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Carolina Panthers, NFC South rivals both stocking up on pass-rushers

The Carolina Panthers are obviously looking to improve their dismal pass rush. They are not the only one of their division rivals who have had the same idea.
Russell Baxter|
Oct 2, 2022; London, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Patrick Jones II (91) during the NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images
Oct 2, 2022; London, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Patrick Jones II (91) during the NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images | Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

Pass rush is obviously two different four-letter words. That’s appropriate considering the problems the Carolina Panthers have had the past two seasons when it comes to getting to opposing quarterbacks.

One year after totaling an NFL-low 27 sacks, the team “bounced back” to finish with 32 quarterback traps— tied for the third-fewest in the league this past season. To his credit, Panthers’ general manager Dan Morgan has wasted little time addressing the defense when it comes to free-agent agreements

Carolina is bringing in former Vikings’ linebacker Patrick Jones II. In a reserve role this past season, he finished third on his team with seven sacks. That total would have led the Panthers in 2024. Of course, there has been plenty of talk of Carolina using the eighth overall pick in next month’s draft on an edge rusher.

The rival Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers also have their share of defensive deficiencies. Raheem Morris’s club finished with the second-fewest sacks in the league (31), while the Saints (now under the guidance of head coach Kellen Moore) totaled only 39 QB traps. The Bucs finished with 46 sacks, one of the better totals in the league, but allowed the fourth-most passing yards in the NFL.

Leonard Floyd
Dec 30, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Leonard Floyd (56) during the game against the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

This week, we have seen the Panthers add Jones, the Buccaneers agree to terms with Haason Reddick (who had a forgettable 2024), and the Falcons sign veteran Leonard Floyd. The latter was just cut loose by the San Francisco 49ers. Reddick is a two-time Pro Bowler who has finished with double-digit sacks four times in his career.

Floyd, a disappointment during his first four seasons in the NFL with the Bears, has a combined 48.0 sacks the past five seasons with the Rams, Bills, and 49ers. He also has a combined five sacks in nine postseason games during his nine-year career.

The league’s fiscal year hasn’t officially begun yet, and the NFL draft is a smidge over six weeks away. Apparently, it’s about to get a lot hotter for the quarterbacks in the NFC South.

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Russell Baxter
RUSSELL BAXTER

Russell S. Baxter has been writing and researching the game of football for more than 40 years, and on numerous platforms. That includes television, as he spent more than two decades at ESPN, and was part of shows that garnered five Emmy Awards. He also spent the 2015 NFL season with Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFLN.