The Carolina Panthers have not been to the playoffs since 2017. In 2023, they finished with the worst record in the league. They made strides last season under new head coach Dave Canales, especially late in the year. With an improving Bryce Young behind center, the club won four of its final nine games after a miserable 1-7 start.

The focal point for this team is obviously working on the league’s bottom-ranked defensive unit, which included a pass rush that managed on 32 sacks in 2024, There are problems throughout Ejiro Evero’s unit.

Moe Moton of Bleacher Report points out that Cleveland Browns‘ cornerback Greg Newsome II, a first-round pick in 2021, has one year left on his contract that saw the Browns pick up his fifth-year option.

“Newsome is entering the final year of his rookie deal. He is coming off a down season, allowing a 112.5 passer rating. In his best campaign (2023), he recorded 14 pass breakups and two interceptions, but the 24-year-old has missed seven games over the last two seasons. Cleveland could move on from Newsome a year early and pick up a draft pick for him if it embarks upon a rebuild this offseason.

“Perhaps the Carolina Panthers show interest in Newsome because of their need at cornerback. Jaycee Horn has struggled to stay healthy, missing 31 games in four seasons, and Mike Jackson will be a free agent. The Panthers gave up the most points and yards of any team last season, so they should take advantage of any opportunity to bolster their defense.”

Adding to a secondary that was part of a defensive unit that allowed a whopping 59 offensive touchdowns in 17 games certainly makes sense. As Moton mentioned, Carolina allowed the most points in the league (534) in 2024. In fact, that’s the highest single-season total in NFL history.

As for those aforementioned 59 offensive TDs, that includes 35 through the air. That was also the most in the NFL this past season. A lot of work to be done here in all regards.

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