Mailbag: Carolina Panthers planning for Evero’s eventual departure for head coach job?

The Carolina Panthers completed their first offseason program under first-year head coach Dave Canales last week. Naturally, following organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, fans have questions about the future of their favorite football franchise.

So, The Charlotte Observer has brought back the Panthers mailbag to answer some of those inquiries. As the Panthers head into their summer break, the fan base is anxious to know more about the defense. With Canales overlooking the offense, the Carolina faithful are also curious about what is in store for Ejiro Evero’s group this year and beyond.

Here are some standout questions from social media:

Planning for life without Ejiro Evero?

“Turtle” asks: It feels like (Ejiro) Evero will leave for another job next season. Is the lack of free agency additions/draft picks on defense related to this in anyway? I.e. Not wanting to sign players that fit Evero’s scheme if he’s leaving next year and then not being a good fit for the next D coordinator.

The Panthers’ defensive coordinator has been a popular candidate on the head-coaching carousel over the past two years. He has interviewed for quite a few jobs over that span and was seemingly a finalist for the Seattle Seahawks’ opening this year.

So, yes, barring a complete letdown for the defense in 2024, there is a sense that Evero will eventually get hired as a head coach. However, he will probably be particular with his landing spot after working with two head coaches — Nathaniel Hackett and Frank Reich — who were fired before the end of their respective first campaigns.

Despite Evero’s head-coaching prospects, the Panthers have actually invested in a relatively large number of defenders who have a history with the defensive coordinator.

The team re-signed Troy Hill — a longtime Evero pupil — and brought in A’Shawn Robinson, Josey Jewell, Nick Scott, and Jordan Fuller this offseason. Robinson, Scott and Fuller won a Super Bowl with Evero when he was a position coach with the Los Angeles Rams. Jewell led the Denver Broncos’ defense when Evero was a first-year coordinator in 2022.

So, in reality, the Panthers have invested in Evero’s defense to a notable extent. Those veterans were all signed to short-term contracts, so the team is protected in case Evero heads elsewhere. Only Robinson and Jewell are signed beyond two seasons, and typically in the NFL, front offices can get out of deals in their final year without much harm being done to the cap.

The Panthers know Evero is a hot name and want to see him succeed. If the defense plays well, head coach Dave Canales can work on improving the offense, and Carolina could potentially overachieve. Then if Evero gets a top job, the Panthers would be awarded with two third-round picks as part of the league’s diversity rewards program. It’s mutually beneficial for Evero to grow in his career, and the Panthers have planned wisely in case of that scenario.

Draft-wise, the Panthers have had 12 draft picks over the past two years. They used two picks on defense last offseason and four on defense this offseason. In all, six picks on offense and six picks on defense.

D.J. Johnson, last year’s third-round pick, was very much considered a “scheme fit” for Evero, as a run-stopping edge rusher. Defensive back Jammie Robinson, last year’s fifth-round pick, was seen as a special teams ace with defensive versatility — less about scheme and more about long-term depth.

This year, the team added two inside linebackers, a cornerback and a defensive lineman. Both Trevin Wallace and Michael Barrett have scheme versatility at linebacker, but will likely be better off — at least initially — in a 3-4 front. Chau Smith-Wade — this year’s fifth-round pick — is learning the nickel position and should be in good hands with Evero and pass game coordinator Jonathan Cooley. Jaden Crumedy — the sixth-round pick — has some versatility as a defensive lineman, but he really fits what Evero wants in his front, so one could argue that he is a system pick.

Overall, the Panthers have catered to Evero’s system without tying themselves long-term to the scheme. If Evero stays, they have pieces in place that work for his unit. If he gets a promotion elsewhere next offseason, the team can hire from within — Cooley feels like a likely replacement option — or switch things up with little need to play a major game of musical chairs.

The front office has clearly balanced long-term and short-term roster building this offseason with their free agency haul and draft picks. It’s easy to project the backup plan — or maybe the best-case scenario — if Evero lands a head-coaching gig.

