Carolina Panthers retain several free agents: Why that’s important for 2026

The Carolina Panthers are trying to build a ready-now roster before the NFL Draft.

And how do you do that?

General manager Dan Morgan and company have an idea: Re-sign. Re-sign. Re-sign.

As of this week’s recording of the Processing Blue podcast, the Panthers had re-signed 11 free agents who had played in Carolina the year before, all of whom made impacts on the team in 2025, even if they were on the margins. Those 11:

• LS JJ Jansen
• CB Akayleb Evans
• CB Robert Rochell
• WR David Moore
• OLB Thomas Incoom
• S/LB Isaiah Simmons
• DE LaBryan Ray
• OLB Trevis Gipson
• TE James Mitchell
• S Nick Scott
• LB Claudin Cherelus
• No. 12: P Sam Martin, who signed after the show’s recording.

Mike Kaye and Alex Zietlow, reporters for The Charlotte Observer and co-hosts of Processing Blue, discuss the logic of this strategy of re-signing these players. They also break down four of the newer free-agent acquisitions — Stone Forsythe, John Metchie III, Luke Fortner and Rasheed Walker.

Also? They sit down for an exclusive interview with the aforementioned Incoom, who in addition to his role as a reserve pass rusher is also a special teams ace who led the team with 16 special teams tackles in 2025.

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.

Alex Zietlow

The Charlotte Observer

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

The Charlotte Observer

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