6 potential post-June 1 trade/cut candidates who could find a fit with the Panthers
6 potential post-June 1 trade/cut candidates who could find a fit with the Panthers
We are now officially in June—and you know what that means, right? Yes, more moves may be on the horizon.
From June 2 on, NFL teams will be able to part ways with veterans at (relatively) reduced costs. As opposed to the first few months of the offseason, where a trade or release would require an organization to pay out remaining bonus money on a high-priced player in a single year, post-June 1 departures allow for that tab to be spread out over multiple years.
In short, there's less dead money to deal with and more salary cap space to flex for this season.
So, will there be any potential casualties in the coming days or weeks that may interest the Carolina Panthers?
Here are six post-June 1 trade/cut candidates who could find a new home in Charlotte:
TE Noah Fant (Seattle Seahawks)
Seattle seems to be quite high on tight end Elijah Arroyo, whom they just selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft. That could make the 27-year-old Fant, a free agent in 2026, dispensable in the long run.
The former first-round pick shared a sideline with Panthers head coach Dave Canales in 2022, when Canales served as the Seahawks' quarterbacks coach. With starting tight end Tommy Tremble likely to miss at least the start of the campaign after undergoing back surgery, Fant could reunite with Canales in Carolina—where the next two tight ends up on the depth chart are 2024 fourth-round pick Ja'Tavion Sanders and 2025 fifth-round pick Mitchell Evans.
LB Germaine Pratt (Cincinnati Bengals)
Like that tight end position, the Panthers are also balancing youth and a lack of depth at inside linebacker. As of now, 2024 third-round pick Trevin Wallace is one of two projected starters—alongside veteran Josey Jewell.
If Carolina isn't fully confident with leaving the 22-year-old Wallace in the lineup, they'll need a more established presence in the middle of their defense. The productive and reliable Pratt could be a casualty for the Bengals, who might look to free up money to extend All-Pro pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.
CB Jalen Ramsey (Miami Dolphins)
Ramsey's timeline and contract don't seem to match up with where the Panthers currently are. He'll be turning 31 years old in the middle of the season and is owed quite a bit of money on the remaining four years of his contract—no matter how much the Dolphins are willing to eat.
He did, though, recently tweet out an interesting piece of praise for Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who won a Super Bowl with Ramsey in Los Angeles a few years back. So that, along with Carolina's need for defensive backs, can't be completely overlooked.
CB Jaire Alexander (Green Bay Packers)
Similarly to Ramsey, reeling in Alexander would require a lot of moving parts. He too, if traded, will come with a hefty contract and a decent-enough price tag.
But the 28-year-old Alexander may be worth the squeeze. Pairing the two-time second-team All-Pro with Jaycee Horn would give the Panthers one of the most formidable cornerback duos in the entire league.
CB Ja'Quan McMillan (Denver Broncos)
McMillan, who will be 25 years old on Wednesday, doesn't have the profile of a typical post-June 1 casualty candidate. He's on a one-year, $1.03 million deal, and probably won't be cut given his effectiveness in 2024.
He could, however, bring back some solid value in a possible trade for the Broncos—who might look to hand over slot duties to 2025 first-round pick Jahdae Barron. McMillan broke into the league under Evero, Denver's defensive coordinator in 2022, and can win over Carolina's nickel job right away.
S Donovan Wilson (Dallas Cowboys)
The Panthers also need an answer at the safety spot next to free-agent signee Tre'von Moehrig. And while that vacancy may ultimately be filled by fourth-round pick Lathan Ransom, Wilson would provide a more proven punch to the backend of the defense.
Dallas has been hurting for some wiggle room, and could open up $7 million in cap space by releasing Wilson.
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