The Carolina Panthers are heading into an important offseason. After showing intriguing improvement in 2024, the Panthers are looking to take another step forward in GM Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales' second season.
Fortunately for the Panthers, they will have more resources to work with this offseason to help them achieve this goal. The NFL informed teams on Wednesday that the salary cap will roughly be $277.5 million to $281.5 million, per ESPN's Dan Graziano. This unexpected increase will allow the Panthers to be more aggressive, both in free agency and the trade market.
The NFL informed teams today that the 2025 salary cap will be roughly $277.5M-$281.5M, per @DanGrazianoESPN.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 19, 2025
That's an increase of $22.1M-$26.1M from last year — and beats what most executives were anticipating. 📈📈 pic.twitter.com/gnqFiBvGlH
Panthers Should Trade for Deebo Samuel After Latest Salary Cap News
One player whom the Panthers should consider trading for is Deebo Samuel. The 49ers wide receiver has requested a trade this offseason and San Francisco is reportedly agreed to trade him.
The 29-year-old receiver has one more year left on his contract and is seeking a new deal. He carries a cap hit of $15.8 million for 2025, and the South Carolina native should be interested in extending his contract with his home team.
The Panthers currently have $24.8 million in cap space, per Over The Cap. After restructures, extensions, and cuts, this number will almost certainly come down.
At the same time, the Panthers desperately need an elite pass-catcher to pair with Bryce Young.
Adam Thielen is returning for another season but doesn't have much longer as a starter-caliber player. Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker are the other starters. While they both showed flashes in their rookie seasons, it's obvious that Samuel would be an immediate upgrade over them.
Samuel isn't the player he was in 2021 when he was an All-Pro receiver. But a fresh start could be exactly what he needs to get back to his 1,000+ yard level.