Brian Burns gone, Diontae Johnson in. How Panthers GM feels about team after free agency

The Panthers made more than a dozen roster moves during the first two weeks of free agency, but none will reshape their team quite like the departure of one of their longtime standouts.

Earlier this month, Carolina GM Dan Morgan traded pass rusher Brian Burns to the New York Giants for a package that including the 39th overall pick in this year’s draft and a 2025 fifth-round pick. The heavily scrutinized deal ended roughly two years of speculation about Burns’ future in Charlotte as he ascended into the upper echelon of NFL pass rushers.

Monday, during the NFL Annual Meeting at the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes in Orlando, Fla., Morgan held a virtual press conference and addressed the trade for the first time.

“Those are always difficult conversations and decisions that you have to make from the seat that I’m in,” Morgan said. “We love Brian — the player that he is, the person he is — but you know, sometimes you have to make tough decisions. And salary cap, along with the draft capital that we got, we felt like it was time to pull the trigger and make a move.

“We felt like the timing was right. And those are always tough decision, but you know, we had to make it and we feel OK about it.”

Panthers GM Dan Morgan dishes on replacing Brian Burns

With Burns gone, the Panthers (who went 2-15 in 2023) have limited pass rushing depth. The team signed veterans D.J. Wonnum and K’Lavon Chaisson in free agency, but there is still work to be done to replace Burns and his production.

It isn’t easy replacing a 25-year-old, two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher, but the Panthers are on the hunt for upgrades at all positions, although they still don’t have a first-round pick due to the trade for Bryce Young in 2023.

“Not just edge rush, but every position, we’re going to try to build depth, try to build a lot of competition at each of those (positions),” Morgan said. “We want to build this roster to where we have a lot of depth and a lot of competition. And that’s going to be the premise of our program.”

Panthers did their homework on Diontae Johnson

The Burns trade wasn’t Morgan’s only swap of free agency.

The new GM traded cornerback Donte Jackson and a sixth-round pick (178th overall) to the Pittsburgh Steelers for wide receiver Diontae Johnson and a seventh-round pick (240th overall). The deal landed a major upgrade at wide receiver for the equivalent of a late-round pick swap, as the Panthers had planned to move on from Jackson a few days after the deal took place anyway.

Johnson had gained a reputation in Pittsburgh as being a difficult locker room presence, but its hard to deny his talent as a former Pro Bowl pass-catcher. Morgan said the Panthers did their homework on Johnson before making the swap.

“We talked to people — it’s a small league — we know people in the league, and we did our research,” Morgan said. “We’re thorough in everything that we do. We felt really good about Diontae and what he was would bring to our team — not just from a playing standpoint, but as a person as well. We’re really excited about him.”

While his production dipped over the past two seasons — likely due to the turnstile of Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph at quarterback — Johnson’s ability as a route runner and his above-average speed showed up on tape.

“He’s a competitor,” Morgan said. “He’s a receiver that wants the ball. He can play inside, he play outside. I think he’s one of the better route runners in the NFL as well.”

Last season, the Panthers relied heavily on slot receiver Adam Thielen, who surpassed 100 catches and 1,000 receiving yards for the second time his career. With Johnson on the outside, Young will have two trusty targets that new head coach Dave Canales can scheme around.

“His ability to get in and out of his breaks, create separation underneath or vertically — I just think he brings a different element than what we had on our roster,” Morgan said about Johnson. “So, again, I think he’s going to upgrade us, and we’re really excited about him.”

Big money for bigger protection

The Panthers paid a fortune to shore up protection around Young this season.

After Carolina allowed 65 sacks last season (tied for second most in 2024), Morgan decided to rework the guard spots with young veterans coming off rookie contracts. The Panthers added former Miami Dolphins guard Robert Hunt on a five-year, $100 million deal and former Seattle Seahawks guard Damien Lewis on a four-year, $53 million contract.