Options at cornerback

Greg asks: Sounds like money is the big reason they haven’t signed Stephon Gilmore. Is there anyone else worth trying to sign or is this upgrade going to come after cuts?

Before the start of organized team activities, The Charlotte Observer put together a list of cornerback options for the Panthers, including Stephon Gilmore. The list featured six names, and in the weeks since that list was compiled Steven Nelson has retired and Tre Herndon has signed with the New York Giants.

One name that is still out there is Adoree’ Jackson, who has a first-round pick pedigree and notable return skills. Jackson will turn 29 in September, and he is likely to be looking for a “prove it” deal. Given his age, though, he might make sense for a young, rebuilding squad like Carolina, which would give him the opportunity to start and potentially bounce back in a major role.

Again, though, as Greg mentions, money is likely the biggest hold up with Gilmore, so the Panthers would need to weigh Jackson’s asking price. Jackson could still want a notable base salary to entice him to sign with a team coming off a 2-15 record. He made more than $38 million in his three seasons with the Giants.

The Panthers are light on proven cornerback depth. Jaycee Horn’s notable injury history has been well-documented and the depth around him is somewhat underwhelming.

Dane Jackson, a free-agent addition, had an up-and-down career in Buffalo after overachieving as a seventh-round pick and eventually becoming a starter. Troy Hill is set to turn 33 in August and is probably best fit at nickel. From there, Dicaprio Bootle, D’Shawn Jamison and Lamar Jackson have limited experience. Rookies like Chau Smith-Wade — this year’s fifth-round pick — and Willie Drew are going to be fighting for special teams and defensive depth roles.

For what it’s worth, defensive pass game coordinator Jonathan Cooley has publicly backed the depth at cornerback. He said he is happy with the unit that he’s been given.

Ultimately, this is a wait-and-see situation. If something makes sense, general manager Dan Morgan will likely look into it. But for now, there’s little need to rush into a move with training camp over a month away.

The Panthers have first priority on the waiver wire, so there’s a possibility that Morgan looks into some potential cuts during and after camp. While that doesn’t seem like an ideal strategy, the Panthers should keep their options open heading into the regular season.

Last summer, one of Carolina’s better moves was signing Hill late in training camp. Given his familiarity with the staff, he was able to hit the ground running, and the results — one could argue — greatly exceeded expectations. The Panthers likely want to look for someone like Hill instead of pressing and making a mistake like the team did last year with the signing of aging pass rusher Justin Houston.

Monitoring a new edge rusher

T.O.C asks: Haven’t seen anything on K’Lavon Chaisson. How is he doing?

Chaisson, a free-agent addition, didn’t participate in the voluntary portion of the offseason program. He did, however, take part in mandatory minicamp this past week.

Chaisson, listed as 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, appeared a bit shorter than I expected. He did look quick in drills, but without pads on, that might not matter.

The Panthers’ edge rusher situation is pretty unappealing on paper. After trading away Brian Burns, the team signed Chaisson, Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum to fill the void. The front office didn’t end up adding a pass-rushing prospect in the draft, so the trio of free agents will truly need to pick up the slack. Beyond that veteran group, the team has D.J. Johnson, Amare Barno, Eku Leota, Cam Gill, Luiji Vilain and a pair of undrafted rookies — Kenny Dyson and Derrick McLendon — battling for playing time.

Wonnum, Barno and Leota are all nursing injuries entering training camp. Johnson had an injury scare to his knee last week, but Canales gave an optimistic update on his condition on Wednesday. Chaisson should have every opportunity to earn a role this summer, especially with the injuries impacting the group.

Chaisson, a 2020 first-round pick, was considered an epic draft bust in Jacksonville. However, he’s a worthwhile flier for the Panthers, who desperately need depth at the position. Chaisson, who doesn’t turn 25 until July, is signed to a cheap 1-year deal that is easy to get out of if he doesn’t meet expectations this summer. However, it would benefit everyone if he can make the most of his change of scenery. Only time will tell on that development.