Panthers Eyeing Linebacker Help?

Beyond the ex-Jaguar, however, the Panthers have not been impressed with their inside linebacker options. A position battle between the re-signed Claudin Cherelus and 2024 third-round pick Trevin Wallace has proven uninspiring, to the point ESPN.com’s Mike Kaye views it as realistic the team looks into outside options during and after cutdown weekend.

Dave Canales said (via Kaye) the Cherelus-Wallace competition is “neck and neck” as August winds down. Wallace has made 20 starts for the Panthers during his career, having played over Cherelus in the past. But the Lloyd addition and Carolina subjecting Wallace to a competition with the career special-teamer certainly indicates a level of dissatisfaction with the former Day 2 pick’s early-career work.

Cherelus has primarily been a special-teamer in Carolina, never playing more than 23% of the team’s defensive snaps in a season. PFF ranked Wallace as the NFL’s fifth-worst ILB against the run last season. The Panthers only guaranteed Cherelus $461K to sign this offseason. Most of the team’s FA budget went into adding Phillips and Lloyd, the latter signing a three-year deal worth $45MM.

Although a trade before tomorrow’s roster-setting deadline or a waiver claim would seemingly be the most likely avenue here, it is worth noting future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner is a free agent. As of February, Wagner intended to play in 2026. Matt Milano, Bobby Okereke and Germaine Pratt are also available. Shaq Thompson (now 32) spent 10 seasons in Carolina before rejoining Sean McDermott in Buffalo last year. The former Luke Kuechly sidekick carved out a big role for himself in Buffalo and recently visited New England as a free agent. Thompson played under DC Ejiro Evero from 2023-24.