With the Super Bowl over and Kyle Shanahan’s blown lead in another championship game, it’s time to focus on the 2024 NFL offseason. Let’s shift from the best team, the Chiefs, to the worst, the Carolina Panthers.
The Panthers had a disastrous 2023 season, finishing with the worst record in the NFL without control of their first round pick in 2024. They also saw the quarterback they passed over for Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, wreck the league as a rookie and win a playoff game. But with the hiring of Dave Canales as head coach and $31 million of cap space, they have the potential to improve sooner than later. Sneaky free agents like Darnell Mooney and Noah Fant could help them win games next season and beyond.
Mooney, who quickly became an afterthought in the Chicago Bears’ offense after they acquired DJ Moore from the Panthers, could be a great addition to the Panthers. He was efficient during his breakout 2021 season, averaging 2.04 yards per route run and catching 81 passes for 1,055 yards and four touchdowns. The Panthers badly need a good receiver, and Mooney could be paired with 34-year-old Adam Thielen and rookie Jonathan Mingo.
Fant, a tight end, also makes sense for the Panthers. With Hayden Hurst gone and little production from Tommy Tremble, Stephen Sullivan, and Ian Thomas, the Panthers need a tight end.
