Love it? Like it? Leave it? Thoughts on Carolina Panthers’ free agent additions
By Alex Zietlow and
Mike Kaye
The Carolina Panthers’ front office was quite busy through the first two days of free agency.
But were the moves it made all unquestioned home runs?
Mike Kaye and Alex Zietlow, reporters for The Charlotte Observer and co-hosts of the podcast Processing Blue, debate this question. They go player-by-player and discuss how they feel about each move the franchise made — whether they “love it,” “like it” or “leave it.”
Specifically, the two list out several players the Panthers either added to their roster or brought back. Among them: pass rusher Jaelan Phillips, linebacker Devin Lloyd, quarterback Kenny Pickett, cornerback Akayleb Evans, cornerback Robert Rochell, defensive end LaBryan Ray and OLB/special teams ace Thomas Incoom.
And yes, they talk about long snapper JJ Jansen as well.
Listen to the latest podcast episode at the embed in this story, or download it on Spotify, Apple Music or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also check out the show on YouTube.
This story was originally published March 11, 2026 at 6:00 AM.
Alex Zietlow writes about the Carolina Panthers and the ways in which sports intersect with life for The Charlotte Observer, where he has been a reporter since August 2022. Zietlow’s work has been honored by the Pro Football Writers Association, the N.C. and S.C. Press Associations, as well as the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) group. He’s earned six APSE Top 10 distinctions for his coverage on a variety of topics, from billion-dollar stadium renovations to the small moments of triumph that helped a Panthers kicker defy the steepest odds in sports. Zietlow previously wrote for The Herald in Rock Hill (S.C.) from 2019-22.Support my work with a digital subscription
Mike Kaye writes about the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. He also co-hosts “Processing Blue: A Panthers Podcast” for The Observer. Kaye’s work in columns/analysis and sports feature writing has been honored by the North Carolina Press Association (NCPA). His reporting has also received recognition from the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE).Kaye previously covered the entire NFL for Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles for NJ Advance Media and the Jacksonville Jaguars for First Coast News. Support my work with a digital subscription
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