INDIANAPOLIS — The Panthers spent a lot of money on offensive linemen last year in free agency; that's how you could tell it was important to them.

But the way general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales talked about the position Tuesday, you can tell it's equally important for them to keep it at that level.

Dropping $150 million worth of contracts on guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis last year was a necessity after the Panthers allowed 65 sacks in 2023. And the early returns were good, as they dropped that sack number to 36 and were actually able to stabilize the offense and let Bryce Young emerge as a quarterback.

"That's huge, right?" Canales said. "I mean, I think one of the strengths of our team was the offensive line play, and even with that group consistently changing, we had some guys that had a lot of versatility that helped us, so I think it's really important that we look at those guys first, and try to make that a priority for us so that we can continue to help Rob and Damien do what they do best, having somebody that can be in there and direct traffic."

And that begins with the center position, which is a bit of a blank spot on the depth chart at the moment.

But Morgan said they're working to bring back unrestricted free agent Austin Corbett and restricted free agent Cade Mays, which would lend stability there.

Corbett earned the job in the middle last year in camp and started the first five games before a biceps tear cost him the rest of the season. Mays, who was waived coming out of training camp (it was a deep group), came back in midseason and started the final eight games in the middle.

But the quest for stability goes beyond those two, or the two big-money guards signed last offseason, and the way Morgan talked about them made that clear.

Morgan said the goal was to reach a long-term deal with left tackle Ikem Ekwonu before they had to make a call on his fifth-year option in May, and they also want to retain veteran right tackle Taylor Moton.

There was speculation about Moton's status for reasons that had nothing to do with his play. As a result of previous restructures, his salary cap number pushed north of $30 million this year, but Morgan said they were content to ride that out — as part of a larger strategy geared toward fiscal sustainability.

"I think we're fine either way," Morgan said when asked about restructuring Moton again. "We can leave the contract how it is and we're fine from that perspective.

"Obviously, we love Taylor. We love everything about him. But right now, we're just going to stay put, and (executive vice president of football operations) Brandt (Tilis), myself, and Dave, we'll get together at the right time and talk about his future in terms of long term."

And they're thinking long term, because they've found something that works.

Canales talked about the benefit of that kind of stability for Young as they continue to grow the offense.

But as they work to fill all the other offseason priorities, it's clear that keeping that successful group together was a key for the team as a whole.

"We're excited about that group," Morgan said simply of his offensive line. "And they're going to continue to get better."