Grading Panthers’ first wave of free agency: Burns and Johnson trades, big-money signings

The first wave of free agency has come and gone, and the Panthers have made several moves to rework their roster.

The NFL’s legal tampering period helped the Panthers get ahead of the open market. And new GM Dan Morgan used that time to make two notable trades and reach contract agreements with a handful of new contributors.

While the Panthers aren’t done making moves, the first wave of free agency was the center piece of the roster-building process.

Here is our report card for the Panthers’ first wave of free agency:

Brian Burns traded to New York Giants

Panthers receive: 2024 second-round pick (39th overall), 2024 fifth-round pick (141st overall), a 2025 fifth-round pick

Giants receive: OLB Brian Burns, 2024 fifth-round pick (166th overall)

Let’s take away the infamous Los Angeles Rams offer for a second. We’ll let that marinate for just a moment.

OK, so with that out of the way, read this: The Panthers traded a 25-year-old pass rusher with two Pro Bowls to his name for a second-round pick, a future fifth-round pick and a swap of fifth-round picks. Oh, and that two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher was traded within the conference to another lowly team with a Top-10 pick.

Yeah, that sounds bad. But when you pile on the 2022 offer by the Los Angeles Rams (a Day 2 pick in 2023, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2025 first-round pick), well, that’s the ultimate yikes.

For context, Morgan wasn’t the chief decision-maker in 2022 (or in 2023, for that matter), and he was entering a no-win situation that was rigid at best. The relationship between Burns and the team was clearly broken, and the new regime had a choice to make: keep a frustrated Burns to start coach Dave Canales’ tenure or take what they could get now and have a clean slate.

My understanding is that the Giants were aggressive in their pursuit of Burns, and the trade market for the pass rusher was limited because of his contract demands. Since Morgan and Giants GM Joe Schoen share a long history and friendship, they were able to work out this deal, albeit an underwhelming one for Carolina.

This might be unfair to Morgan, but when you combine this deal with the trades that sent DJ Moore to Chicago and Christian McCaffrey to San Francisco, the franchise’s recent pattern of trade futility somewhat poisons the well here, too. The other leftover authority figure in this trade is owner David Tepper, who has seen his franchise’s top picks in 2017, 2018 and 2019 get shipped out of town for heavily scrutinized returns.

The Panthers were never going to get the Rams offer again. Burns wanted top-3 pass rusher money and no longer had a cost-controlled rookie deal to work off of in a negotiation. Carolina was going to need to keep him on a long-term deal or trade him away, and Option B was always going to come with terrible optics.

Paying Burns what the Giants are reportedly paying him (five-year deal worth $141 million with $76 million fully guaranteed) was understandably a tough sell for Carolina. Burns is a very good pass rusher, but he’s not T.J. Watt, Danielle Hunter, Myles Garrett, Nick Bosa or Maxx Crosby. Heck, Trey Hendrickson more than doubled Burns’ sack total (17.5 vs. 8) last season at 29.

But good teams keep their homegrown very good players. And the Panthers have been in a shortage of those blue-chippers since the Ron Rivera era. The Panthers did come away with another top-40 pick, which is valuable in both selection order and trade potential, but right now the return for Burns feels salty and not savory, as it would have in 2022, or probably in the middle of 2023.

Morgan and Tepper have been here for every turn of this two-year saga, so it’s hard to give them a complete pass. Ultimately, they took what they could, and that return wasn’t for very much.

Grade: D-

Panthers trade Donte Jackson to get Diontae Johnson from Steelers

Panthers receive: WR Diontae Johnson, 2024 seventh-round pick (240th overall)

Steelers receive: CB Donte Jackson, 2024 six-round pick (178th overall)

The Panthers entered the offseason wanting to acquire a veteran upgrade at wide receiver. But they didn’t want to overspend on a top-tier free agent or trade away notable draft picks. In fact, they wanted to increase their pick load (see the Burns trade) and try to build through the draft with young, cost-controlled talent.

On Tuesday, the Panthers checked off quite a few boxes on their wish list.

