The Carolina Panthers made several roster moves on Friday with free agency on the horizon. Carolina is expected to be active at the start of the new league year, especially given how they finished the second half of the 2024 season.
On Friday, the Panthers addressed the trenches, re-signing two linemen, who aren’t household names but played well in 2024.
Carolina announced that they placed a restricted free agent tender on center Cade Mays and an exclusive rights free agent tender on defensive end LaBryan Ray. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Mays’ tender is worth $3.263 million.
Cade Mays, LaBryan Ray return for 2025https://t.co/yu4GMPCnJ4
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) March 7, 2025
The 25-year-old lineman started in eight out of the Panthers’ last nine regular season games at center for an injured Austin Corbett. Corbett is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next week, but the team hopes to keep him.
The former sixth-round pick has appeared in 38 games across three seasons in Carolina. This past season, Mays played well when his number was called.
According to PFF, the 25-year-old lineman had a 74.9 pass blocking (ninth among eligible 64 centers) and a 66.9 run blocking grade (22nd among 64 centers). He allowed 10 pressures but did not give up a single sack and was penalized five times in 495 offensive snaps.
Meanwhile, Ray has developed into a key rotation defensive lineman since joining the Panthers in 2023. The former USFL defender had his best year as a pro in 2024, recording 41 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack.
He also made nine starts after only starting one game in 2023. Ray’s PFF grades weren’t much to speak about this past season. He had an overall grade of 33.0 (212th among 219 qualified defensive linemen), a 46.4 pass blocking and a 31.5 run blocking grade.
Given the amount of projected cap space the Panthers should have for free agency, they should find a starting caliber defensive end tackle to pair with Derrick Brown, Jadeveon Clowney, and A'Shawn Robinson.