CHARLOTTE — Since the beginning of the offseason, the Panthers have signed players to certain kinds of contracts, drafted a certain way, and went through the waiver wire with a clear vision.

And it's not just for putting a team on the field in 2024, though that's the obvious focus the week before the regular season. They're thinking long-term here as well, as hard as that can be at times.

Panthers general manager Dan Morgan emphasized that Thursday, saying from their most recent moves to the first ones, they've gone about it with a consistent approach.

"I think we're looking to upgrade at every turn and just kind of build our roster the right way," Morgan said.

The building part is the key part of that sentence, not the semantics of whether it's a rebuild or not after a 2-15 season.

Morgan was asked multiple questions about that topic, and he shrugged and said he didn't think it was a bad word, but termed it more of a "retool." The interpretation of the difference is less important to him than the approach he's tried to take throughout the offseason.

"I think every day there's challenges with the roster, whether injuries or all different circumstances," Morgan said. "I think at the end of the day, we have a really good core guys that we're excited about. We're excited about the season. We don't want to put any expectations on the season, but that's not to say that we're not confident in the season.

"We're going to work our butts off and that's all we know how to do. We're going to work hard. We're going to put the hours in; the players are going to do the same. They understand that; they're excited for the season as well, just talking to everybody out on the field. So, yeah, we've just got to put the work in."

The Panthers went into this offseason knowing they had a lot of work to do, and having 23 new faces on the roster today who weren't here in 2023 underscores that work. And most of those new faces are either young or on short-term contracts.

There were only 20 players on the roster at the start of the league year with contracts that extended past the 2024 season. Even now, after a busy free agency, a draft, and a claiming six players from other teams off waivers, there are still only 32. And it's a young 32, which helps because as you're building a roster with an eye to the future, you don't want too many older players with big cap hits that stretch into the future.

There are only nine players on the entire roster 30 years old or older, and only two of them are under contract for 2025 or beyond (wide receiver Adam Thielen and outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney, both with two years left).

What that means is the Panthers have flexibility for the future, even after spending heavily in free agency on offensive linemen and defensive replacements this year. It's worth noting that of the 32 players under contract through 2025 or beyond, eight of them are linemen, five on their (affordable) rookie deals along with veterans Taylor Moton, Robert Hunt, and Damien Lewis.

Since protecting quarterback Bryce Young was the first order of business this offseason, that makes sense.

But executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis — the guy in charge of the salary cap — said deals such as the waiver claims on three corners were made with an eye to the future. Shemar Bartholomew is under contract through 2026, and even though Keenan Isaac and Tariq Castro-Fields are through 2024, they can be retained inexpensively as exclusive rights and restricted free agents, respectively.

"I mean, you saw the guys who we claimed; we claimed younger players with years left under contract. I think that's important," Tilis said. "But ultimately, it's really just about getting the culture right. Right?

"Getting those dogs that Dan talked about and just making sure that we get players that fit our scheme and what we want."

Morgan, with his football eye, was looking for bigger corners to play more physically on defense. Tilis sees that, too, but he also likes the flexibility that young players on rookie deals offer for future years. It's a hand-and-glove arrangement.

"I would say alignment is probably the biggest, the biggest piece," Tilis said of how they view the project. "Just understanding what do we need this year and how are you going to accomplish that, as well as what's going to position us best for the long term? So, being aligned with our coaching staff, and in everything that, that they need and also being mindful of how are we going to field a competitive roster in the future?"

The chemistry between Morgan and Tilis has been evident, especially after they sat next to each other for the first time through draft weekend. But Morgan said they've come a long way since their first Zoom call in January, when they spoke for the first time and realized they'd get along.

"We're more alike than what people would think," Morgan said. "We like laughing; we like having a good time out there. We enjoy working with each other every single day. I think it's a great match, and I'm looking forward to what the future holds."

Tilis, largely content to let Morgan do most of the talking Thursday, echoed that sentiment.

"Like Dan said, we're very aligned," Tilis said. "We have very similar morals and, and just general ideas of what we want to be. And on top of that, we very much value collaboration and open-mindedness. So we can be both steadfast in what we believe in while also humble enough to listen to what everyone else has to say, which creates a pretty good working environment for everyone in the building."

Morgan joked that their brawn/brain images might clash, but the working relationship allowed them to complement each other.

"I think that's what makes us really good," Morgan said. "I'm the quote-unquote football guy. And then you have Brandt, who's got the brains and the cap. But, it's much more than that; we're learning from each other, and Brandt knows football, and I know the cap.

"But I think we help sharpen each other every single day, we challenge each other. I'm not afraid to challenge him; he's not afraid to challenge me. And I think that's what makes it good is we have that healthy relationship, and I think that when you're not afraid to stand up against something that maybe you believe or maybe check each other on something, it makes us better and then ultimately, it's going to make the organization better."

Striking that balance also means incorporating a first-year head coach, who has to keep his eyes down where his feet are because he's got a team to prepare for the opener against the Saints a week from Sunday.

But Dave Canales and Morgan have background from their time together in Seattle, which helps. And as he goes into his first year as the guy in charge, Canales stressed the importance of working alongside Morgan to make sure they're trying to serve both interests.

"This is the most important day," Canales began. "So I have to be so locked into this moment and never disrespect the moments that we have, and the opportunities we have to make our team and also looking long-term for building the culture of this team the way we want to, by adding tough players, smart players guys that fit our profile, the players we're looking for.

"I always have to operate with both but not let one or the other distract me. And it seems like it's kind of talking on two sides of my mouth. But it really is the challenge."

And the challenge will continue throughout the season. The Panthers might not ever bring in six new guys in one day (like they did on Wednesday) again this season, but they do have the first spot in claim order until the Tuesday of Week 4, and Morgan said they won't hesitate to use it in the days to come.

"Not even just today, but like throughout the season, we're going to be active, we're going to watch guys. If we feel like a guy can upgrade us, we're not going to be shy to claim them. So, yeah, we're going to be aggressive.

"We're going to continue to churn in the bottom of the roster, churning the roster in general and trying to make it one of the best in the NFL."

And that's going to be his focus all year, so the question of expectations doesn't strike Morgan as particularly meaningful.

"Expectations, you know, they're their expectations," Morgan said. "We're dealing with the reality of things and the reality of things is we control every single day. We can either get better or we can get worse.

"So for us, we choose to get better, we choose to take it day by day and, whether that's us in the front office, building this roster or the players, whether it's taking care of their body, just working on themselves from a mental standpoint, physical standpoint, We're just looking to get better all around as an organization."