NFL Season Outlook: #2. Carolina Panthers

This is the second part of a 32-part series in which I will be looking at every NFL Team, and how I believe they are going to perform over the next season. A video version of this can also be found on my tiktok page: rjhuze

The Carolina Panthers were the worst team in football last year. After paying a haul for the first pick in the 2023 draft, the Panthers selected Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. The results were not promising in year one. Between having a chaotic owner in Dave Tepper, an offensive system that lacked talent and a true identity, injuries, and failed free agent signings, the Panthers were embarrassing last season. However, the past is the past. The future is now, and the fruits of the labor will begin to show in 2024.

Predicted Record: 4-13-0 (Last in NFC South)

New Coaching Staff

The system last year didn’t work. The best way to explain it is with the saying, “There were too many cooks in the kitchen.” It seemed like every coach had a different philosophy on how an offense should run, and it failed Bryce Young’s development—more on that later. However, the Panthers tried to address their mistakes with the hiring of Dave Canales.

Canales, the former offensive coordinator for the Buccaneers, is known for reviving the careers of lost quarterbacks. Former 2013 first round pick Geno Smith had become a journeyman backup before arriving in Canales’s system in Seattle. In his first season as starter in 2022, Smith had accumulated more passing yards, touchdowns, and achieved the potential the New York Jets saw in him a decade prior.

In 2023, Canales repeated the same magic on former first-overall pick Baker Mayfield last season. After being battered and marooned by Cleveland, Baker Mayfield struggled mightily in Carolina, before an improbable game winning drive two days after signing to the Rams led him to getting a second chance in Tampa. All Mayfield did was put up a career season, recording career highs in touchdowns, passing yards, while playing in his first full season since 2020.

Now, Canales is tasked with reviving the career of another former number one overall pick, and fortunately for Bryce Young, he’s got more help this year.

A New Offensive Unit

Bryce Young had a tough rookie season. His best receiver was Adam Thielen. The signing of Miles Sanders amazingly underwhelmed, and the lack of an offensive line led to Young getting sacked 62 times in 2023. His stats aren’t exactly eye-popping, but there is one noticeable eyesore in his rookie season. Turnovers.

Young’s 2023 Stats: 2-14 Record – 59.8% Completion – 2,877 Yards, 11 TDs, 10 INTs. 11 FMB.

Ball security is a common problem for young quarterbacks. Even the greats have had turnover issues in their rookie seasons—look at Peyton Manning. That’s not to say Bryce Young will have a Peyton Manning-esque development, but more to say that development does take time. Fortunately, the new regime in Carolina worked to give Young more pieces to work with this year.

Notable Additions:

-          WR Diontae Johnson (acquired from PIT via Trade)

-          OG Robert Hunt (Acquired from MIA via FA)

-          WR Xavier Legette (Drafted 32nd Overall)

-          RB Jonathon Brooks (No. 46)

-          TE Ja’Tavion Sanders (No. 101)

My jaw hit the floor when I realized that the Panthers got Texas stars Jonathon Brooks and Ja’Tavion Sanders. Brooks is recovering from an ACL tear, which does make him boom or bust. If he booms, the Panthers have a running back out of a video game. The same can be said for Sanders. I learned about Sanders while doing research for my mock draft in the spring. To quote Cris Collinsworth, “Now here’s a guy that is an incredible combination of speed and power.” He’ll be an integral piece of this offense for years to come.  

Interior Offensive Line signings typically go underappreciated in the offseason, but the signing of Robert Hunt by Carolina might be my favorite of their offensive reinforcements. He’s been solid as both a pass and run blocker over the past two years, and after Bryce Young was sacked almost 4 times a game last season, the protection is necessary.

The Defense was Good?

While they didn’t have success on the field offensively last year, the Panthers actually allowed the third-least passing yards last season. This happened without star cornerback Jaycee Horn, who missed 11 games last season with a hamstring injury. Having a full season of Horn—the 8th overall pick in 2021—the Panthers secondary should see some improvement.

However, Carolina has lost some important defensive pieces this offseason, most notably 2-time Pro Bowler Brian Burns, who was traded to the New York Giants. Burns was the anchor of the defensive line, leading the team in sacks with 9. Frankie Luvu—second in sacks—registered 7 sacks over 17 games, and he left for Washington.

Fortunately, the Panthers signed former first overall pick Jadeveon Clowney to replace Burns. Clowney has bounced around the league, but recorded 9.5 sacks last season in Baltimore, tied for the most in his NFL career. Paired up with Defensive Lineman Derrick Brown, there should be many opportunities for Clowney to match last season’s sack total.

Overall:

This season for the Panthers should be a step forward; it’s hard to take a step back when you were 2-15 and the worst team in the NFL. My biggest fear for this team is Dave Tepper. Will he let the football guys run the football operations? Will he stop making the headlines for the wrong reasons? If Tepper and new GM Dan Morgan can be given the opportunity to make the right moves, the Panthers will be two years away. For now, 4-13-0 is not a bad record, all things considered.