Coach Dave Canales has been in this situation before. A first-overall pick struggling as a play-caller who needs a boost in schemes was the same headache he had to fix in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers system. He was able to propel Baker Mayfield into stardom and hopes to do the same with Bryce Young. All of the Carolina Panthers' moves in NFL Free Agency to their schemes for the upcoming training camps all stem from one belief: that the quarterback can get back to his Heisman Trophy-winning form.
There were a lot of doubts about Bryce Young entering the 2023 NFL Draft. Some of the vitriol came from his smaller stature. Other analysts were also more concerned about his fellow draftees like CJ Stroud having more upside than him. Nonetheless, the Panthers still chose to go with him using their pick. It has not paid dividends so far which is why they brought in Dave Canales.
The new Panthers head honcho has to create a new culture from scratch and it is starting to show just weeks after getting reinforcements in NFL Free Agency. More importantly, he has shown his belief in Bryce Young's ability to grow rapidly during his second year, via Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.
“He’s wired for this,” was the declaration the Panthers head coach made.
This signals a big change coming for the Panthers signal caller who just netted two wins throughout the 2023-24 season. Canales wants to unlock the Young who had a stellar high school career and balled out consistently for the Alabama football squad under Nick Saban to notch the Heisman Trophy.
Panthers' masterplan for their QB
It will take a while before they get him to unlock his Pro Bowl nod-worthy form or revert him back to his Heisman form. But, the Panthers' coach has a plan. He unveiled it in his latest statement, via Kassidy Hill of the Panthers.
“I think for me it's about building an offense that we can be proud of, something that is tough, something that is smart, that takes care of the football,” Canales declared.
The Panthers did just that in NFL Free Agency. They got Young two big bodies in the offensive line Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt. More than that, he also got a new weapon in Diontae Johnson. His quarterback mentor Andy Dalton can also help throughout the season so that he can thrive.
All of which proves that the Panthers have a lot of faith in Young's improvement. Coach Canales has also been very vocal about his support for Young.
“I really respect Bryce and the road that has taken him here. I want to be able to present something to him that's tangible, that's specific, and says, ‘Hey, here's some things that we can really dive into and improve on the things that you're doing.' So, we'll have a great plan when he comes back to us in a couple of weeks,” he declared.
Last season, the Panthers quarterback only had 2,877 passing yards alongside 11 touchdowns and 10 gruesome interceptions. Will he be able to fix those woes en route to a better production on the field?
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