Brian Burns, DJ Chark among 21 Panthers players set to hit 2024 NFL free agency

The Carolina Panthers’ dreadful 2023 season came to a close Sunday.

Hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium for the regular-season finale, the Panthers finished up a brutal run — which featured the mid-season firing of Frank Reich — with a 9-0 loss, the team’s second shutout defeat in as many weeks.

The offseason couldn’t come soon enough for Carolina (2-15). But now there will be a frenzy of activity this offseason.

With a coaching search on the horizon — for the second time in 12 months — the Panthers will again have some major decisions to make at the top of the organization. And once a new brain trust is established, the team will need to figure out which players it wants to retain entering next season.

Here is a look at the pending 21 unrestricted, three restricted and three exclusive-rights free agents on the Panthers’ roster:

Panthers’ unrestricted free agents

Barring the use of the franchise tag, unrestricted free agents can negotiate contracts with other teams during the NFL’s legal tampering period and the official start of free agency in March.

OLB Brian Burns

The Panthers’ best pass rusher had an underwhelming season by his Pro Bowl standards. Still, he will be the runaway candidate for the franchise tag if the team and his representatives can’t reach a contract extension agreement by March. Burns is still a blue-chip player and deserves to be paid accordingly. However, this season might hurt his leverage, even after the epic turned-down trade of 2022.

ILB Frankie Luvu

Luvu is the much-appreciated Swiss army knife of the defense. It’s fair to say his first deal with the Panthers turned out to be a runaway bargain for the franchise. But after back-to-back career seasons, it’s time for Carolina to pay up. Few, if any, players earned as much fan goodwill during the Matt Rhule-Reich eras as Luvu.

CB CJ Henderson

Henderson’s up-and-down tenure with the Panthers is likely nearing its end. The veteran cornerback’s play ebbed and flowed far too much after he was acquired in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021. Henderson will try to latch onto a team as a No. 3 or No. 4 cornerback on a 1-year deal, most likely.

DB Jeremy Chinn

Chinn’s fourth season with the Panthers was forgettable at best. The former second-round pick just wasn’t a great fit for the team’s 3-4 front, and his big nickel role quickly got shelved after the team struggled to find balance on the back end. Chinn is an excellent athlete who would benefit from playing the Will linebacker in an even front. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him flourish with a change of scenery.

WR DJ Chark

Chark got off to a forgettable start in Carolina. But following the departure of Reich, the veteran wideout seemed to turn on the production switch a bit. His acrobatic catches against the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers were season highlights for a team without many of them. His cusp-of-end zone fumble against the Buccaneers on Sunday, though, will likely be the lasting image the Carolina faithful will have of him in a Panthers uniform.

OLB Marquis Haynes

The veteran pass rusher battled a back injury for most of the calendar year, sidelining him for several games in the process. While he flashed big-time pass-rushing skills in 2022, his production dipped mightily when he was available this year. He could be heading elsewhere after six years in Charlotte.

LS JJ Jansen

The franchise’s leader in games played — by a pretty large margin — has been living off of 1-year deals over the past few seasons. Jansen is 37 but is still as consistent as ever. Will he stick around or will the new leadership group move on?

CB Troy Hill

Hill was one of the few pleasant surprises for the Panthers this season. While he won’t be gearing up for a Pro Bowl, his presence seemed to solidify coverage at the nickel spot for most of the campaign. He might be back if the defensive coaching staff returns.

S Sam Franklin

Franklin was thrust into action on defense again this season. While his pick-6 against the Minnesota Vikings was memorable, his best fit is as a cover-four special teams ace. If Chris Tabor returns under a new head coach, Franklin could be a target for a return.

OLB Yetur Gross-Matos

Gross-Matos, on paper, wasn’t an ideal fit for the Panthers’ 3-4 front, but the staff seemed to fit him into a role that utilized his strengths. Gross-Matos was a strong run defender, and his ability to create pressure regularly (career-high 4.5 sacks this season) was a solid sign of growth. While an injury put him out of the lineup for a bit, he showed enough to potentially stick around on a one-year deal.

WR/RB Laviska Shenault

The Panthers used Shenault as a running back for most of the year before he went down with an ankle injury. While he flashed at times during his two-year tenure in Carolina, it would be surprising to see him get labeled as a priority to return. He needs to go somewhere with a creative play caller.

DE Henry Anderson

Anderson missed the entire year on injured reserve. He didn’t seem to have much interest elsewhere before re-signing with the Panthers in the middle of this past offseason.

