One Free Agent That Could Help Take Carolina's Defense to the Next Level

Getting one of the best run stuffers in the league would certainly go a long way in helping Derrick Brown and Brian Burns.

The Panthers' defense finished toward the top of the league in 2023, but if there's one area they need to improve it's stopping the run. Ejiro Evero's unit finished 23rd in the league allowing 122.4 yards per game. 

One way to help patch that up is to target someone like Grover Stewart in free agency. The 6'4", 315-pound, 30-year-old defensive tackle is one of the better run stuffers in the game and would be a great piece to go alongside Derrick Brown.

In seven years with the Indianapolis Colts, Stewart tallied 280 tackles 35 QB hits, 30 tackles for loss, nine sacks, seven passes defended, and one forced fumble. 

Aaron Schatz of ESPN suggested the Panthers sign the former Colt in his latest article, making one key free agency move for all 32 teams.

"The Panthers need a lot of things this offseason, but let's start with how they ranked last in run defense DVOA last season. They could address that problem with a big interior defensive lineman like Stewart. Last season, he served a six-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs. Without Stewart, the Colts had a run defense DVOA of 10%, which would have been the worst in the league for the entire season. In the other 11 games, the Colts had a run defense DVOA of minus-12%, which would have been 13th. He also takes on a lot of double-teams, which would help Carolina's pass-rushers to get to the quarterback."

For a multi-year deal, Stewart could be asking for something like $40-$45 million over three years. 

Trio of Panthers Mentioned in NFL.com's Top 101 Free Agents