The Panther agreed to trade cornerback Donte Jackson — who was set to be released ahead of his $4 million roster bonus deadline on Saturday — and a sixth-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for wide receiver Diontae Johnson and a seventh-round pick.

So, the Panthers didn’t need to overspend to upgrade at wide receiver. They kept their pick total at seven. And they were able to use Jackson to minimize the compensation of the trade to a low-round pick swap.

While the Burns trade was a clear and notable letdown for the Panthers, Morgan did a swell job, on paper, with the follow-up trade of the week.

The Panthers will pay Johnson a $3 million bonus on Saturday, barring a reworked contract. That roster bonus is $1 million less than Jackson’s impending bonus, so the Panthers even saved in that regard hypothetically. Johnson has no guarantees left in his contract and he’s on the final year of his deal (worth $7 million), so the Panthers could approach him with a contract extension (they’d hold most of the leverage) or let Johnson earn one in a “prove it” deal.

While Jackson’s departure furthers the Panthers’ need at cornerback, he was a goner anyway. To get value for Jackson when the league knew he would be getting cut this week is pretty good asset management by Morgan.

Obviously, there are reasons why Johnson was available in a trade.

Despite being two years removed from a Pro Bowl nod, Johnson battled inconsistency over the past two seasons, which led to some reported frustration and friction with teammates, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Johnson got into a “heated incident” with team captain Minkah Fitzpatrick following a game in November, according to ESPN.

It’s worth noting his quarterbacks were Mitchell Trubisky, Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph during that time period. The Steelers’ offense was anything but sound over the past two campaigns, and that uneasiness dragged down a lot of performances, including Johnson’s output.

The Panthers and Johnson are hoping that second-year quarterback Bryce Young can bring out the best in the wideout and help him rebound in Carolina.

Despite his documented locker room issues, the trade for Johnson is essentially a one-year flier that could pay off in a big way. The Panthers will still look to upgrade the position in the draft, so they’ll be backstopped on Johnson either way.

And even if this doesn’t work out, they are paying Johnson a fraction of the market price in what is essentially a trade of a sixth-round pick for a seventh-round pick.

Grade: A

Panthers sign Robert Hunt away from Dolphins

The Panthers were atrocious at protecting Young last season. Only one team (the Giants) gave up more sacks than the Panthers last season.

So, the Panthers decided their best course of action was to pay big money to a pair of guards to improve the line. Robert Hunt, 27, was the first and most highly paid target.

According to multiple reports, Hunt will receive $100 million over five years. That’s a whole lot of cash for a guard, but Landon Dickerson’s contract extension with the Philadelphia Eagles ($84 million over four years) at the onset of the tampering period lifted the positional market off its hinges.

Hunt is a good player, and quite sturdy in pass protection, but he’s coming off a season that was somewhat marred by a reoccurring hamstring injury.

Still, Hunt only surrendered one sack and five total pressures in 10 starts last season, according to Pro Football Focus. Canales has also been pretty direct in his desire to run the ball on offense, and Hunt can help in that regard.

Grade: B

Carolina signs Damien Lewis away from Seahawks

The Panthers will pair Hunt with Damien Lewis at guard for the foreseeable future.

Lewis, unlike Hunt, has a history with the Panthers’ coaching staff from their shared stints in Seattle. Lewis worked with assistant offensive line coach Keli’i Kekuewa throughout his four years with the Seahawks. Canales and offensive coordinator Brad Idzik were also with Lewis for the first three years of his career.

So, the Panthers are getting an external guard with an internal history. Lewis was also paid handsomely — reportedly for $53 million over four years — but he comes into a situation where the staff knows his strengths and weaknesses.

Lewis, according to Pro Football Focus, has only allowed 69 pressures and 7 sacks over the past three seasons. That’s a solid pass protection line for a 26-year-old guard who will need to protect Young at left guard.

Grade: B+

Ejiro Evero reunites with A’Shawn Robinson

The Panthers agreed to terms with defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson on the second day of the legal tampering period. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the deal is for three years and $22.5 million.

