Six takeaways from GM Dan Morgan after roster cuts

CHARLOTTE — Panthers general manager Dan Morgan likes the roster they’ve put together at the moment.

In part, that’s because other people wanted his discards.

When the Jets claimed linebacker Trevin Wallace and the Vikings claimed center Nick Samac, it was the first time in four years another team wanted a player the Panthers released at the cuts to 53.

“I mean, I think we’re getting better as a team,” Morgan said Tuesday. “I think the type of players we’re bringing in, I think we’re bringing in the type of players that appeal to a lot of teams around the NFL. Both those guys that got claimed, they fit their systems, they fit what they’re looking for, and I think it’s a testament even to those guys that can play, and those teams saw something about them on tape that they really liked.”

The Panthers haven’t had a player claimed off waivers by another team after cuts to 53 since 2022, when the Seahawks claimed defensive end Darryl Johnson.

In 2023, the Patriots claimed quarterback Matt Corral off waivers the day after, when the Panthers released him to make room for their three waiver claims (Calvin Throckmorton, D’Shawn Jamison, and Claudin Cherelus).

None of the players the Panthers released in 2024 or 2025 were claimed by other teams, and the Panthers claimed six off waivers in 2024 (Jon Rhattigan, Jarrett Kingston, Jamie Sheriff, Tariq Castro-Fields, Shemar Bartholomew, and Keenan Isaac) and two last year (Dalevon Campbell and Damarri Mathis). None remain.

That speaks to the competitiveness of the roster, and the increasing difficulty of the decisions.

“I think they’re getting harder every year,” Morgan said of cuts to 53. “And that was the goal when I first took over: to keep building the depth, keep building the competition, and just get better in every single area.

“And I think we’re headed in that direction. I don’t know that I’ll ever feel like we’re there. I think we just have that type of mentality where we’re going to leave no stone unturned. We’re going to be looking for players, even today, all through the season. We’re going to be looking to churn the roster and find players that could potentially help us.”