Panthers head coach Matt Rhule plans to overhaul his new team’s defense first. At least that’s what he told reporters after his introductory press conference.

The front line would be a good place to begin rebuilding in the post-Luke Kuechly era. Inside, Gerald McCoy, Vernon Butler and Kyle Love are all pending free agents and Dontari Poe could be a salary cap casualty. That means they’ll likely need to find at least one more starting-caliber defensive tackle before next season begins.

With that in mind, our next potential 2020 free agent target is Houston defensive tackle D.J. Reader, who played his college ball at Clemson.

Career stats:

The Texans got an absolute steal when they picked Reader in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft. Since then, he’s played 61 games (52 starts), totaling 154 combined tackles, 16 tackles for a loss, 6.5 sacks and 24 QB hits.

Pros:

If the Panthers are going to move on from the 29-year old Poe this offseason, Reader is the absolute best candidate to replace him. Like Poe, he is a true nose tackle and is also about the same size (6-foot-3, 347 pounds). He’s primarily known as a run stopper but he can also get after the quarterback. According to Pro Football Focus, he posted 36 pressures last season and had the second-highest grade (87.6 overall) for AFC interior defenders. Reader is also just 25 years old.

Cons:

As far as what he can do on the field, there’s nothing not to like about Reader’s game. The issue is a familiar one for Carolina fans: we don’t know if they’ll be able to afford him or any other name free agents this year.

Probability: Low

The Texans are a poorly run franchise, but re-signing Reader to a long-term deal seems like a no-brainer kind of decision, even for Bill O’Brien. He knows if he allows Reader to test the market, there’s a strong chance he will regret it. For what it’s worth, Reader wants to stay in Houston.

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