably impacting my thinking process here, but when I see Carolina’s lack of proven depth at defensive end I’d love for the Panthers to sign Kyle Van Noy on a one-year deal. The veteran just turned 33 last week so he’s older, but definitely not over the hill. In fact, his 2023 campaign was arguably the best of his long, consistent career. The veteran was an unsigned free agent to start the 2023 season and then joined the Baltimore Ravens early in the regular season. He quickly became a key piece in the Ravens defense. Over 13 games last year he registered 30 tackles, nine sacks, and nine tackles for loss as a rotational player. Oh, and he did it on a 1-year, $1.4 million contract. Now, at this point in his career Van Noy might be more interested in chasing a Super Bowl ring than being a veteran leader on the NFL’s worst team. But Carolina could probably land his services for a near negligible cap hit (say 1-year, $2.5 million?) and get a proven vet who just flirted with double-digit sacks as a reserve last year. KVN’s productivity and cap hit would fit really well in Carolina. Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/2024/3 ... n-thus-far
