Carolina Panthers roster gets awful ranking after first wave of free agency

The worst team in the NFL? That's a bit of a bold statement.

Aug 18, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) reacts during the first quarter against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

It was a pretty active month for the Carolina Panthers, addressing some of its biggest needs on the defensive side of the ball in free agency. Unfortunately, the moves they made didn't move the needle for Moe Moton of Bleacher Report, who recently tabbed Carolina as having the worst roster in the NFL after the first wave of free agency.

A lot of work to do?

"The Carolina Panthers are eighth in the draft order but No. 1 in the worst roster rankings because they have significant offensive and defensive issues and didn't do enough in free agency to find solutions.

"Carolina entered the offseason with major voids to address, and the front office made minimal effort to fill those holes with difference-makers, even with a lot of cap space.

"The Panthers need to do some wheeling and dealing and hit home runs in the 2025 draft to make strides next season."

I understand the signings Carolina made weren't the flashiest by any means, but to say there was minimal effort is a little bit much, right? I mean, they were in line to sign Milton Williams before New England swooped in at the last second and offered more money. Plus, the Panthers didn't have a lot of cap space to work with. As a matter of fact, they entered free agency ranked 22nd in cap space with roughly $26 million.

It's far from a perfect roster, but the Panthers are in much better shape than they were a month ago. Yes, they still need to find a bonafide No. 1 wide receiver, but who knows? Perhaps Xavier Legette throws it into another gear and becomes that guy.

Regardless of the Panthers' lack of star power at receiver, it's hard to justify this being the worst roster in the league. They have a top 10 offensive line, a young quarterback who seems to have turned the corner, a top 10 running back (Chuba Hubbard), and some key building blocks on defense in CB Jaycee Horn and DL Derrick Brown. There are several teams that have no idea what they're going to do at quarterback heading into 2025, so to have Carolina dead last is what I would consider bold.

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