NFL free agency 2025: Eight logical Carolina Panthers targets still in the playoffs
The NFL playoffs are winding down, and the Carolina Panthers are inching closer to upgrading their roster through free agency.
General manager Dan Morgan said earlier this month that the Panthers plan to be “aggressive” in upgrading their defense. But Carolina’s top exec also noted that the team will also be smart with how it allocates resources on the open market. Those competing points lend one to believe that the Panthers will try to be creative in filling several needs on that side of the ball.
The Panthers also aren’t done with the offensive side of the ball. If they can raise the ceiling or floor of the wide receiver or tight end rooms, they’ll look to take advantage ahead of the draft. They’ll also likely look to establish a winning culture by bringing in proven players from winning programs.
So, as the conference championships get underway this weekend, it would make sense for the Panthers to scan the rosters of the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders to find talent that can help Dave Canales and company turn things around.
The Observer decided to get ahead of the Panthers and find two players from each team to monitor during the final three games of the postseason. While most of these players project as role players over superstars, they are all under 30 and can serve as building blocks as the Panthers try to build through the draft.
Washington Commanders vs. Philadelphia Eagles: NFC Championship Game
Sunday, 3 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) on FOX
Panthers free agency: Eagles standouts to watch
DE Josh Sweat
Sweat, 27, is coming off an eight-sack season in his seventh year with the Eagles. Philadelphia has several notable players to re-sign (including All-Pro linebacker Zach Baun), and Sweat might hit the free-agent market solely due to a lack of cap resources. During his career, Sweat has produced 43 sacks, with the entirety being collected after his forgettable rookie campaign. Sweat was selected to the 2021 Pro Bowl and followed up that honor with an 11-sack season in 2022.
The Panthers could use Sweat as a full-time starter opposite D.J. Wonnum and Jadeveon Clowney on the edge. The Chesapeake, Virginia, native grew up a big Clowney fan, and with his hometown not too far away, perhaps he’d be enticed to join a Panthers team that badly needs pass rusher help.
DT Milton Williams
The Panthers badly need help in their front seven, and Williams can play nearly every position in that grouping. Williams, a versatile interior pass rusher, has established himself as a key contributor for the top defense left in the playoffs. The 2021 third-round pick is used in a powerful rotation that also features Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jalen Carter and Charlotte native Jordan Davis. With the Eagles needing to prioritize other positions, and Williams having a breakout year, the two sides are likely headed for a parting of the ways on the open market.
The 25-year-old lineman can play defensive end in odd fronts and defensive tackle in even fronts for defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. The play-caller can also use Williams as a movable chess piece with exotic pre-snap looks, especially on passing downs. Williams had 6.5 combined sacks in his first three seasons, but he produced five sacks in 2024. Williams should have a pretty healthy market in March.
Panthers free agency: Commanders contributors to keep an eye on
WR Dyami Brown
Brown, a Charlotte native, is having quite the run in the playoffs. In the first two rounds, Brown has caught 11 of 13 targets for 187 yards and a touchdown. While he’s mostly been used as a third or fourth option in the passing game throughout his career, Brown has really stepped up this season following the preseason trade of Jahan Dotson. In 2024, Brown produced a career-high 30 catches for 308 yards and a touchdown. But his postseason performance will be what gets him paid on the free-agent market.
Brown wouldn’t be a slam-dunk upgrade for the Panthers, but he’s one of the Commanders few logical free agents for Carolina to consider. Like the rest of this list, he’s under 30 and has playoff experience. The UNC alum may want to come home as he enters the prime years, and he could serve as a potential second or third option in the passing game on a buy-low deal.
DE Clelin Ferrell
Like Brown, Ferrell would be a role player addition for the Panthers. The former first-round pick has been labeled a bust, but his ability to stop the run shouldn’t be overlooked. If the Panthers plan to go into 2024 with Wonnum and Clowney leading the edge rusher position, Ferrell could make sense as third option in the rotation. Ferrell has mostly played defensive end in 4-3 defenses, so the Panthers could use him in specific situations that call for even or hybrid looks. He’s not the prototypical fit for this scheme, but again, there are slim pickings with the Commanders in this exercise.
