Carolina Panthers Free Agency Grade from CBS

The report card is in on the Panthers.

The scene in Charlotte is changing as GM Dan Morgan and first-year head coach Dave Canales put their fingerprints all over this rebuild, hoping to bring winning back to the Carolina's.

This is arguably the biggest overhaul of a roster, front office, and coaching staff Panthers fans have ever witnessed in a single offseason in the history of the franchise. However, hitting the reset button isn't always a bad thing and in this case, it was needed.

Garrett Podell of CBS Sports recently handed out a grade for all 32 teams following the initial wave of free agency. At this stage in the game, the Panthers have a C+.

Here's the rationale behind the slightly above average grade.

"They are bringing in former Miami Dolphins guard Robert Hunt on a deal that is the second-highest in average per year ($20 million) and total value ($100 million) among NFL guard contracts, according to OverTheCap.com. Hunt was Pro Football Focus' eighth-highest-graded guard in 2023 among those with at least 100 snaps played with a 76.4 offensive grade. He allowed only one sack and three quarterback pressures last season. Carolina's quarterback pressure rate of 41.1% was the fourth-worst in the NFL last season while they surrendered 65 sacks, tied for the second-most allowed by any team in the league with the Washington Commanders. Naturally, quarterback Bryce Young, the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, who was under pressure on 40.7% of his throws last season, the sixth-highest rate in the NFL, had a 73.7 passer rating when pressured, the worst in the entire league. 

"However, the Panthers surrendered an A-list pass-rusher (Brian Burns) for pennies on the dollar, which weighs down their grade. Johnson immediately becomes Young's WR1 in Charlotte, leapfrogging Adam Thielen on the depth chart. The Panthers are acquiring Johnson and a seventh-round pick (240 overall) in exchange for cornerback Donte Jackson and a sixth-round pick (178 overall), according to NFL Media. Johnson has eclipsed 50+ catches and 600+ receiving yards in all five of his career, making him one of only 16 players to do so since he entered the league in 2019. Dane Jackson will replace Donte in the starting lineup."

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