CHARLOTTE — When Dan Morgan scoured the free agency field this offseason, he had a list of things he was looking for. It was not a position-specific shopping list per se but a list of non-negotiable identifiable qualities.

"I think, ideally, you want those big, long, strong physical guys. It doesn't always turn out that way," the Panthers' general manager began, laying out an ideal wish list on Wednesday when recapping free agency for local media. "Maybe they don't have the height, but hey, they're strong, they're physical. They have other redeeming qualities that can outweigh a lack of something. So, yeah, we're just looking for guys to compete, guys that are tough, and guys that play 100 percent every single play."

It's not quite the "dawg" speech that Morgan famously gave after being promoted last year, but it's an expanded mindset that grew from that kernel; a result of a year on the job, seeing from a 30,000-foot view of what makes a difference on a roster, what can change a culture, and what wins games in today's NFL.

Following a season in which the Panthers defense broke records no unit wants to be associated with (the most points allowed in a single season, second most total yards, and third most rushing yards, all in league history), Morgan and executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis went to work. The duo, along with head coach Dave Canales, targeted the trenches and the backend, two areas in need of help either due to production or loss of personnel.

"Like I said before, we were going to build our defensive front, I think we did that," said Morgan. "We signed three guys there, so I think at each level- defensive line, linebacker, and on the back end with Tre'von Moehrig- I think we addressed some of our needs."

A complete Panthers defensive overhaul? Kind of

On paper, it wasn't as quite a complete defensive overhaul as appears on the surface. The team worked hard to keep their incumbent outside corners, resigning Mike Jackson and extending Jaycee Horn The linebacker corps still boasts starters Josey Jewell and Trevin Wallace, and the front will get Derrick Brown back this season from injury, equal to bringing in a top-of-market free agent or a top-10 pick.

Still, there was more change than there was retained. The trio added on the front Morgan mentioned will play across the line. Patrick Jones II comes in as a young pass rusher from the Vikings who began to marry his strength with scheme last season. Tershawn Wharton managed to stand out on a Chiefs defense that also featured Chris Jones. And Bobby Brown III has developed a reputation as a dynamic run-stopper, something with which the Panthers admittedly need help.

"I think it's good. Obviously, the more depth that you have on the defensive side of the ball, on the defensive line, you know you can have a healthy rotation inside there," explained Morgan.

"It's going to keep guys fresh, it's going to keep guys healthy, and that's our goal, is to get a front that is able to, you know, be a bunch of great players up there…and play hard, play balls to the wall every single play."

Bobby Brown III and Turk Wharton stood out early

Brown, in particular, serves as a blueprint of what the Panthers were looking for in free agency: a combination of the right age, size, and ability.

"You look at his age, he's still so young, I think he's 25 years old (almost, Brown won't turn 25 until training camp), he has a lot of versatility from a position standpoint, he can play the nose all the way out to the four-technique, five-technique.

"So, I think he's really valuable in terms of securing our interior defense run defense and making us stronger on the inside, and that's why we brought him in. I do think he has some pass rush upside as well that's a little bit untapped, so looking forward to getting him here and him developing and and showing us what he what he's got."

One of those other rotational pieces, Wharton, is a talent that has stood out to Tilis for years. The two were in Kansas City together, and Tilis was part of the front office that signed the undrafted Missouri Science and Tech product. He was brought on during COVID, meaning there were no preseason games and little visibility for low-profile guys such as Wharton.

The original plan was to sneak him through to the practice squad, Tilis admitted Wednesday, the thinking being other teams wouldn't have enough tape to make a decision. Wharton forced the Chiefs' hand, though, when he dominated in training camp.

"I mean, he was so clearly one of our best players that we couldn't do it to the rest of our roster and have any semblance of credibility with our team if Turk didn't make our 53," shared Tilis. "And so that's just the kind of person and player he is, that he went in, did the work, performed, so that was exciting."

As the 2024 season wore on and Wharton was en route to his 37 total tackles and 8.5 sacks (across regular season and playoffs), pro scouts began to trickle into Tilis' office, asking about the defensive tackle. At the end of the year, those visits started coming from senior assistant Dom Capers, defensive line coach Todd Wash, and then defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.

"It's very clear that there was a lot of love for him and a lot of excitement about him," said Tilis.

Still more to do at the safety position

To help on the backend, the Panthers brought in safety Tre'von Moehrig. The former Raider had a career year last season with 104 tackles. That was a result of playing much closer to the line of scrimmage. Morgan isn't committing to playing Moehrig exclusively in the box yet. Instead, he is waiting to see where the versatile defensive back (he's played every DB position throughout his career) best fits once the entire defense is assembled.

"Obviously, it was our plan, collaborating with the coaching staff, coach Canales, EJ, just us talking through things and what we need, we felt like Tre'von was gonna be a really good fit," explained Morgan. "He can play deep, but he's also really good, moving him up into like the nickel position. You can do a lot of things with him from a run defense standpoint, from a blitzing standpoint, so yeah, he brings a lot of versatility that we really liked about him."

Along with Demani Richardson and Nick Scott, the latter of whom resigned for another year this week, the safety unit currently sits at three. It's thin and far from done, promised Morgan. Whether that's finished through the draft or more free agents, like the two veterans—Julian Blackmon and Marcus Williams—the club brought in for a visit this week, is yet to be seen, but something is clearly coming.

"You guys saw that we brought in a few veterans. There's a few guys on the street that we like, that we think can help us. We'll see what happens there," began Morgan. "In the draft, I think there's a good crop of safeties there, too, so we know that's a position that we need to address. The numbers aren't where they need to be there, but we'll get there, and, you know, we just gotta stay patient, stay with the plan, and let it happen.

"But in terms of a ball hawk on the backside, yeah, we're going to look for somebody, we're going to look for players to take the ball away. Who that is, I don't know, but we're actively pursuing and we'll be aggressive when the time comes."

Flexibility in the draft, where the Panthers have nine picks

As Morgan mentioned, there is a "good crop" of safeties in the draft. By addressing so many glaring needs in free agency, such as on the defensive line, the general manager now has a bit of breathing room next month when the draft rolls around. The Panthers have nine total picks, including eight in the first five rounds, and the No. 8 overall.

"I think what we did in free agency is really going to allow us to have some flexibility in the draft," explained Morgan. "Obviously, we're going to be aggressive to get some playmakers, you know, whether on the offense or defensive side of the ball.

"So, we're just really excited about the direction that we're headed, as a team, as an organization. I feel like things are really trending in a good direction, and I'm really excited.

"We're far from done. There's a lot of work to do, and we're excited about the draft. We have nine picks, and we're going to go attack it."