There’s also a chance that teams could view Ferrell as a better fit for the defensive end position in an odd front. He’s got a big frame (6-4, 265 lbs.), and he could have an advantage rushing from a different spot. The Richmond, Virginia, native is playing near home, but he could look to come back to the Carolinas as a former Clemson standout who had a ton of success in the area.
Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas City Chiefs: AFC Championship Game
Sunday, 6:30 p.m., Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City) on CBS
Panthers free agency: Chiefs contributors to watch
S Justin Reid
All four of the Panthers’ veteran safeties will be free agents in March. The team also just parted ways with former safeties coach Bert Watts following the season. It’s time for a reboot of the group, even with second-year safety Demani Richardson primed for a bigger role.
Reid, 27, is an experienced safety with excellent range. The two-time Super Bowl champion signed with the Chiefs in 2022 when Panthers EVP of Football Operations Brandt Tilis was still in the Kansas City front office. Reid has produced three interceptions and four sacks in three years since joining the AFC juggernauts as a full-time starter.
Reid is the type of culture shifting signing the Panthers should look into, as he is from a perennial contender and shouldn’t cost market-setting money. He is the younger brother of former Panthers safety Eric Reid.
OLB Joshua Uche
Like Ferrell, Uche would be a rotational option at the pass rusher position.
Uche was traded to the Chiefs in the middle of the season as the New England Patriots fell into the NFL standings abyss. He has produced 20.5 sacks in five career seasons, making him an ideal jolt behind Wonnum and Clowney, if the Panthers plan to wait until the draft to potentially upgrade one of those two players in the starting lineup.
The reality of the situation is the Panthers will need to add multiple edge rushers in the offseason.
If the Panthers don’t want to pay top dollar for someone like Sweat, they might be better off signing a rotational presence like Uche and then draft a pass rusher in the first or second round in April. Uche, 26, could be looking for a one-year deal to prove his worth, and the Panthers could offer him plenty of playing time as pass-rushing specialist complement. Uche would ideally be a strong reserve behind Clowney, while a rookie could complement Wonnum.
Panthers free agency: Bills players to monitor
S Damar Hamilin
With the safety group heading for a near-complete reworking, the Panthers should keep their options open at the position. Hamlin, 26, is obviously more famous for his well-documented mid-game injury in 2022 than he is for his play nationally. But Hamlin is coming off a career year as a full-time starter in Buffalo.
Hamlin, who was part of Morgan’s last draft class with the Bills, produced 89 tackles, two interceptions and five pass breakups in 14 games this season. He has also played well in the playoffs, upping his value ahead of the open market. Hamlin, like Reid, could be an affordable addition in the defensive backfield, as he shouldn’t break the bank and will come with plenty of playoff experience.
Hamlin actually already has a relationship with ownership, as Nicole and David Tepper held an America Heart Association event with Hamlin in Charlotte back in 2023.
RB Ty Johnson
The Panthers are likely to be without second-year running back Jonathon Brooks (ACL) for most — if not all — of 2025. The team would like to have veteran Miles Sanders return to the lineup, but the Panthers are likely to ask him to take a pay cut after another rough year in Charlotte. If Sanders balks at a pay cut, Carolina could move on from him.
While the team is likely to look for depth in the draft, the running back position will also probably be touched in free agency if the Panthers move on from Sanders. Johnson would be a logical replacement for Sanders as a pass-down running back behind Chuba Hubbard. The 27-year-old playmaker has bounced around a bit, but he has averaged 4.6 yards per carry and 11.4 yards per catch during his career.
In his second season with Buffalo, Johnson carried the ball 41 times for 213 rushing yards (5.2 YPC) and a touchdown. He also caught 18 passes for 284 yards (15.8 YPC) and three touchdowns.
With the Panthers leaning so heavily on Hubbard, Johnson would provide a cost-effective complement to the do-everything back. He also has a history of returning kickoffs.
