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The Carolina Panthers remain curious.
What do they have?
Who exactly did general manager Dan Morgan sign and draft during the opening stages of the offseason?
Are NFL insiders correct in lauding the Panthers' free-agent defensive signings of outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips and inside linebacker Devin Lloyd and the decision to trade up and draft Texas Tech nose tackle Lee Hunter in the second round last April?
The defending NFC South champion Panthers are coming off their first playoff appearance since 2017, but they finished flat, dropping three of their final regular-season games, finishing 8-9. Despite a Week 18 loss, they claimed the division title via tiebreaker.
Have Morgan's offseason additions improved the Panthers' defense?
The team brass will get its first peek at the new-look unit when the Panthers open offseason training activities (OTAs) Tuesday at the practice fields behind Bank of America Stadium.
Panthers rushing for better defensive performances
Despite the franchise's improvement from a 2-15 squad in 2023, the Panthers' pass rush remained a weak spot, as it has for years. They tied for 30th in the league with 30 sacks last season.
To help the franchise earn its first winning season since 2015, Morgan focused on generating additional quarterback pressure. That led to Phillips signing a team-record four-year, $120 million deal on the first day of free agency. While his sack total was meandering, Phillips' 15.9 QB pressure rate ranked fifth in the league for players who appeared in at least 350 plays.
Lloyd is expected to assume a three-down role and should be utilized in a series of blitz packages
Hunter likely will get a shot to earn early snaps with veteran Turk Wharton out indefinitely following neck surgery. Wharton missed eight games last season, his first after signing a three-year, $45 million deal last offseason.
What do the Panthers have with their new defensive investments?
Morgan and company will get their first look Tuesday.
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