NFL free agency: Panthers finally get recognition for superb bargain signing

Panthers’ GM Dan Morgan has stressed defense this offseason. He may have gotten a real steal in terms of pass rush help, and his work has not gone unnoticed

Nov 24, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Patrick Jones II (91) celebrates after defeating the New England Patriots after the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

When it came to forecasting what the Carolina Panthers would be doing this offseason in terms of improving the team, the answer was a plain as the nose on your face(mask).

Defense has been the order of the month in Charlotte, and so far, so good for general manager Dan Morgan and a team looking to put together a competent unit. When it comes to the front seven, the newcomers include interior defenders Bobby Brown III and Tershawn Wharton. There’s also a promising pass-rusher who finished with more sacks this past season than any member of Dave Canales’s club in 2024,

Moe Moton of Bleacher Report recently assembled an impressive list of “biggest bargain-bin steals” when it comes to the early stages of free agency. Not surprisingly, the Panthers inking former Vikings’ edge-rusher Patrick Jones II to a two-year, $15 million deal was mentioned.

Jan 8, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Patrick Jones II (91) enters the field before the first half against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

“While on the field for 46 percent of the defensive snaps with the Minnesota Vikings,” explained Moton, “Patrick Jones II broke out in a rotational role behind Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, logging seven sacks and 17 pressures. Minnesota also had 2024 first-rounder Dallas Turner on the edge, so Jones needed to go elsewhere for more opportunities. He will have a chance to earn a starting role with the Carolina Panthers.

“Edge-rusher Jadeveon Clowney is past his prime at 32, and he hasn’t played more than 64 percent of his team's defensive snaps since the 2021 season. Turning 27 in September, Jones could push Clowney for snaps, and he could form a solid pass-rushing tandem with another former Vikings edge-rusher, D.J. Wonnum. On a contract that pays $7.5 million annually, the Pittsburgh product could be Carolina’s sack leader in 2025."

That last statement is incredibly ironic. Jones finished 2024 with a career-best seven sacks. That would obviously be more than Clowney and A’Shawn Robinson, who both led Carolina this past season with 5.5 QB traps.

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