ILB Kamu Grugier-Hill

Grugier-Hill is best fit as a special teams ace and versatile backup linebacker. But because of finjury, Grugier-Hill had to be thrust into the lineup probably more than his skills warranted. Grugier-Hill was a good soldier and did his job on a strong unit, but his future in Carolina is unsettled.

CB Shaquill Griffin

Griffin jumped Henderson in the lineup during the final three games of the season. Claimed off waivers in the second half of the season, Griffin played quite a bit down the stretch. He is probably going to move on after a short stint with the Panthers.

LB Deion Jones

Jones filled in for Shaq Thompson after the latter suffered a season-ending leg injury. Jones wasn’t at his Pro-Bowl form, but he had his moments on defense. Like Grugier-Hill and Griffin, Jones’ tenure in Carolina is probably going to amount to a brief stay.

DE DeShawn Williams

Williams has a phenomenal story, but his contributions this season didn’t add up to a whole lot of success for Carolina. He could be retained if Ejiro Evero returns, as Williams is a favorite pupil of the defensive coordinator. Either way, Williams’ career arc is the stuff of Disney films.

G Justin McCray

McCray bounced on and off the roster and practice squad this year before going down with a season-ending injury against the Saints in December. He is a James Campen favorite, and his only outlook for a return comes with the retention of the offensive line coach.

DE Chris Wormley

Wormley was able to return from ACL surgery with the Panthers this winter. While he built up a decent workload, it’s unclear whether he will be welcomed back.

OT David Sharpe

The journeyman lineman didn’t play a whole lot this year. He is likely to continue his NFL journey elsewhere.

LB Tae Davis

Brought in during the second half of the campaign, Davis contributed on special teams for the most part. He is in the same boat as McCray, Sharpe and Wormley.

G Gabe Jackson

The Panthers signed Jackson to be a veteran fill-in during the last month of the season. He started the final two games of the season at guard. He is likely to hit wait out free agency again this upcoming offseason.

Panthers’ restricted free agents

The Panthers have the option of tendering their pending restricted free agents to gain control of their rights. If the Panthers offer a first-, second- or original-round tender to a restricted free agent, that player will need to obtain an offer sheet from an opposing team to leave Carolina. The Panthers will have the right to match the offer sheet and retain the player. If the Panthers choose not to match the offer sheet, the opposing team will obtain the player but will be forced to give up the value of the tender to the Panthers.

For instance, if a restricted free agent entered the league as a fifth-round pick, and the Panthers offered an original-round tender, the team signing the player would need to give Carolina a fifth-round pick in return for not matching the offer sheet. If the Panthers give an original-round tender to a former undrafted free agent, the tender becomes a “right of first refusal” tag, which only offers Carolina the opportunity to match an offer sheet without the benefit of compensation if it declines.

The first-, second- and original-round tenders all come with different one-year contract offers attached to them. The player can avoid restricted free agency and sign his tender at any time after it is extended. Teams can rescind offer sheets at any time as long as they aren’t signed as contracts.

TE Stephen Sullivan

Sullivan finally broke out a bit this season as a playmaker. He is likely to return, even if he doesn’t get a restricted tender. He’s a solid contributor on special teams and his size-speed combination is still intriguing enough to warrant more looks.

TE Giovanni Ricci

The fullback-turned-tight end had his season cut short because of injury. He’s a strong special teams player and he could get another look for that prowess alone.

WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette

Smith-Marsette was acquired in a cut-down deadline trade this summer. He was then immediately inserted as the team’s punt returner. Smith-Marsette had an unbelievable punt return touchdown against the Chicago Bears. He then made his way onto offense during the home stretch and stood out. He should receive an original-round tender this offseason.

Panthers’ exclusive-rights free agents

Exclusive-rights free agents can only negotiate with their current teams. If a player chooses not to negotiate with the Panthers, that player will be unable to sign elsewhere.

RB Raheem Blackshear

After being inconsistently used under Reich, Blackshear played most of the second half of the season under Tabor’s watch. Blackshear is a dynamic kick returner with some upside on offense. He will be back.

DT Nick Thurman

Thurman was signed late in training camp and still made the roster. He had a solid season as a part-time contributor next to Shy Tuttle and Derrick Brown. Like Blackshear, Thurman will probably return to the franchise in short order.

DT LaBryan Ray

Ray and Thurman are largely in the same boat. While Ray wasn’t a flashy contributor, he should be cheap, and he has plenty of tape to show the next leadership group.