Panthers GM Dan Morgan Talks Bryce Young, NFL Draft & More with Rich

Carolina Panthers GM Dan Morgan joined Rich for the full conversation. Bryce Young's extension timeline. The 2026 draft class. And the case for shortening the NFL Draft clock even more than it already is.

The Bryce Young question came first. Morgan started with the calendar.

"We just picked up his fifth-year option, and you know, I think contract-wise in terms of long-term contract, we'll keep talking about that here internally and we'll get it done at the right time," Morgan said.

The case for the deal getting done leans on development.

"We believe in Bryce," Morgan said. "He's gotten better every single year. He's developing as a leader. He has such a good grasp of Coach Canales and Brad Idzik's offense. He's just getting better every single day."

Rich asked the bigger question. The arrow is trending. Does Young need to be reassured about the lack of an extension?

"We always do a great job of communicating with all our players, not just Bryce," Morgan said. "Bryce knows where we stand with him, and he feels the same way about us."

The prove-it question Rich landed got the company answer.

"I think everybody on our roster has to prove every single day their value and worth, and everybody knows that in this building that you have to go work and go earn everything," Morgan said.

The draft conversation pivoted to Monroe Freeling at 19.

"21 years old, 6-foot-7, 34-and-three-quarter arm," Morgan said. "You look at his pass protection, you look at his run blocking. He's only a one-year starter, but he's a guy with a huge upside. A guy that we felt like we could take and he can come in here and compete to start."

The case for him as the pick was both upside and position scarcity.

"It's hard to find left tackles. It's hard to find guys that big and that athletic to play left tackle," Morgan said. "Obviously we have Icky coming off an injury. We signed Rasheed Walker. I think your offensive line can never be too strong."

The draft strategy on Freeling was a luck-and-discipline story.

"He would usually go pretty early in the mock drafts that I would do," Morgan said. "Maybe a time here or there I would get him, but for the most part, these left tackles, especially that big and athletic, they're going to go a lot earlier than where we thought we took him."

The free-agency moves on defense opened the board.

"That's our strategy," Morgan said. "We just want to take the best player whether it's in free agency or the draft. You saw what we did with Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd."

The day-two and day-three picks followed the same philosophy.

"Lee Hunter, we thought very highly of him," Morgan said. "A big body that's super strong at the point of attack."

The Chris Brazell case was speed.

"A big-range receiver with 4.37 speed," Morgan said. "He can make big plays down the field."

Will Levis fit the prototype for Carolina corners.

"Super tough, competitive, feisty out there," Morgan said. "He's big and he's long. He fits our prototype for corners."

Rich pivoted to the draft clock. Morgan added himself to the list of executives who would shorten it.

"I think it could be even less," Morgan said. "You kind of know who you're going to take at the time. We obviously had to sit there and wait, but you have your group of players that you know you're interested in."

Rich pointed out that Howie Roseman and Chris Ballard had said something similar on the show.

"Yeah, I think I would," Morgan said about going faster.

The case Morgan made was that the homework is already done.

"Most teams, I think they know who they're going to take at the time," Morgan said. "By the time our pick came, we knew who we were going to take. So I don't think you need that much time."

Rich pushed it. Five minutes in the first round?

"That's it," Morgan said.

Day three?

"Three minutes," Rich offered.

Morgan agreed there too.

"That'd be great," Morgan said. "I think it'd be good."

The closing read on the entire process was that it does not need the air it currently gets.

"It's not rocket science if you want to say it," Morgan said. "But at the same time, you have to prepare, and you have to make sure your board's the way that you want it and have confidence in it."