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Panthers' Dan Morgan Explains How Two Undrafted Free Agents Stood Out
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- Panthers' Dan Morgan Explains How Two Undrafted Free Agents Stood Out
The Carolina Panthers finalized their 53-man roster over the weekend. There were some tough decisions to be made after a four-game preseason slate, but there weren't too many surprises.
One thing that's fun to watch every summer is how the rookies perform . The Panthers drafted an interesting class, but the undrafted free agents brought in were also interesting.
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Three of those UDFAs ( Haynes King , Albert Reese, Aaron Hall) ended up making the final roster. King was the least surprising given how impressive his Hall of Fame Game performance was, but the other two names might have surprised people who didn't keep up with the team at camp.
On Tuesday, general manager Dan Morgan explained why Reese and Hall deserved spots.
Reese And Hall Impressed All Summer
Jun 9, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers guard Sam Hecht (75) and tackle Albert Reese IV (76) grab some pickle juice during the first day of mini camp at Bank of America Stadium practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
As soon as the Panthers signed Reese, he just seemed like a player worth keeping an eye on. The tackle is massive, at 6-foot-7, 330 pounds. The Panthers also needed tackle depth with Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton going down.
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"I think it's hard to find big tackles like Albert Reese," Morgan said . "He's big, right tackle only, a guy that can anchor. Obviously, he's a rookie; he's going to have some rough reps here and there, but he's big, he's athletic, he can move people in the run game. He's a guy that we're excited about for the future."
Reese and Stone Forsythe will be the backup tackles until Moton and Ekwonu return. The Panthers clearly didn't think Reese would go unclaimed on waivers, so they kept him around on the active roster.
As for Hall, he impressed in a similar fashion to Reese.
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"Same thing goes with Aaron Hall; he was really impressive out there. A guy that kind of blew us away with how he's playing out there, how strong he is against double teams. He showed pass rush. His motor's high; he can get up and down the line of scrimmage," Morgan said.
Hall started receiving praise early this summer and it quickly became apparent he would make the team. The Panthers don't have the best depth on the defensive line, so there was just no way they were going to risk losing Hall.
Now, it'll be interesting to see if these two guys can stick around for the long haul.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
