This offseason, the Carolina Panthers made a concerted effort to address their defense, which was one of the worst units in the NFL last season.
The Panthers signed multiple veterans in free agency, including Tershawn Wharton and Trevon Moehrig, who received huge multi-year deals. That said, while the defense was getting taken care of, some Carolina fans wondered about the offense.
The Panthers’ offense took major strides down the stretch late last season as former No. 1 pick Bryce Young showed he could be this team’s starter. The wide receiver room showed promise with rookies Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, while Chuba Hubbard established himself as a top-15 running back in the league.
Therefore, it only made sense for the Panthers to try to add more weapons to Young’s arsenal in free agency.
However, Carolina had other plans as they missed out on the DK Metcalf sweepstakes, who was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
They re-signed David Moore to a one-year deal, but he’s more of a WR4/5 at the stage of his career. The Panthers added more firepower to the running back room, signing Rico Dowdle to a one-year deal.
Panthers Should Consider Signing Veteran WR Amari Cooper
While the running game should be outstanding next season, Young needs another veteran WR to pair with Legette, Coker, Adam Thielen, and David Moore. One potential option for Carolina could be Amari Cooper.
With the NFL Draft 9 days out, here is an updated list of available free agents: pic.twitter.com/eRnEfdsy4E
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) April 15, 2025
The 30-year-old Cooper is surprisingly still available in free agency with the 2025 NFL Draft on the horizon. The veteran wide receiver is coming off a down 2024 season with the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills.
Cooper began the 2024 season with the Browns, where he had 24 receptions (53 targets) for 250 yards and two touchdowns in six games. It wasn’t what Browns fans expected from Cooper, who had back-to-back 1,000-plus receiving yard seasons in 2022 and 2023.
With things going south for the Browns, they traded Cooper to the Buffalo Bills for draft capital. For Cooper, it was a good opportunity to play with a great quarterback in Josh Allen. However, he struggled to make a huge impact with the Bills.
The veteran pass catcher had 20 receptions (32 targets) for 297 yards and two touchdowns in eight games. Cooper wasn’t a huge factor in the Bills’ passing game during the playoffs.
With Cooper’s stock likely down, it could be a good opportunity for the Panthers to pounce and add a veteran receiver with good route running to pair with Adam Thielen. Last year, Carolina acquired Diontae Johnson in the offseason, hoping he would be their WR1.
Johnson put up respectable numbers as the Panthers’ WR1, but it didn’t work out, and the team shipped him off to the Baltimore Ravens ahead of the NFL trade deadline. Therefore, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Panthers are hesitant to add another wide receiver, who could take valuable snaps away from Legette, Coker, and a potential rookie.
However, if the Panthers want to take that next step in 2025, they can’t be scared to have too many weapons. Cooper might not be the 1,000-yard wide receiver anymore, but he could still give a team maybe 600-800 yards, depending on his role.