It’s very easy to sleep on who the Carolina Panthers currently have at the outside linebacker position. But the man who put them there thinks it may soon be time to wake up.
President of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan hit the lectern for a chat this afternoon. With training camp officially beginning on Wednesday, he was asked if he believes there are any answers to the myriad of questions about their unproven pass rush.
“Yeah, I mean, DJ Johnson,” Morgan replied. “Drafted him last year. He’s a big, physical guy. Eku Leota—another guy that when he had his opportunities last year, he came in and he played good for us. K’Lavon Chaisson, we signed him to a one-year deal. High draft pick, a guy that we’re excited about that maybe people are sleeping on.
“So it’s really up to him to go out there and prove it, just like it is everybody on the roster. Again, I’m excited to see everybody go out there and compete.”
Although they allowed the fourth-fewest yards per game in 2023, the Panthers defense ranked last in sacks with 27. Oh, and that was with two-time Pro Bowler Brian Burns and Frankie Luvu—both of whom have found new homes this offseason.
As Morgan mentioned off the top, Johnson may have to step into a regular role in his second season. But he’ll have to shake off a very quiet first one, where he registered a grand total of zero sacks as a rookie.
The situation is also a bit clouded by the health of D.J. Wonnum, who the team signed to be their starter along with former No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney. Wonnum, who was placed on the active/physically unable to perform list this past weekend, is still recovering from a quadriceps tear he sustained in late December.
Morgan told reporters that the team currently does not have a timeline on Wonnum’s return.