Robinson, 28, spent last season with the Giants. The 6-foot-4, 330-pound lineman has a history with defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, as the pair spent two years together with the Los Angeles Rams. Now, they’ll reunite with Robinson being a big body in the defensive front for the Panthers.

Robinson is the type of run-stopping presence that the Panthers needed last season. While he has 7 career sacks, Robinson is known for taking up space and clogging running lanes. He will make for a strong third wheel in the defensive front with Derrick Brown and Shy Tuttle.

Grade: B+

Defense adds Josey Jewell at inside linebacker

After losing Frankie Luvu to Washington, the Panthers desperately needed a new tag-team partner for Shaq Thompson at inside linebacker.

The team agreed to a deal with former Denver Broncos linebacker Josey Jewell on Tuesday. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the contract is a three-year pact worth $22.75 million.

Jewell previously worked with Evero and Panthers linebackers coach Peter Hansen in Denver in 2022.

Jewell, 29, spent six seasons in Denver. He was four-year starter and produced 453 tackles, 9 sacks, 15 pass breakups and 2 interceptions during his time with the Broncos. The 6-foot-2, 236-pound linebacker has a solid blitz game and is a strong run defender.

Given his familiarity with the defensive staff and system, Jewell should be able to hit the ground running in Carolina. While he’s a downgrade from Luvu, Jewell is a worthwhile bridge-gap starter under the age of 30.

Grade: B

Dane Jackson to replace ... Donte Jackson?

The Panthers shipped Donte Jackson out of town and likely replaced him with ... Dane Jackson. The new recruit agreed to terms on a new deal on Wednesday, a league source told The Charlotte Observer.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the deal is for two years and up to $14.5 million.

Dane Jackson, 27, was a seventh-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2020 when Morgan was a personnel exec in the team’s front office. Morgan, according to Schoen, was the evaluator who pitched the University of Pittsburgh corner as the team’s final pick that year. Dane Jackson went on to have a strong four-year career in Buffalo as a part-time starter.

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound cornerback started 28 of the 52 games he appeared in with Buffalo. He is likely to replace Donte Jackson as the No. 2 cornerback heading into the draft. If the Panthers select a cornerback on Day 2 of the draft, Dane Jackson could compete with the rookie, with the loser of the battle taking on CJ Henderson’s role as the No. 3 outside cornerback.

Look for the Panthers to continue to add to the position in the draft or free agency, but Dane Jackson is a solid first step in reworking the secondary.

Grade: B

Internal roster movement

Burns wasn’t the only Panthers player to leave town.

Luvu and safety Jeremy Chinn agreed to join the Washington Commanders this week, while pass rusher Yetur Gross-Matos joined the San Francisco 49ers on a huge two-year contract. While Chinn’s role was diminished last season, Luvu was one of the top three players on defense. Gross-Matos had a career year under Evero, despite his lack of scheme fit.

According to league sources, the Panthers wanted to retain both Luvu and Gross-Matos. In the case of Luvu, the Panthers negotiated with his representatives until the linebacker agreed to join the Commanders, one of the sources said.

While they missed out on Gross-Matos and Luvu, the Panthers were able to retain a couple of contributors.

The team reached agreements with cornerback Troy Hill and wide receiver/returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette. Hill was a strong addition last season as a nickel corner, while Smith-Marsette shined as a punt returner and gadget player on offense. Running back/kick returner Raheem Blackshear was also retained as an exclusive rights free agent, as expected.

Along with the free agency departures and re-signings, the Panthers also released center Bradley Bozeman, tight end Hayden Hurst and safety Vonn Bell on Wednesday. Those departures served as a clear sign of a changing of the guard for the franchise.

Grade: C+

Overall grade for first wave

The Panthers appear to have taken a major value loss on the Burns trade. But, overall, they did a fine job in the first wave of free agency.

They gained two very capable pass-protecting guards and a trio of solid defensive starters on the open market. They also made a low-risk/high-reward trade that netted them a major upgrade at wide receiver.

The departures of Luvu, Gross-Matos, Bell, Bozeman and Hurst create holes, but the Panthers are likely to fill those openings in the draft or later in free agency.

Grade: B-