CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers’ decision makers didn’t have long to savor those steaks and shrimp cocktails from Indianapolis.

Fresh off a week at the combine, the front office, coaching staff and scouting department quickly pivoted to their free-agency preparations. General manager Dan Morgan, head coach Dave Canales and VP of football operations Brandt Tilis will look to add some sizzle to the roster following a strong finish by Bryce Young last season.

The vibe in Indy was that the Panthers plan to be aggressive in free agency to improve a defense that recorded a number of dubious distinctions in 2024, including the most points allowed in NFL history.

That’s not to suggest the Panthers are going to be in on every big-name free agent. According to Over the Cap, they had nearly $30 million in cap space as of Thursday, which ranks 22nd among 32 teams.

Still, the plan is to fill as many holes as possible so they can carry a best-player-available philosophy into the draft.

“I think we are open to try to make any moves at every position, try to find impact players whether that’s through development through the guys that we have or free agency, the draft, trades, you never know,” Canales said at the combine. “We are always going to be open to try to find somebody that can really help us.”

With that in mind, The Athletic looks at five potential free-agent targets for the Panthers at five positions of need, listed in order of their place on our list of the top 150 available free agents. We hit on three of the Panthers’ targets in the same exercise last year — guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis and cornerback Dane Jackson, whose stay in Charlotte proved to be a short one.

Edge rushers

Josh Sweat, Philadelphia (No. 5)
Chase Young, New Orleans (No. 21)
Baron Browning, Arizona (No. 88)
Azeez Ojulari, New York Giants (No. 93)
Michael Hoecht, Los Angeles Rams (No. 101)

Sweat put on a Kony Ealy-like performance in the Super Bowl, pressuring Patrick Mahomes all game, sacking him 2 1/2 times and making himself a lot of money in the process. In fact, Sweat might have priced himself out with the Panthers, who have two established pass rushers in Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum. But they need a third to get Clowney more rest and prepare for his possible exit after the 2025 season.

Young, drafted second behind Joe Burrow in 2020, tied for ninth in the league with 66 pressures in 2024 but finished with only 5 1/2 sacks. Browning is intriguing because of his ties to Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who watched him collect 5 1/2 sacks with the Denver Broncos in 2022 after switching from inside linebacker to outside. Browning’s production dipped after Evero left for Carolina, although his 14 percent pressure rate ranks 25th among 204 players since 2022.

Ojulari became a situational pass rusher after the Giants acquired Brian Burns, though he racked up five sacks in three starts when Kayvon Thibodeaux was injured. Hoecht joined the Rams as an undrafted free agent in Evero’s last year in L.A. and became a versatile player who can play multiple spots across the front in a 3-4.

The Panthers should also do their due diligence with Trey Hendrickson, who was given permission Thursday to seek a trade from the Cincinnati Bengals. He led the NFL with 17 1/2 sacks last season.

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Defensive tackles

Milton Williams, Philadelphia (No. 2)
D.J. Jones, Denver (No. 34)
Poona Ford, Los Angeles Chargers (No. 35)
Jarran Reed, Seattle (No. 53)
Dre’Mont Jones (No. 94)

Like Sweat, Williams is expected to parlay a huge performance in the Super Bowl (two sacks, including a forced fumble on Mahomes) into a big payday. Williams was only a part-time starter on the Eagles’ deep defensive line, but he demonstrated an ability to blow up offensive linemen and get in the backfield. Do the Panthers want to pay $20 million or more a year for Williams on top of what they’ve invested in Derrick Brown ($24 million AAV) and A’Shawn Robinson ($7.5 million AAV), who’s coming off a career year in 2024? Morgan’s decision to spend big on Hunt and Lewis paid off immediately for a vastly improved offensive line, so he could use a similar strategy in addressing the D-line.

The Panthers need to be stronger at the point of attack after becoming just the fourth team in NFL history to allow 3,000 rushing yards in a season. Jones, Ford and Reed could help in that area by anchoring the three-man front at nose tackle. Jones was in Denver for Evero’s lone season as the Broncos’ DC, while Ford and Reed have ties to Canales from their time in Seattle. Reed has the most pass-rushing among the three, with 11 1/2 sacks and 27 quarterback hits after re-signing with the Seahawks in 2023.

