The Carolina Panthers find themselves at the bottom of the NFL as they prepare for the 2024 season. They are coming off a league-worst 2-15 record, and they did not even have the No. 1 pick in last April's draft since that pick had been traded to the Chicago Bears.
While the Houston Texans soared with quarterback C.J. Stroud — the No. 2 pick in the 2023 Draft — the Panthers stumbled and fell with signal caller Bryce Young — selected No. 1 in the same draft. Perhaps one year of experience will help Young play more effectively, but quarterback is just one of many positions that must show significant improvement if the Panthers are going to make a move towards respectability.
While the picture is anything but optimistic, this is the NFL and teams can climb the ladder a year or two after they struggled. Example No. 1 is the previously mentioned Texans who went from last place to first in one season in the AFC South.
That scenario is extremely unlikely for the Panthers, but going from a 2-win season to 7 or 8 victories in the mediocre NFC South would not be the biggest shocker in the world.
Panthers make major changes
The Panthers have a new general manager and a new head coach. Dan Morgan, a fine linebacker for the Panthers during his playing career, is the lead executive making all the key personnel moves for the team. Dave Canales is the new head coach after spending multiple seasons working with Pete Carroll in Seattle before moving on to Tampa Bay last season.
Canales was able to help Baker Mayfield turn around his career with the Buccaneers, and the Panthers would like to see him help jump start Young and turn him into a top-flight quarterback.
Young does not have to turn into an All-Pro quarterback this season, but he must make a notable jump from his rookie season. His numbers tell part of the story, but not all of it. He completed 315 of 527 passes for 2,877 yards while throwing 11 TD passes and 10 interceptions. Young is a strong runner and he averaged 6.5 yard per carry on 39 attempts, but he did not have any rushing touchdowns.
In addition to his ordinary statistical showing, there was simply a lack of decisiveness to his game. Much of that may due to the lack of talent that surrounded him, but it is up to the quarterback to play with confidence, swagger and achievement. He can't come to the field with a “woe is me attitude” and that seemed to be the case as the losses piled up in 2023.
Young is going into his second year and he must show improvement. He has to be more decisive with his passing, play calling and leadership. If he does not make progress in these area, the Panthers will have to seriously consider making a change at the quarterback position before the end of the season.
Backup Andy Dalton is not a long-term answer, but he could fill in during the second half of the season if Canales and his staff don't see enough improvement from Young.
Panthers have a couple of gems that can produce
Morgan and Canales know that there are a number of players the Panthers are going to lean on in the upcoming season. The Panthers added wide receiver Xavier Legette from South Carolina with their first-round pick — No. 32 overall — and running back Joanthon Brooks from Texas in the second round.
Both players should be able to make a contribution, and Legette has a chance to be a legitimate gamebreaker. At 6-2 and 200 pounds, he can win the battle against most defensive backs and he can also run away from tacklers.
Chuba Hubbard is a legitimate threat at the running back slot. Hubbard demonstrated a remarkable level of consistency for a struggling team last season. He carried the ball 238 times for 902 yard and 5 TDs. The Panthers had brought in Miles Sanders prior to the season to be the top running back, but Hubbard was far more consistent and he earned the trust of the coaching staff.
Canales should look at his roster and know that Hubbard deserves to be man in the backfield and he doesn't have to rush Brooks into a starting position. The combination of Hubbard and Brooks could give the Panthers a solid 1-2 punch at running back.
The Panthers added linebacker Josey Jewell in the offseason. He is similar to Hubbard in that he is not a fancy player, but he is consistently effective. He performed well in his six seasons with the Denver Broncos, and the Panthers signed him to a three-year, $18.75 million contract to man an inside linebacker spot.
Jewell has had three seasons with 100 tackles or more in his career. He had 108 stops last year along with 3.0 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, 3 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles and 3 fumble recoveries.
The Panthers clearly are in need of adding more talent, but Hubbard and Jewell are two solid pros who are among the gems on the Carolina roster.
Follow Us
Subscribe
