The Carolina Panthers finished another underwhelming campaign in 2021 with a 5-12 record. Now heading to the offseason, Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer and the front office will have to make significant changes and ensure they will have a more competitive roster for next season.
Surely enough, it will be hard for Carolina to become a Super Bowl contender right away, especially as they merely have over $17 million in cap space as of the moment. It would certainly help if superstar running back Christian McCaffrey stayed on the field. However, they can also put themselves in a better position to win games and potentially enter the playoffs if they get to address the gaping holes on the roster as soon as possible. They can do this by adding talent through the draft, trading assets for proven guys, or by banking on the development of their current players moving forward.
With that said, let's take a look at three major fixes the Panthers must make in order to make it back to relevance in 2022.
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3 major fixes the Panthers must make
3. Add depth to their linebacker unit
The Panthers' linebacker rotation looked shallow as they didn't get to develop consistency throughout the season. Backup SLB Frankie Luvu served as a bright spot for the group, recording 43 combined tackles, three fumble recoveries, and 1.5 sacks in a total of 249 snaps played. His level of production is considered to be valuable given that he wasn't even a regular starter on the team in 2021.
Starting SLB Haason Reddick also finished a productive campaign with 68 total tackles and 11.0 sacks in 16 appearances. However, he is expected to make a buzz in the offseason as his contract expires after another solid campaign. Joining him as an unrestricted free agent is MLB Jermaine Carter Jr., and it remains to be seen if they want to be back for the Panthers next season.
With that said, their potential departure in the offseason would surely be a huge blow to Carolina's linebacker group, especially now that they need reliable contributors to anchor the unit moving forward.
2. Have a more stable offensive line
Another area of concern is the Panthers' offensive line, which didn't have stability over the course of the season. According to Pro Football Focus, the team's unit ranked as the second-worst in the league, only behind the Miami Dolphins. Slotting different linemen in the trenches every week and experimenting with 12 different starting combinations surely didn't help their cause at all.
With that, the Panthers gave up a total of 52 sacks, which certainly affected the effectiveness of their QBs in the pocket. On the bright side, they do have a capable talent in right tackle Taylor Moton, but the front office must work toward filling the rest of the line with reliable players who can deliver on a weekly basis.
After seeing how they performed in 2021, selecting a lineman will surely be a point of emphasis for the Panthers in the upcoming draft. Hopefully, the recent hiring of a new offensive line coach in James Campen can potentially elevate the group and allow them to head in the right direction moving forward.
1. Address their QB situation
In part due to the incompetence of their offensive line, the Panthers' QBs didn't see much success over the past season. It started with their experiment with Sam Darnold, whom they thought could succeed with a fresh start after leaving the New York Jets. However, their plan for the fourth-year gunslinger didn't turn out the way they envisioned.
It can't be denied that Darnold had a great start to the season, but he eventually fizzled out and returned back to his old ways of being prone to committing errors on the field. He also missed some time due to a shoulder injury and ended the season with 2,572 passing yards and nine TDs to go along with 13 interceptions in 12 games played.
Former MVP Cam Newton made a comeback in the middle of the season, but his return didn't make things any better as he struggled as a starter. He also came off the bench for a couple of games and concluded his season with 684 yards on 69 completions and four touchdowns with five interceptions in eight total appearances. Newton did rush for 230 yards and five scores, but the continued ineffectiveness of his passing made it a struggle for him.
Given the importance of the position, the Panthers must assess whether or not Sam Darnold deserves to be retained as their starting quarterback moving forward. If not, they can opt to use their sixth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to select a young playmaker who might have the ability to take the team to greater heights.
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