Dre’Mont Jones is yet another former Bronco who enjoyed some of his best production (6 1/2 sacks) under Evero in 2022. He wasn’t as effective after signing a three-year, $51.5 million deal with the Seahawks, who released him this week.

Safeties

Justin Reid, Kansas City (No. 7)
Jevon Holland, Miami (No. 19)
Tre’von Moehrig, Las Vegas (No. 23)
Justin Simmons, Atlanta (No. 74)
Julian Blackmon, Indianapolis (No. 130)

This feels like the position where the Panthers could shop at the top of the market. Carolina could end up overhauling virtually the entire safety room. Plus, even if Morgan is high-end shopping for a safety, the $15 million-ish AAV still represents an easier hit on the wallet than the first two positions we mentioned. The Panthers have been among the teams connected to Holland, a second-round pick in 2021 who was one of the NFL’s highest-graded safeties in his first three seasons, according to Pro Football Focus. But Holland’s numbers fell off in 2024 when he played for his fourth defensive coordinator in as many seasons after Vic Fangio left for Philadelphia. Still, the skill set is evident for a player who just turned 25 this week.

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Reid, the younger brother of former 49ers and Panthers safety Eric Reid, signed a three-year, $31.5 million contract with Kansas City in 2022 when Tilis was in the Chiefs’ front office. With only 10 career interceptions, Reid is not a ballhawk. But he’s a tough, versatile player who can help against the run, in coverage and as a blitzer. The same could be said of Moehrig, who had five interceptions over the past two seasons while averaging more than 90 tackles. The 31-year-old Simmons is a two-time Pro Bowler who led the league with six interceptions in 2022 when Evero was in Denver. Blackmon can play deep safety or in the slot when healthy, which often hasn’t been the case.

Cornerbacks

Carlton Davis, Detroit (No. 18)
Byron Murphy, Minnesota (No. 31)
Kristian Fulton, Los Angeles Chargers (No. 78)
Mike Hilton, Cincinnati (No. 95)
Jourdan Lewis, Dallas (No. 98)

The Panthers need another nickel corner to replace Dane Jackson and could need an outside corner if they don’t re-sign Mike Jackson. Hilton and Lewis have both been reliable in the slot, while Murphy has shown he can play inside and outside. The 27-year-old Murphy is looking to cash in on the heels of his best season. The 2019 second-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals made his first Pro Bowl after hitting career highs in interceptions (6), pass breakups (14) and tackles (81). Fulton looks like another ascending player who doesn’t make a lot of plays on the ball, but does bring physicality. Morgan is plenty familiar with Davis, who spent his first six seasons in Tampa before being traded to the Lions. Davis allowed a career-high 77.0 passer rating when targeted last year, when a broken jaw ended his season in December.

Darius Slayton has averaged 15.0 yards per reception in his six NFL seasons. (Vincent Carchietta / Imagn Images)

Wide receivers/tight ends

Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay (No. 3)
Juwan Johnson, TE, New Orleans (No. 14)
Darius Slayton, WR, New York Giants (No. 54)
Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle (No. 57)
Mike Gesicki, TE, Cincinnati (No. 59)

We included a couple of guys here in part because they played for Canales — Godwin and Lockett. You can also add Pro Bowl-receiver DK Metcalf, who has asked for a trade out of Seattle. The Athletic reported that the Seahawks have set a steep asking price for Metcalf, who is said to be looking for $30 million a year. The Panthers undoubtedly will stay in touch with Seattle, where both Canales and Morgan have a long history with general manager John Schneider. And if/when Schneider comes off his initial parameters of wanting a first- and a third-round pick for Metcalf, the Panthers should try to make it happen.

Given their numerous needs on defense, it’s much more likely the Panthers add a smaller piece around Bryce Young than a WR1. Even somebody like Slayton, who has great speed but is more of a WR2, is projected to command a deal in the range approaching $16 million a year, according to a Spotrac projection. Similarly, don’t expect Morgan to dip into the pricey end of a weak tight end class. In fact, Morgan hasn’t ruled out re-signing Tommy Tremble.

(Top photo of Jevon Holland: Sam Navarro / Imagn Images)