Panthers make decision on Jadeveon Clowney: How does it impact the rest of the roster?

Thursday afternoon, the Carolina Panthers decided to officially part ways with veteran pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, which will save the team roughly $7.8 million in cap space.

In 14 games with Carolina last season, Clowney registered 46 tackles, 11 QB hits, nine tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and four passes defended.

Writing on the wall?

When the Panthers selected Nic Scouton (Texas A&M) and Princely Umanmielen (Ole Miss) in the second and third rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, it signaled a move with one of the veteran edge rushers was on the horizon. Carolina needed to add a pass rusher, but taking two that high in the draft raised some eyebrows, considering they had several other needs to address on defense.

Was it the right call?

I understand that Carolina could use the money that they'll save on Clowney to other areas of the defense, but this puts a lot of pressure on the rookies to come in and make an impact sooner than anticipated. I'm sure Dan Morgan will look to add another veteran to the mix, but clearly, they want to open this competition up and see what they have in the young guys.

Where will the money be spent?

Morgan isn't going to just sit on his hands and decline to use the money they saved. They'll likely add to the secondary, supplying Jaycee Horn with a strong counterpart and moving Mike Jackson into a rotational role. Inside linebacker and safety are other needs Carolina could look to address.