The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine kicked off inside the Indiana Convention Center on Tuesday with a number of head coaches and general managers speaking with media. Among those were Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales and GM Dan Morgan.
Among the topics discussed was the team’s free agents. Several players are testing the market – including veterans Shaq Thompson, Xavier Woods, Johnny Hekker, and Eddy Pineiro. Quarterback Andy Dalton and long snapper JJ Jansen were set to become unrestricted free agents before re-signing with the team earlier in February. Other unrestricted free agents are: Austin Corbett, Brady Christensen, Tommy Tremble, Ian Thomas, Feleipe Franks, David Moore, Mike Boone, DeShawn Williams, Cam Gill, Mike Jackson, Caleb Farley, Xavier Woods, Jordan Fuller, Nick Scott, Sam Franklin, Lonnie Johnson. Morgan discussed wanting to re-sign Franklin and Moore.
Cade Mays, Deven Thompkins, Raheem Blackshear, Velus Jones Jr., and Dan Chisena are all set to become restricted free agents while LaBryan Ray and Chandler Wooten will become exclusive rights free agents.
Morgan wouldn’t close the door on Tremble, Pineiro, or Woods – he expressed on Tuesday that conversations will continue before any major decisions are made. “Definitely not going to close the door on (Eddy),” Morgan said, “but at the same time we will be actively looking.” Carolina recently signed kicker Matthew Wright to a reserve/future contract. The second-year GM noted that the tight end room is thin, with rookie Ja’Tavion Sanders as the “front line guy.” “Tommy’s a guy that we would like to get back. We’re going to let him test the market. We’re going to let him and his agents and his team be here and kind of see what the market is for them,” said Morgan. He echoed the same sentiment for Woods, whose agents Morgan said he’ll circle back around to at the appropriate time.
The offensive line was a consistent bright spot for the Panthers this past season, and with Christensen and Corbett set to hit free agency, Morgan says that he and executive VP of football operations, Brandt Willis are speaking with the agents for both players. “Both guys, we’re talking to them and working on things right now and trying to get things hammered out and get them back as Carolina Panthers.”
There’s a lot of offseason left and the Panthers look to build on the momentum of the end of last season. To do so, the defense needs to look very different.
