Grading the Panthers' mostly-promising opening moves for 2025

The Carolina Panthers have been fairly busy to start free agency. Coming in, they had a clear need to fix virtually the entire defense. They've done a lot of work to do just that, signing a flurry of defenders to positions of need on the defense. Were all of them good moves, though?

Panthers re-sign Tommy Tremble: B-

The Panthers re-signed Tommy Tremble to a two-year, $16 million contract. He's been sparingly productive in his Panthers' career, but he arguably outplayed Ja'Tavion Sanders down the stretch. As a depth move, this is nice, but it's hard not to think there were legitimate upgrades out there.

Panthers re-sign Cade Mays: A

Cade Mays returned on a one-year deal, and he provides excellent depth and continuity. The Panthers needed him in a few different spots last year, and a cheap, one-year deal is never a bad thing for a team like Carolina.

Panthers extend Jaycee Horn: C+

Jaycee Horn inked the most lucrative DB contract in the history of the NFL for four years and $100 million. It's a steep cost to pay for such an injury-prone player and one who's never really been the best corner in the league. That said, Dan Morgan couldn't afford to let him walk, and the deal will subsequently be dwarfed by other CB deals, so it's not the end of the world.

Panthers bring back Mike Jackson: A

Mike Jackson quietly had a very good year opposite Horn last year, and the Panthers did well to bring him back. A two-year, $14 million deal is good value, and Jackson and Horn will provide some continuity in the secondary and form an underrated duo.

Panthers release Miles Sanders: B-

The ideal scenario would have been for the Panthers to restructure Miles Sanders and keep him as the backup in Jonathon Brooks' absence. Unfortunately, while they tried, it didn't happen. Still, cutting him saves a lot of money, it just adds one more issue to deal with.

Panthers bring back Brady Christensen: A+

A team can never have too many good blockers, and the Panthers know that. Brady Christensen had to play basically everywhere on the line last year, and he did it well. He's an almost invaluable piece of their strong offensive line, and Morgan made sure to keep him.

Panthers re-sign Austin Corbett: A-

It's a short-term deal, but Austin Corbett's return does at least remove the need for a center for the time being. It also provides more continuity on the offensive line, which should be a very good thing moving forward.

Panthers agree to terms with Tre'Von Moehrig: B

The Panthers needed a safety badly, and they were probably not equipped to win the Jevon Holland sweepstakes. Tre'Von Moehrig is a nice addition, though. He's on a pretty steep contract for someone who's never been a Pro Bowler, but a run-stopping safety who can play and doesn't commit penalties like Xavier Woods is a huge addition.

Panthers agree to terms with Tershawn Wharton: C+

Tershawn Wharton isn't great at stopping the run, and his sack numbers are probably not sustainable since he had six sacks on 33 pressures last year. This pivot after narrowly losing out on Milton Williams certainly isn't bad, but it's a tad expensive and Wharton isn't a dominant player in the trenches right now.

Panthers agree with Bobby Brown III: B+

The Panthers had to address their awful run defense, so they signed a true nose tackle. In the middle of Derrick Brown and another defensive end, Brown will take up a lot of space and fill gaps, so this move should go a long way to helping the NFL's worst run defense from last year.

Panthers nab Patrick Jones II: C

A former Minnesota Vikings pass-rusher coming off an injury and signing with the Panthers is a story we've heard before. Patrick Jones II had seven sacks before getting hurt, which would've led the Panthers. However, he was used situationally by Brian Flores, so it's difficult to see him emulating those numbers. Still, as a depth rusher, it's not bad.

- Enjoy more free Panthers coverage with Carolina Panthers on SI -

Cowboys steal explosive ST free agent target for the Panthers

Jaycee Horn’s huge contract keeps getting worse for Panthers

Panthers 3-round mock draft puts Bryce Young’s needs first

Panthers’ huge iDL addition gets maligned by NFL analyst