What are the Panthers doing?! Carolina resets in free agency

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Country music star Luke Combs is a big Carolina Panthers fan. The native of nearby Huntersville doesn't hesitate to wear his colors on and off stage. He went so far as to jokingly predict before the 2023 season that the Panthers would go 17-0 (they finished an NFL-worst 2-15).

“Bryce is the guy!” Combs said of rookie quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft.

But on Monday, when the Panthers traded Brian Burns to the New York Giants for a second-round pick (No. 39) in April's NFL Draft and a fifth-round pick in 2025 (plus a fifth-round pick swap round in 2024), the two-time country music artist of the year took to social media to express his frustration.

.@Panthers WHAT ARE WE DOING?!?!? No first round pick for McCaffrey a few years ago and now none for Burns?!?! Do we just bomb the whole team here or what? I don't usually comment on this sort of thing, but it's just becoming slow torture at this point.

-Luke Combs 🎤 (@lukecombs) March 12, 2024

The frustration is understandable and shared by other Carolina fans.

This comes as the Los Angeles Rams suggested that before the 2022 trade deadline, they would consider giving up two first rounders (2024, 2025) for Burns, the No. 16 pick in the 2019 draft.

This stems from Carolina trading running back Christian McCaffrey, the No. 8 pick in the 2017 draft, to the San Francisco 49ers ahead of the 2022 trade deadline for second, third and fourth round picks in 2023, and a fifth round in 2023. 2024.

This follows six straight losing seasons since owner David Tepper purchased the team.

So when Carolina didn't get a single first-round pick for Burns, the reaction was outrage and disbelief — and not just from Combs. NFL analysts gave new general manager Dan Morgan low marks for the move. ESPN's Matt Miller gave the Panthers an “F.”

But let's take a step back. Like Combs' songs, there's a story behind the lyrics.

Burns wasn't happy about not getting a long-term contract until last season. You could hear the disappointment in his voice when he did interviews. He admitted that he thought he was playing to avoid getting hurt instead of giving it his all.

Burns also wasn't willing to give up the $30 million annual contract he thought he'd earn in 2022 (when he had a career-high 12.5 sacks), which he ultimately got from the Giants .

The Panthers, who are more than one player away from becoming a contender, were never going to pay that much. They were willing to let Burns play under the franchise tag for $24 million this year, but no long-term solution was in sight.

When the Giants reached out last week and again Monday, Carolina listened. The fact that the market for Burns was now minimal compared to 2022, when he was still under contract for a reasonable amount, meant that the offer would not include any first-round picks.

Instead of keeping Burns for another season, running the risk of him being unhappy, letting that filter through the locker room, and then seeing him move on after that, Morgan & Co. took what they could obtain.

Remember, the Panthers were 2-15 with Burns last season. This was largely due to an offense that was one of the worst in the NFL.

But how much better could Carolina do in 2024 with Burns and his $24 million gobbling up a huge chunk of cap space?

So the team hit the reset button and left.

On the surface, it's a bad image for Morgan in his first year as GM, but it's an image that needed to be made.

During his NFL playing career as an inside linebacker for the Panthers, Morgan played with a purpose and a plan. Those who have watched him grow as an executive insist he will rebuild Carolina with the same mentality.

Remember, he was part of the 2001 Carolina team that went an NFL-worst 1-15 and reached the Super Bowl two years later.

This growth occurred because Carolina built from the inside out. That’s what the start of free agency was for Morgan. He reached deals with guards Robert Hunt (Miami Dolphins) and Damien Lewis (Seattle Seahawks) to provide Young with the protection needed to improve.

The statistics tell the story. Of the 62 sacks made on Young last season, 23 came from the guard position, according to ESPN Stats & Information. This is the second highest total in the league, ahead of the Giants (31).

Carolina's guards had the worst pass block win rate in the NFL at 86.2%. The Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs ranked first with 97.3 percent.

Morgan plans to release Bradley Bozeman, responsible for the NFL's 12 worst sacks in 2023, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

The 35 sacks Carolina gave up to interior pressure ranked 31st in the league. Their combined pass block win rate (86.6%) ranked last.

So the Panthers gave Hunt a five-year, $100 million contract and Lewis a five-year, $53 million contract to fix the problem. They'll anchor the center position with Austin Corbett (who was the starter when healthy), or another free agent, or maybe even a draft pick.

There is a plan, and it starts with fixing the offense and helping Young realize the potential he showed at Alabama.

The defense will likely suffer. Beyond the Burns trade, the Panthers lost linebacker Frankie Luvu to the Washington Commanders despite efforts to re-sign him. They succeed cornerback Donte Jackson (traded to Pittsburgh), safety Vonn Bell and 2020 second-round pick Yetur Gross-Matos.

Earlier this week, Carolina acquired wide receiver Diontae Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers and agreed to terms with defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson, linebacker Josey Jewell and cornerback Troy Hill.

The Panthers will visit with Chase Young and DJ Wonnum on Wednesday and Jadeveon Clowney on Thursday, according to league sources. They need two edge rushers with Burns gone, so the answer to that plan could come soon.

Call it a cleanup of the Matt Rhule and Frank Reich coaching eras that were short-lived failures.

While none of this makes sense to Combs and others, this season's lyrics aren't over. As with most country hits, times might get worse before they get better, as in Combs' song “When It Rains It Pours.”

But as he reminded us in these words, things can get better: “Then I won a hundred dollars on a scratch-off ticket. I bought two 12-packs and a tank of gas with it. She swore it was a waste of time. Oh, but she was wrong.

What are the Panthers doing?

Stay tuned, Luc.