NFL insiders give exciting update for Panthers' plans in 2025 free agency

The Carolina Panthers took a step in the right direction in 2024 after former No. 1 overall pick and quarterback Bryce Young appeared to right the ship in the second half of the year.

The Panthers benched Young in favor of veteran Andy Dalton early in the season. However, Young responded positively to the move and played the best football of his career down the stretch after returning to the starting job.

While nobody is going to declare Young completely fixed, he did do enough that the Panthers can move forward with him and focus on other areas of need in free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft.

When it comes to the former, the expectation is that the Panthers are going to be players for big names in free agency, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano.

"Expect the Panthers to be seeking big-name players in free agency," Graziano wrote. "I think Carolina could be in on the top safeties -- Jevon Holland, Camryn Bynum, etc. -- and might be one of the teams willing to spend big to lure defensive tackleMilton Williams away from the Super Bowl champion Eagles. The Panthers will also look to add edge rush help, with Chase Young being one of the intriguing options there."

Fowler echoes what Graziano is hearing and adds that the team wants to get a contract extension done with cornerback Jaycee Horn, something general manager Dan Morgan sounded positive about recently.

"I'm hearing the same sort of stuff on the Panthers, and they also want to complete an extension with star cornerJaycee Hornsooner rather than later," Fowler said. "That market is due for an explosion, with looming deals for Derek Stingley Jr. and Sauce Gardner. So the Panthers are working to get ahead of that."

While it would appear that the Panthers have big plans for free agency, they aren't in a great spot financially. Over the Cap has Carolina sitting with $29.8 million in cap space.

The Panthers do have more players they can part with to save money beyond Donte Jackson, who will reportedly be cut or traded.

Defensive linemen A'Shawn Robinson and Shy Tuttle and running back Miles Sanders all come to mind. Parting ways with those four players would give Carolina around $14 million more to work with.

It remains to be seen if the Panthers will actually be able to lure some of the big-name free agents to Carolina, but it's good to see they're at least going to try.