After finishing the 2024 season as the worst defensive unit in the league, the Carolina Panthers made it an offseason priority to upgrade on that end of the field. They understandably invested their resources in free agency to sign defenders, giving lucrative deals to Tre'Von Moehrig, Tershawn Wharton, Patrick Jones II, and Bobby Brown III.
Signing players in free agency usually means that you have to overpay a little. The best teams draft and develop players rather than relying on free agency to improve their roster.
However, when you are a desperate team like the Panthers that hasn't had a winning season since 2017, overpaying to get better in the immediate future can be an appealing option.
Panthers May Regret Overpaying for DT Tershawn Wharton
That is exactly what GM Dan Morgan did with free agent defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton. Immediately after free agency officially started, the Panthers announced a three-year deal for Wharton, with a base salary of $45 million, that can go up all the way to $54 million.
While the Panthers desperately needed to improve on the interior defensive line, that contract could come back to haunt them.
Carolina was targeting Milton Williams as their top FA target, but when they were outbid by the Patriots, they had to pivot to Wharton. How quickly the Wharton signing came together raised questions about whether it was a panic move by the Panthers.
One could easily argue that New England overpaid for Williams, but he was a much more productive player on the field last season than Wharton. The former Chief received a 60.8 defensive grade on PFF in 2024, ranking as the 49th-best defensive tackle in the league.
Wharton had a career-high 6.5 sacks in 2024, but that was the first time he had played at that level in his five-year career. A former undrafted free agent out of Missouri S&T, Wharton is certainly a great developmental story. He will bring postseason experience and Super Bowl pedigree to the Panthers, but it can't be denied that he is a regression candidate next season. Let's hope that the Panthers don't regret breaking the bank for the 27-year-old.