The Panthers cut to 53 on Tuesday, and the Jets quickly claimed linebacker Trevin Wallace while the Vikings took center Nick Samac. For Dan Morgan, the moves landed as proof that the roster is drawing more interest around the NFL, even if it came at the cost of two players his staff had to let go.
Morgan said it was the first time in four years another team had wanted a player the Panthers released at the cuts to 53. That stretch matters because the last such claims came from the Seahawks in 2022 on Darryl Johnson and from the Patriots in 2023 on Matt Corral, while the Panthers claimed six players off waivers in 2024 and two more in 2025, none of whom remain with the club.
He said the decisions are getting harder every year because the Panthers are trying to build depth and competition across the roster. He also said he and Wallace had developed a close relationship, and that Wallace had been in his office multiple times as they watched tape together. It made the cut especially difficult, Morgan said, even as he framed the move as part of a larger push to keep improving the team.
The friction is obvious: Morgan said the Panthers are getting better and deeper, but better teams still have to part with useful players. The club kept Claudin Cherelus, rookie Jackson Kuwatch and Devin Lloyd on the 53, then added veteran Tyrel Dodson to the practice squad. Morgan also pointed to Bobby Okereke as a veteran who has been productive in the league, part of the same churn that left Wallace and Samac available for other clubs to claim.
Morgan said he wished Wallace the best and hoped the linebacker had a new start and a new direction. For the Panthers, the next test is whether the harder cuts really do reflect a stronger roster, or whether the claims only underline how thin the margin still is when the season begins.
