Panthers surprisingly linked to former Super Bowl champion on cut watch

A pass-rusher could be available, and the Panthers may be a landing spot.

Jan 4, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs the ball during the second quarter against Cleveland Browns defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo (54) at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers entered the offseason with a massive need at edge rusher, perhaps more so than any other team in the NFL. The tandem of Jadeveon Clowney and DJ Wonnum, one of whom isn't even on the team anymore, just wasn't going to cut it. They have since addressed the issue with great urgency, drafting two edge rushers and signing another.

However, teams can never have too much pass-rushing. They can never have too many players who get after the quarterback, which is why the Panthers have been linked to a former Super Bowl champion edge. Ogbo Okoronkwo is on cut watch with the Cleveland Browns, and Last Word on Sports analyst Anthony Palacios wants Carolina to consider him.

Palacios says that despite offseason efforts all over the defensive side of the ball, more help is needed. They still have a lackluster front seven, and adding a player like Ogbo Okoronkwo would go a long way towards fixing the defense that gave up the most points in NFL history last season.

He has 17 sacks in 80 games, so Okoronkwo is definitely more of a rotational piece at this stage. Do the Panthers need that? Maybe not anymore with the additions of Pat Jones, Nic Scourton, and Princely Umanmielen.

Jones was a rotational player last year, and he figures to play the same role in Carolina. Wonnum will be a starter, and one of Umanmielen and Scourton will man the opposite side in all likelihood. That leaves the other rookie as depth or another rotational player. There's just not much room for the Panthers to grab another rusher at this point, especially one that probably doesn't move the needle too much.

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