Former Los Angeles Rams DT Bobby Brown III #95 reacts after a missed field goal by the New York Jets. Getty
With the Carolina Panthers firing defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, there are likely to be changes to the way that the defense is run. One name who might be in trouble is defensive tackle Bobby Brown, according to Dean Jones of CatCrave. Jones notes that Brown was signed because he was familiar with Evero, and that is not good news for the sixth-year veteran.
"The Panthers reunited Bobby Brown III and Evero during 2025 free agency," wrote Jones. "The pair worked together on the Los Angeles Rams, and this was seen as a tremendous piece of business to finally give Carolina's 3-4 front the nose tackle it needed."
Jones added the team has second-round rookie Lee Hunter ascending into the role as the starting nose tackle. So, the need to play Brown is starting to fade.
GettyFormer Los Angeles Rams DT Bobby Brown III #95.
Brown missed one game due to injury this season, but his role was already starting to fade in the Panthers' defense. Brown played a season-high 39 snaps in Week 1. It was the only game that he played over half of the team's defensive snaps.
In Week 3, after he returned from injury, he was down to 31 snaps overall, a 44% rate. Then, he dipped to a season-low 28% snap rate, with 20 snaps played in Week 4. He was up to 23 snaps in Week 5, and then 29 snaps in Week 6. However, that only amounted to 46% of the team's defensive snaps.
Brown is behind Derrick Brown, Lee Hunter, and now that the team has gotten Tershawn Wharton back, he is not one of the Panthers' top three defensive linemen.
The combination of lack of playing time and the defense changing could make him expendable with the trade deadline coming up.
Brown signed a three-year, $21M deal with the team in 2025. After a year and a half, it is starting to become clear that things are not working. Carolina could release Brown after the season and save $8M in salary cap space.
Considering he is their fourth lineman at best and they could be changing schemes, he is likely going to be fine getting released. This sets up a chance for him to be traded. Plenty of teams need defensive line depth.
If Brown is not a fit here, a team would gladly take him on a rental with a team option for the following season. Carolina does not have to view it as selling, either.
They could use Brown to find another asset, whether it be in the secondary or along the offensive line. It could also be a part of a package that gets something back that Carolina turns into an asset at another position.
Either way, we might not be seeing much of Brown on the Panthers moving forward.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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