The Carolina Panthers walked into roster cutdown day with a tight end group that already felt unusually packed. By the time they settled on their initial 53-man roster for the 2026 campaign, that room had only gotten more crowded - and it came with five names attached.
Panthers general manager Dan Morgan addressed the decision on Tuesday and made it clear the number wasn’t accidental. He pointed to the different jobs each player can handle and the way that variety shapes the offense.
"I think it really comes down to each of those guys having specific skill sets that we like," Morgan replied. "If you go down the line, with Tommy [Tremble]-a really good blocker and receiver. Mitch [Evans]-just a big body, wide blocker who's also a very capable wideout for us.
"You go down the list, and Darren Waller-I think he has a unique skill set that I think we can utilize. I know Coach [Dave] Canales and his staff are really excited about having him and what he can bring to our offense, different dimension to our offense."
Waller is the newest piece in the mix. He was officially signed two weeks ago, and the Panthers are clearly betting that his receiving ability can give them something they’ve been missing for several seasons. The former Pro Bowler is 33 now, turns 34 on Sept. 12, and still flashed in 2025 with six touchdowns in only nine games for the Miami Dolphins.
That adds another layer to a group that already includes Ja'Tavion Sanders, a name that has been the subject of recent rumors about a possible departure. Sanders, a fourth-round pick in 2024, has yet to fully deliver on his draft billing, finishing his first two seasons with 62 catches, 532 yards and one touchdown.
The rest of the room rounds out the picture: Tremble remains the starter, Evans arrived as a 2025 fifth-round pick, and Feleipe Franks is still on hand as a special-teams contributor.
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Makai Lemon, who had been floated as another possible target for Carolina, has only added to the retrospective argument by struggling through the preseason. The Panthers are still being judged on the whole set of draft decisions, but this is the kind of development that can change the tone around a pick fast. What once looked like a reach now appears to have lined up neatly with a real roster need, and in Carolinas case those are the kinds of calls that tend to matter most. [Read more 🡒]