The Carolina Panthers are signing an intriguing Rams defensive tackle after striking out on new Patriots star Milton Williams. The Panthers were reportedly close to signing the former Eagles DT in free agency but were spurned shortly after New England made a massive offer. Carolina is heading into 2025 needing to show some noticeable improvement like it did last year. Head coach Dave Canales did provide a spark to the franchise in his first year, but a 5-12 record is still a 5-12 record.

In particular, the Panthers' defense was abysmal last year. The franchise is, therefore, trying to address its many needs with this unit over this offseason, starting in free agency. According to National Insider for NFL Network Ian Rapoport, Carolina is signing former Rams defensive tackle Bobby Brown III. The 24-year-old has agreed to a three-year, $21 million deal with $6 million in incentives.

Bobby Brown III strengthens a Panthers' defense that is in desperate need of an upgrade

Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Bobby Brown III (95) tackles Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) during the first half at SoFi Stadium.
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Brown III is heading into the fifth season of his career. The Bruce, Mississippi native was a fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and has gradually improved throughout his career. Brown III is coming off his best career, where he recorded 44 total tackles and 6.5 stuffs. At 6'4 “, 328 pounds, the former Texas A&M Aggie star will be a starter immediately for Carolina, with his most productive years likely ahead of him.

The Carolina Panthers will need all the help they can get from Brown III. Dave Canales' team is coming off a season where it ranked last in scoring defense. The Panthers gave up 31.4 points per game, 3.9 more than any other team. Up front was where last year's squad was at its weakest, as Carolina gave up 36 more rushing yards than the rest of the NFL. Those stats make it impressive that this team could muster up five wins. And a lot of the success last season was due to quarterback Bryce Young's significant improvement in the latter half.

The second-year starter looked like he was potentially going to be labeled as the league's next huge QB bust early on last year. Young was benched only a few weeks into the season in a shocking move from the franchise. While the Panthers claimed they were not giving up on their young quarterback, the writing seemed to be on the wall. However, Young has shown remarkable resilience to this adversity, and when he took the field later in the season, he looked like an entirely different QB.

Now, the Panthers enter the 2025 season with a seemingly competent offense and security at the league's most important position. However, this team will need to show significant improvement up front, specifically on defense, to become a playoff contender. Bobby Brown III will, therefore, be a critical player for this franchise in both the present and distant future.