The Panthers have spent the offseason attacking their roster the same way a smart team should: patch a hole in free agency, then keep building at the draft table.
That approach has shown up all over the lineup. At left tackle, Carolina added former Packers starter Rasheed Walker on a one-year deal, then followed by taking University of Georgia prospect Monroe Freeling with the 19th overall pick in April.
At safety, the Panthers kept veteran Nick Scott on a one-year contract and still used a fifth-round pick on Penn State’s Zakee Wheatley. And at center, general manager Dan Morgan kept the pattern going.
That’s where Luke Fortner comes in.
Since 2024, Austin Corbett, Cade Mays, and Brady Christensen all had turns snapping the ball to Bryce Young. Corbett is now in Buffalo, Mays signed with the Lions, and Christensen just re-upped with Carolina, where he’s expected to provide depth across the line.
Morgan still made another move, signing Fortner, who most recently played for the New Orleans Saints, to a one-year deal. He also added Kansas State center Sam Hecht with the 144th overall pick before taking Wheatley at No.
Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker recently highlighted five offseason additions around the league that might be flying under the radar, and Fortner was one of them.
“After playing only 13 offensive snaps in 2024,” stated Locker, “Fortner enjoyed a strong 2025 campaign with New Orleans. Across 678 snaps, Fortner permitted three sacks but just 11 pressures, good for a 72.5 PFF pass-blocking grade to rank third among qualified centers. Moreover, Fortner was his best in the run game yet with a career-high 65.3 PFF run-blocking grade, including the 61st percentile for gap concepts.”
Locker also pointed to the opening created by the offseason departures of Mays and Corbett, noting that Fortner has a real chance to lock down the job in the middle. He also emphasized Fortner’s durability and early-career experience.
“With both departing this spring," added Locker, "Fortner figures to not only assume command, but has the tools to upgrade the position along a high-potential offensive line.”
Hecht could still make this a competition once camp opens, but Carolina has clearly given itself options at a key spot. Whether Fortner starts or not, the signing looks like one that deserves more attention.
In Other News...
Why Jeremy Chinn Still Frustrates Panthers Fans Years Later
Jeremy Chinn arrived in Carolina as a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and quickly looked like the kind of defensive building block the Panthers had been searching for. He started most of his games over three seasons, piled up significant production and gave the defense a playmaking edge that made him easy to notice, especially for a fan base that still remembers how much promise he flashed early in his career.
The frustration came later, when coaching changes and scheme shifts changed his role and his time on the field. By the time he left in 2024, the Panthers had already watched a player who once seemed central to their future move on, and he has since kept starting elsewhere, first in Washington and then with the Raiders. For Carolina, he remains one of those reminders of how quickly a young standout can go from cornerstone to what might have been. [Read more 🡒]
Brady Christensens Panthers Return Feels Like A Big Camp Reunion
Just ahead of training camp, the Panthers brought back a familiar face in veteran offensive lineman Brady Christensen, signing him to a one-year deal as the roster starts to take shape for the summer. Christensens return adds another experienced piece to an offensive line that has leaned on his steadiness before, and it also reconnects Carolina with a player who has already spent meaningful time in the building.
Christensen was drafted by the Panthers in 2021 and became a full-time starter at left guard in 2022, so this is not a fresh introduction so much as a reunion. His versatility gives Carolina some flexibility up front, and the timing of the move only adds to the sense that the Panthers wanted one more known commodity in place as camp opens and the competition begins. [Read more 🡒]
Monroe Freeling Suddenly Has A Massive Chance Panthers Fans Didn't Expect
With rookies reporting to training camp Tuesday and veterans following a day later, the Panthers are about to get a first real look at how their reshaped offensive line might settle. Carolina has already taken steps to address the group by signing Rasheed Walker and adding Monroe Freeling in the first round, and the expectation is that the line jobs will be earned rather than handed out once camp gets rolling.
Freeling arrives with a clearer path than most first-year linemen usually get, especially with the left tackle picture suddenly in flux. The Panthers still have competition brewing across the interior, too, with Luke Fortner and Sam Hecht in the mix at center and Brady Christensen back in the conversation, so the next few weeks should reveal whether Carolinas plan is to lean on the rookie sooner than expected or let the battle play out deeper into camp. [Read more 🡒]