4 Panthers Fans Will Be Happy to See Leave in Free Agency

DT LaBryan Ray

Another 2024 offseason contract signing that didn't work out for the Panthers is defensive lineman LaBryan Ray. The undrafted free agent who played every game for Carolina in 2023 has expanded his role and snap count this season. He has started in over half the games and played in over 50% of defensive snaps for the Panthers.

He failed to take advantage of this opportunity, however. Despite playing the second-most snaps out of all interior defensive linemen on the team, Ray was the lowest-ranked Panthers defender per PFF grades this season. His 37.6 overall grade ranks as the 118th best in his position out of 125 qualified players.

The defensive line has been a problem for the Panthers all season. It was arguably the worst part of their awful defense. Per PFF, the Panthers had the worst pass rush and run defense grades in the league. Ray was a big reason why.

Considering how much Shy Tuttle, A'Shawn Robinson, and DeShawn Williams also struggled, it's reasonable to expect GM Dan Morgan to make significant upgrades to the rotation.

The Panthers need to fix the trenches in the offseason if they want to be a more competitive football team. That could potentially mean a complete overhaul of the defensive line, starting with Ray.