Why the Panthers Haven't Signed Darren Waller or Deebo Samuel

The Carolina Panthers were exceptionally active in the first wave of free agency, signing John Metchie, Jaelan Phillips, Devin Lloyd, Kenny Pickett, and Rasheed Walker. They were one of the most aggressive teams.

The second wave of free agency begins after the draft, once teams know who they have and the compensatory pick situation goes away. Signing players after that point is a little safer and smarter.

There's still plenty of talent on the open market, and there are some really good players who would be huge upgrades for the Panthers, most notably Darren Waller and Deebo Samuel. Carolina hasn't signed them, though, despite ample opportunity. Why?

The Panthers aren't going to invest any more money this offseason

Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (1) takes the field | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The Panthers greatly improved their depth and their overall talent level in free agency and the draft. That said, there's still plenty of areas they could upgrade with some of the remaining free agents.

The following players would be cheap at this point and would either start or be a key rotational player for the Panthers:

WR Deebo Samuel
TE Jonnu Smith
TE Darren Waller
OG Mekhi Becton
LB Bobby Okereke
LB Bobby Wagner
S Harrison Smith
IDL David Onyemata
S Donovan Wilson
CB Kenny Moore
RB Najee Harris

The Panthers could most benefit from adding Samuel, Waller, or Jonnu Smith. They still have a gaping hole at tight end, and the WR department has only a couple of players who are definitely better than Samuel.

They haven't, though, and it doesn't look like they're going to sign any of the names mentioned, even with the recent injury to Tershawn Wharton. They could absolutely use help, but they're probably going to roll with who they have.

There are reasons for this. First, they're kind of out of money. They just restructured Jaycee Horn's contract to free up space for the rookie class and some UDFAs, but there's not a ton leftover to bring in free agents.

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith (81) warms up before the game against the Cleveland Browns | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

They could free up some space by cutting Tommy Tremble ($4M) or Pat Jones ($4.75M), but the Panthers probably would prefer to keep those players who know the systems they play in rather than sign someone who's getting a late start.

While those players would be upgrades in our eyes, all 32 NFL GMs don't necessarily see them as impactful signings. There's a reason all of these players have sat on the open market this long, and they probably know better than we do.

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