Pass rush is obviously two different four-letter words. That’s appropriate considering the problems the Carolina Panthers have had the past two seasons when it comes to getting to opposing quarterbacks.
One year after totaling an NFL-low 27 sacks, the team “bounced back” to finish with 32 quarterback traps— tied for the third-fewest in the league this past season. To his credit, Panthers’ general manager Dan Morgan has wasted little time addressing the defense when it comes to free-agent agreements
Carolina is bringing in former Vikings’ linebacker Patrick Jones II. In a reserve role this past season, he finished third on his team with seven sacks. That total would have led the Panthers in 2024. Of course, there has been plenty of talk of Carolina using the eighth overall pick in next month’s draft on an edge rusher.
The rival Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers also have their share of defensive deficiencies. Raheem Morris’s club finished with the second-fewest sacks in the league (31), while the Saints (now under the guidance of head coach Kellen Moore) totaled only 39 QB traps. The Bucs finished with 46 sacks, one of the better totals in the league, but allowed the fourth-most passing yards in the NFL.
This week, we have seen the Panthers add Jones, the Buccaneers agree to terms with Haason Reddick (who had a forgettable 2024), and the Falcons sign veteran Leonard Floyd. The latter was just cut loose by the San Francisco 49ers. Reddick is a two-time Pro Bowler who has finished with double-digit sacks four times in his career.
Floyd, a disappointment during his first four seasons in the NFL with the Bears, has a combined 48.0 sacks the past five seasons with the Rams, Bills, and 49ers. He also has a combined five sacks in nine postseason games during his nine-year career.
The league’s fiscal year hasn’t officially begun yet, and the NFL draft is a smidge over six weeks away. Apparently, it’s about to get a lot hotter for the quarterbacks in the NFC South.