Shaq Thompson was bestowed the crown that was once worn by the likes of Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis, Julius Peppers, Mike Rucker, and a host of other Carolina Panthers dating back to their inception in 1995: the vocal leader of a team defined by it's smash mouth defense. In recent years, said defense has lost its teeth, but no matter how bleak things got, Thompson's mug was plastered everywhere around Bank of America Stadium and in the center of team huddles whether or not he was healthy enough to suit up.
On Monday morning the team announced that they were moving on from their longest-tenured defender, opening a pathway for Thompson to explore free agency as he looks to rehabilitate the injury-riddled twilight of his career.
Moving on from Thompson is a bold, but correct, choice.
Dan Morgan's cut-throat move is the right one
The sight of Thompson in a bucket hat instead of a helmet is an all-too-familiar one as the veteran linebacker has played in a total of six games in the last two seasons. Carolina's historically porous defense needs consistent contributors, not burgeoning question marks.
Re-signing Thompson would block the path of ascendant linebackers Trevin Wallace and Claudin Cherelus. The pair of young bucks in the second-level of Carolina's defense need all of the reps they can handle as Dan Morgan attempts to build a defense that mirrors the great ones that he played on in the 2000s. That won't happen with aging veterans like Shaq Thompson soaking up cap space and snaps.
If Morgan and company don't see Wallace and Cherelus as long-term contributors, free agency is awash with starting-caliber linebackers. Zack Baun, Nick Bolton, and Ernest Jones are all on the market and each would represent a massive upgrade over Thompson.
Both teams who competed in the Super Bowl, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs, employed a blend of linebackers in the prime of their careers who were signed on cheap, prove-it free agency deals (Zack Baun and Dru Tranquill) or drafted on day two/three of the NFL Draft (Nakobe Dean and Nick Bolton).
That formula is one worth following for the Panthers. Thompson deserves his flowers and will likely receive some sort of tribute upon his return to Bank of America Stadium as an opposing player, but an amicable split is the right move for both sides. Carolina needs to go all-in on its youth movement, and Thompson deserves a chance to chase a Super Bowl with a contender.
