Panthers made one of free agency's smartest moves no one is talking about

The Carolina Panthers made a very shrewd move in NFL free agency, and it's flying under the radar.

Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers entered NFL free agency with only modest cap room, so they had to be careful about where they spent their money.

That's why the initial news about the Panthers reportedly closing in on a deal for Milton Williams was actually somewhat concerning, as it would have eaten up most of their available money (Williams ended up getting $26 million annually from the New England Patriots).

But when Williams spurned Carolina, the Panthers pivoted and made one of the smartest, best bang-for-your-buck deals of free agency, adding defensive tackle Bobby Brown on a three-year, $21 million contract.

Brown's numbers definitely won't jump off the page. He posted 44 tackles with the Los Angeles Rams this past season, and he has logged just a half of a sack throughout his four-year NFL tenure.

But Brown's job isn't to rack up big statistics; it's to serve as a run stuffer in the middle, and at 6-foot-4, 332 pounds, that's exactly what he will bring to the table in Carolina.

Think about this: the Panthers were able to save massive money by missing out on Williams, who absolutely got overpaid by the Patriots. Really, Williams' Super Bowl performance clearly inflated his value on the open market, and Carolina thankfully isn't on the hook for that.

Instead, the Panthers landed an ascending 24-year-old player in Brown who should definitely help an ailing run defense that ranked last in the league this past year, allowing a miserable 179.8 yards on the ground per game.

It wasn't the flashiest move, and it won't garner any headlines (well, other than this one), but it was an incredibly shrewd move by a Carolina front office that is unquestionably showing signs of improvement under the direction of general manager Dan Morgan.

Dec 25, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Bobby Brown III (95) reacts after a defensive play against the Denver Broncos during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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