NFC Notes: Andy Dalton, 49ers Draft, Panthers, Eagles’ Free Agents

49ers

San Francisco currently holds the No. 11 overall pick in the upcoming draft following a 6-11 finish in 2024. With defensive tackle being a priority, NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah named Ole Miss DT Walter Nolan as a logical target while noting the 49ers would likely be able to trade down and still get him.

“The player who is a great scheme fit for them, which I think would be more of a trade back than necessarily taking him right there at 11 would be Walter Nolan, who with their jet front and they like to play up the field,” Jeremiah said, via Kyle Madson of the Niners Wire. “They want to really get off the ball and penetrate and go, and he is really, really twitched up. Walter Nolan to me would be someone if you — maybe if you slid down a little bit just to get more value that would be a defensive tackle that I think would be a fun fit for that group.”

Eagles

• The Eagles could lose a significant amount of starters on defense, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano. Veteran LB Zack Baun joined the team last offseason on a one-year, $3.5 million contract which he significantly outperformed. 
• Eagles DL Milton Williams and DE Josh Sweat are coming off strong seasons that could have teams paying top of the market price for both, which likely isn’t something Philadelphia can or will do per Graziano.
• He notes the team could also let go of both CB Darius Slay, Jr. and CB James Bradberry, which would create cap savings needed to retain other core players.

Panthers

The Panthers brought back veteran QB Andy Dalton on a two-year extension. Dalton thinks Carolina is “trending in the right direction” and they are building a winning program. 

“I think the trajectory of this team is trending in the right direction, and you want to be a part of it,” Dalton said, via Darin Gantt of the team’s site. “From when it wasn’t as easy to win games and to see where it’s going to go and to feel where it’s going to go. The right people are here, and they’re going to keep adding to it, so it’s something that I didn’t want to just be part of at the beginning of it and then be away and then see the success and see where it goes. But now I want to be part of the whole building of this thing.”

Dalton made things clear to GM Dan Morgan during the season that he wanted to be back after 2024. 

“I’ve had a lot of conversations with the organization, with Dan, with so many people up there, and even in the middle of the season, it was like we want to be back; we want to be part of this. And it felt the same from them. And with all that, it’s like, I’m glad the timing worked out. This is the first time I’ve ever, ever been re-signed this early in free agency because normally, I’ve been searching for a new team. But I’m just glad it all got done, and I’m glad it happened early and don’t have to worry about anything going into free agency, right?”

Panthers QB Bryce Young said he’s grown “super close” to Dalton and having the perspective of a veteran like him is beneficial for his development. 

“Me and Andy are super close,” Young said. “From when I first got here, just being able to talk with him through things, him having perspective on a situation that I had never been a part of, I was always leaning on him, always having conversations and just from a day-to-day basis. You can’t add up the hours we spend here; we’re here every single day, and just being able to have someone that you can bounce stuff off of, ask how you see things. Whether it’s Xs and Os or it’s philosophical things or stuff outside of football or somewhere nuanced in between. He is always there, just trying to help me out. And again, having a guy like that who really does it for the right reasons and wants to help, that’s super rare. So I’m super grateful for that.”