The Carolina Panthers have already shown they’re willing to keep adding help in the passing game, and that same logic may be coming for the middle of the defense.
After signing tight end Darren Waller to a one-year, $1.3 million deal last week, Carolina could be headed toward a similar veteran move at linebacker. ESPN’s Mike Kaye raised that possibility after the Panthers’ 34-17 preseason win at Jacksonville on Friday night, noting that the spot next to Devin Lloyd still looks unsettled.
“Carolina didn't play Devin Lloyd,” stated Kaye, “so Trevin Wallace and Claudin Cherelus both started Friday. Neither defender has gained an advantage in their position battle this summer, and the depth behind Lloyd could be upgraded before Week 1.”
That battle has been close all summer. Cherelus has started all three preseason games, while Wallace played but did not start against the Bills.
Against the Cardinals, both players logged 19 defensive snaps. They each played 24 defensive snaps against Buffalo, then Cherelus finished with two dozen defensive snaps against the Jaguars while Wallace had 23.
Through three preseason outings, Cherelus has nine tackles and Wallace has seven.
Kaye also pointed to the possibility of Carolina looking outside the building for another linebacker, much like it did at tight end.
“Similar to tight end, added Kaye, “it wouldn't be surprising to see the Panthers search for a veteran free agent linebacker before or after the cut-down deadline next week.”
That deadline comes Sunday, August 30, at 6:00 pm ET, when every team must get down to 53 players. General manager Dan Morgan still has time to make another move before then if he wants a proven veteran who’s currently available.
The name at the top of that list is Bobby Wagner. The 36-year-old spent the last two seasons with the Washington Commanders, and he has posted 100-plus tackles in all 14 of his NFL seasons, including 11 with the Seattle Seahawks.
Two other options mentioned are Kenneth Murray, who led the Dallas Cowboys with 81 tackles last season, and Bobby Okereke, who finished with a team-high 143 tackles in 2025 with the New York Giants.
The Panthers’ defense has already made real progress from where it was a year ago. In 2024, Carolina had the league’s worst unit on defense, and this past season it climbed to 16th in the NFL in fewest total yards allowed. The offense allowed 59 touchdowns in 17 regular-season games the year before, and that number dropped to 44 offensive touchdowns in 18 total contests.
Morgan has already added two notable defenders this offseason in edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and 2025 Pro Bowl linebacker Devin Lloyd, and both are expected to matter for Dave Canales’s team and Ejiro Evero’s unit. Still, the question at linebacker remains unresolved.
Friday night’s preseason finale against the visiting Houston Texans could offer another look at how Carolina wants to sort it out.
In Other News...
Panthers Suddenly Have A Real QB Decision Behind Bryce Young
The Panthers have spent much of the offseason trying to steady the quarterback picture around Bryce Young, and for now the plan remains the same. But preseason has offered a small wrinkle in that conversation, thanks to Haynes King, the undrafted free agent who has looked sharp enough in limited action to make people around the team pay attention. He has outperformed the other quarterbacks in those brief opportunities and at least shown enough poise to suggest he belongs in the mix.
Still, Carolina is not expected to make a sudden switch at the top of the depth chart, and Young remains the starter the team is built around. The more realistic question is whether King has done enough to stick on the roster and develop as a backup, which would give the Panthers a useful young arm to keep in the building. Even without changing the immediate hierarchy, he has created a small but genuine decision for a team that could use more answers behind Young. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Tight End Battle Just Put JaTavion Sanders On Notice
JaTavion Sanders has spent the early part of his NFL career trying to carve out a bigger role in Carolina, but the early returns have been modest. Through 29 games, he has 62 catches for 532 yards and two touchdowns, and even as the Panthers work through the preseason, his place in the tight end room is suddenly less secure than it once looked.
The arrival of Darren Waller changes the calculus in a hurry, since he is expected to open the season as the starter and instantly reshapes the depth chart around him. Sanders was limited to one catch for six yards in a recent preseason game, and with roster decisions looming, Carolina now has to decide whether he still fits into the plan or whether the competition at the position has already moved past him. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Young Enters A Make-Or-Break Year With Too Much Unsettled
The Panthers have spent this offseason trying to give Bryce Young a better runway, but the picture around him still looks shakier than the roster-building would suggest. Carolina added help on offense, yet the supporting cast remains a work in progress, with a receiving group led by Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker drawing a middling PFF ranking and the ground game still searching for more juice.
What makes this such a pivotal year for Young is that even the unit that once looked like a team strength is no longer a sure thing. Carolinas offensive line, which had been among the leagues best, is dealing with injuries and personnel turnover, and key pieces like Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton are sidelined. For a quarterback trying to establish himself, the Panthers have left him with a lot of unanswered questions and not much margin for error. [Read more 🡒]