CHARLOTTE — With the start of the new league year, the Panthers can officially do business.
The team has agreed to terms with four free agents from other teams, following through on general manager Dan Morgan's plan to build out the defense from front to back the way they did with the offensive line last year.
The team has agreed to terms with defensive tackles Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III, outside linebacker Patrick Jones II, and safety Tre'von Moehrig. The deals aren't final until they arrive here to sign.
That's a good start to fixing a defense that struggled down the stretch, particularly against the run. Now, they have two quality veterans to go with Derrick Brown and A'Shawn Robinson, and holdovers including Shy Tuttle, LaBryan Ray, and Jaden Crumedy, creating competition and depth up front.
The 26-year-old Wharton had 6.5 sacks last year for the Chiefs as he continued to grow into a larger role on a talented defense. A former undrafted rookie from Division II Missouri S&T, Wharton has appeared in 72 games and has 13.5 career sacks.
The 24-year-old Brown adds another big body to the front. He started 16 games for the Rams last year, with 44 tackles and four tackles for loss.
The 26-year-old Jones had 7.0 sacks last year for the Vikings last season, along with nine tackles for loss and a forced fumble. The 6-foot-4, 264-pounder was a third-round pick out of Pittsburgh and will join former Vikings teammate D.J. Wonnum here in that position group.
The 25-year-old Moehrig, a former second-round pick out of TCU, had 104 tackles last season for Las Vegas. He also has six interceptions in four seasons with the Raiders, including two last year.
The Panthers have previously agreed to terms with former Bills punter Sam Martin and retained seven of their own free agents: Quarterback Andy Dalton, offensive linemen Austin Corbett, Brady Christensen, and Cade Mays, tight end Tommy Tremble, cornerback Mike Jackson, and long snapper JJ Jansen.
Oh, and they extended cornerback Jaycee Horn's deal through the 2029 season, part of a big week for the organization as a whole.
Three of their own free agents reportedly agreed to terms with other teams earlier this week, with safety Lonnie Johnson going to Las Vegas and safety Xavier Woods and punter Johnny Hekker heading to Tennessee.
Take a look at some of the best shots of Panthers CB Jaycee Horn.