And along with adding the two guards, Morgan upgraded the swing tackle position by signing former Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Yosh Nijman last week. Nijman will serve as experienced insurance behind starters Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton.

“The offensive line — we’re really excited about our additions in free agency,” Morgan said. “Adding a guy like Robert Hunt, and Damien Lewis, and then getting Yosh Nijman, we’re really excited about that, along with the guys that had been in our program. We’re looking forward to seeing them develop under new coaches, new staff. So, we feel really good about it, and again, just like every other position, we’re going to be look to build and try to make this the strongest roster it can be.”

Along with sharing his excitement about the new pieces on the line, Morgan also confirmed that former starting right guard Austin Corbett will move to center this offseason. Internally, there has been a lot of support for Corbett’s move inside, as he is considered one of the smarter linemen on the squad. He’s also an athletic upgrade from former starting center Bradley Bozeman.

Defensive reinforcements come to town

The Panthers had a clear plan for retooling their defense in the wake of losing Burns, Frankie Luvu and Yetur Gross-Matos during the first week of free agency.

The team added a handful of veterans who have experience with defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. Morgan brought in a trio of former Los Angeles Rams, who won a Super Bowl title with Evero as a key figure on the defensive staff.

Defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson and safeties Jordan Fuller and Nick Scott are expected to play big roles in Evero’s defense. The Panthers also added linebacker Josey Jewell, who played under Evero and linebackers coach Peter Hansen in Denver in 2022. Jewell will work opposite longtime leader Shaq Thompson, who is recovering from a major leg injury.

Given their familiarity with Evero, all of those players, in theory, should be able to hit the ground running for training camp this summer.

“It wasn’t like a necessity that we had to have somebody who (Evero) has been with before or somebody on the staff has been with before, it just kind of worked out that way,” Morgan said. “These are really good football players that our staff is familiar with, they can come in, they know the system already, there’s not going to be a steep learning curve. So, we felt really good about those guys and that’s why we signed them.”

Latest on Jadeveon Clowney

The Panthers hosted a handful of veterans for visits during the first two weeks of free agency. While the Panthers were able to sign Wonnum and Fuller, some of their past guests remain unsigned.

Former Baltimore Ravens pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney and former Dallas Cowboys wideout Michael Gallup have reportedly taken multiple visits — including separate trips to Bank of America Stadium — this month. According to Morgan, Clowney is still in play.

“We’re still talking, still trying to build our roster out — to make our roster the best that it can be,” Morgan said about Clowney. “So all players — we’re talking not only to some of Clowney’s people, but we’re talking to some other people, too. We’re trying to make this roster the most competitive roster in the NFL.”

Clowney, in particular, would be a massive boost to the Panthers’ depth chart.

Coming off a superb season in Baltimore, Clowney, a former South Carolina Gamecock and Rock Hill native, would be the squad’s projected top pass rusher if he were to join his hometown team.

“I think it’s one of those things where we’re keeping in touch,” Morgan said. “Nothing is coming down the pipeline as of yet. We’re still talking, again, not just Clowney’s people but other people as well, just trying to build this roster out and make it the best that it can be.”

Quick hits

▪ Morgan said the long-term plan for roster is to build primarily through the draft and then supplement with free agency. The front office wants to build the team “the right way,” according to Morgan.

▪ Morgan declined to give a timeline or a deadline for a proposed contract extension for Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown. Morgan said he has had good conversations with Brown’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, who represented Morgan when he was a player.

▪ Morgan also declined to give a definitive answer on cornerback Jaycee Horn’s fifth-year option status. The team needs to make a decision on that option by May 2. If the Panthers were to pick up the option, Horn’s fourth and fifth seasons would be guaranteed on his rookie contract. Horn would make a projected $12.47 million in 2025 if the option was executed.

▪ Morgan was quick to praise fourth-year tight end Tommy Tremble when asked about the position in the wake of the release of Hayden Hurst. He also threw support behind holdovers Ian Thomas and Stephen Sullivan.