TE Ed Dickson, would-have-been unrestricted free agent, 3-year deal: The Panthers were sweating a bit about Dickson, who received interest from multiple teams. But when the two sides agreed Tuesday afternoon, about an hour before he would have become an unrestricted free agent, the Panthers completed what they’re considering a highly successful pre-free agency period. They agreed to 11 deals over the last month, including nine with their own guys. Dickson was mostly quiet as a receiver during his first season in Carolina, but he came on at the end when he no longer had to help fill in for injured fullback Mike Tolbert. Also, with his multi-dimensional role in the offense, Dickson had to learn much more than most new players, so the coaching staff cut him some slack. He wants to be more involved in the passing game, and since he didn’t end up going elsewhere, it’s a good bet the Panthers made him feel like that will happen.DT Dwan Edwards, would-have-been unrestricted free agent, 2-year deal: When the offseason started, it seemed reasonable the Panthers would part ways with either Edwards or Colin Cole, but they brought both veteran defensive linemen back in the span of a week. Coach Ron Rivera loves a good rotation on the line, and one of the league’s best interior groups stays intact with Edwards, Cole, Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short. Signing both Edwards and Cole may be a sign the Panthers weren’t all that enamored with December addition Kyle Love.