NFL analyst lays the table for Carolina Panthers' aggressive free agency plan

Dan Morgan has a frantic few days ahead in his quest to improve the Carolina Panthers' playing personnel. One respected analyst hinted that the second-year general manager is going to be incredibly active when the legal tampering window opens.

The Panthers made some improvements over the second half of 2024. They picked up a few wins and were competitive against top-caliber opposition, including coming within one play of beating the newly crowned Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. However, there is a significant amount of work to potentially enter the NFC South title picture in 2025.

Morgan is well aware of what needs to be done. He saw Ejiro Evero's defense put together a historically bad campaign after transitioning his primary investments to the offensive side of the football. The front-office leader isn't going to make the same mistake again, and many around the league expect the Panthers to be aggressive to find immediate difference-makers at all three levels defensively.

NFL analyst projects Carolina Panthers will be fun to watch when free agency hits

Daniel Jeremiah from the NFL Network pointed out on social media that the Panthers could be a fun team to watch when the legal tampering window opens at noon Eastern Time. The analyst isn't known for putting things out there for the sake of it. If he's watching closely, that means there are serious rumblings about Carolina's intent in league circles.

This only whets the appetite further for fans. There isn't much money to go around right now, but there are ways to backload contracts when the Panthers are in a more profitable financial position in the coming years. Given the fact Carolina has already wasted the first two years of quarterback Bryce Young's rookie deal, the urgency to make some big splashes couldn't be more obvious.

Morgan isn't going to mortgage the franchise's future. He's more methodical than his predecessor Scott Fitterer. The Panthers are working with a long-term plan and aligned vision for the future. Team owner David Tepper is willing to give the project time, providing much-needed stability across the organization where once there was nothing but dysfunction.

If Morgan believes it's the right thing to do and there is agreement within a collaborative approach, he won't hesitate to pull the trigger. It's something the Panthers accomplished last offseason with Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. Expect something similar for the defensive side of things soon after the window to negotiate with free agents begins.

Fans will be taking a keen interest in developments. They head into the offseason with cautious optimism for the first time in years. Morgan must seize this newfound momentum and take the calculated risks needed to put Carolina in a more fruitful position before the 2025 NFL Draft rolls around.

Developments will happen swiftly. And make no mistake, Morgan will not be caught on the back foot.