Shocking Brutal Trade: Panthers make an interview to sign two key players to support the 2024 offseason.
Two very good NFL free agents that the Panthers should sign
After the Super Bowl, which saw the Kansas City Chiefs win a second straight championship and Kyle Shanahan blow a lead in the final game, it’s time to turn our attention to the 2024 NFL offseason. There’s no better way to accomplish this than to compare the NFL’s top club, the Chiefs, to its worst squad, the Carolina Panthers.
The 2023 Panthers season was a complete bust. In addition to having the poorest record in the NFL (2-15), they also failed to secure their first-round pick in 2024 and watched as CJ Stroud, the quarterback they passed over in favor of Bryce Young, went on to win a playoff game and wreck havoc on the league as a rookie. 2023 was a difficult season, but Dave’s hiring
The Panthers in 2023 were as bad as they could possibly get. However, it hurts a lot to not have an NFL first-round pick, much less the first overall pick, for the worst team in the league. In order to discover value on the margins, Carolina must be judicious and efficient with their cap space and draft selections during the offseason. Though it won’t be simple, it is unquestionably feasible. The two players on the above list stand out as excellent possible free agents the Panthers can select to help them win games in the upcoming season and beyond.
Darnell Mooney, Acquired
In the Chicago Bears’ offense, Darnell Mooney was swiftly written off. Following the Bears’ acquisition of DJ Moore from the Carolina Panthers, Mooney’s contribution to the offense significantly decreased. In 2023, Mooney reported a goal share of 14.1%. In his four-year career, that is by far the lowest. In the previous two seasons, he never finished lower than 25 percent.
It’s simple to overlook Mooney’s exceptional efficiency in his breakout 2021 campaign. According to playerprofiler.com, he was 24th among all wide receivers that season with an average of 2.04 yards per route run. That season, he caught 81 passes for 1,055 yards and four touchdowns. It’s not like he was ineffective; he averaged 2.2 yards per route run the next season as well.
The Panthers are in desperate need of a receiver, and Mooney is a terrific one. The only Panther to surpass 550 receiving yards in 2023 was Adam Thielen, 34, and he gained half of those yards in the first six weeks of the campaign. In addition to him and the rookie Jonathan Mingo, Mooney might be a terrific addition. With the help of a former Panther receiver, the Bears created lemonade. Why is Carolina not able to perform the same thing in reverse?
Fant Noah, tight end
There are many reasons why this combination makes sense. The Panthers require a tight end, to start with. With a major medical condition, Hayden Hurst departed the squad; hopefully, he will recover. The Panthers don’t have many options at tight end aside from him. With his background, Noah Fant is a prime tight end. According to playerprofiler.com, he is comparable to George Kittle in terms of his athletic measurables. throughout the past, he has also been a successful tight end throughout his career.
His rookie season average of 1.86 yards per route run put him in 16th place among tight ends. That figure was 1.75 in 2020, which is still quite high. In 2021, it was 1.64; in 2022, 1.47; and in 2023, 1.28. His usage and efficiency declined while vying for targets with players like Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, which cannot be a coincidence. However, Fant hasn’t exactly been terrible either.
Last but not least, Carolina is now acquainted with the team’s management. In 2022, while Fant was in Seattle, the Seahawks’ quarterbacks were coached by new head coach Dave Canales. Dan Morgan, the new general manager of Carolina, also lived for a while in Seattle. Although he and Fant never worked together, their time there should have given them some insight into Fant’s strategy.
All the Panthers need to do is locate quality players, which they will do by any means. Noah Fant and Darnell Mooney are examples of such. There might be a few quiet additions that contribute to the Panthers’ potential to improve in 2023. With any luck, Carolina can accomplish something in the off-season.
