The Carolina Panthers are coming off a disastrous 2023 season. The Panthers finished 2-15 and averaged a pitiful 13.9 points per game. Bryce Young was sacked an embarrassing 62 times. Only former Washington Commandeer quarterback, Sam Howell, was sacked more last season. An awful situation gets worse as the Panthers are going into the draft without a first-round pick. The team is in a dreadful place that they are trying to crawl out of. There isn’t much to be optimistic about, but the team has made moves during free agency to reverse their fortunes. This article will give updates on the state of the Panthers and what else needs to be addressed in both the draft and the duration of free-agency.
State of the Carolina Panthers (April 2024)
What have they done so far?
Coaching
Hiring former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator, Dave Canales, is a sneakily great move. Tampa’s offense was admittedly not potent last season. The unit scored less than 21 points per game and finished a ho-hum 20th in scoring. It would be a mistake, however, to write Dave Canales off. Quarterbacks Russell Wilson, Geno Smith, and Baker Mayfield all had impressive seasons under Canales. Smith and Mayfield in particular had resurgent seasons in their first year playing for him. Even more indicative of Canales’ impact is that Wilson and Smith had down years immediately without him. Smith in particular had the same personnel in his first year without the coach yet struggled a bit. This speaks to Caneles’ impact.
Canales knows how to get the most out of his quarterbacks. Most important for Carolina – is that Canales has gotten strong seasons out of quarterbacks that were all but written off. Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield’s careers were headed to Purgatory before playing under the coach. Both thrived immediately and were compensated handsomely as a result.
Bryce Young seemed out of place last season. The Carolina Panthers didn’t have an identity in 2023. The coaching staff failed to play to Young’s strengths. These are two attributes that Canales thrives in. He has a strong track record of helping struggling quarterbacks bounce back. The Panthers are fully invested in ensuring Young is worth the capital they traded to acquire him. Canales is the perfect coach to reverse the tide of the struggling signal caller.
Offensive line
The interior of the offensive line was a horror story for the Carolina Panthers last season. They responded in free agency by investing $150 million in both guard spots. Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis are each coming off impressive seasons and will both suit up for the Panthers in 2024. The offensive line struggled last season with pass-protection, run-blocking, and health. Bryce Young was pressured 41% of the time, 4th most in the NFL. Injuries also derailed the unit. A single guard didn’t appear in more than 10 games in 2023. The most used offensive line combination only appeared together in 17% of offensive plays. The interior of the offensive line was a glaring weakness that the team has actively addressed thus far in free agency.
Wide Receiver
Another need for the Panthers is at wide receiver. They traded cornerback Donte Jackson and a 6th-round pick in exchange for Diontae Johnson and a 7th-rounder. The Panthers lack speed on the outside and Johnson is fast, so there’s a fit. Johnson is not a true number one wide receiver, but he is an immediate upgrade at the position. There is still work to be done but this is a nice start.
Watch: Possible Later Round Wide Receiver Target
Pass Rusher
The Panthers traded Brian Burns to the Giants, leaving a hole on the defense. They struggled to get sacks even with Burns last season. The team only had 27, which was an embarrassing last in the NFL. Carolina signed former Baltimore Raven, Jadeveon Clowney, to a 2-year $20 million deal. The former number-one pick has failed to reach lofty expectations, but he’s coming off a season in which he tied his career high in sacks. Outside linebacker, DJ Wonnum, will be a pass-rusher in Carolina’s 3-4 scheme. These were necessary moves but not enough to improve the unit. Carolina will likely use the draft for additional help. It’s also possible that Carolina isn’t done in free agency.
What do they need to do next?
Wide Receiver
Diontae Johnson is on the last year of his contract and could end up being a rental. Adam Thielen will be 34 when the next season starts. Both would be the top two targets for Bryce Young if nothing changes. Johnson and Thielen complement each other but this isn’t a good enough wide receiver core. The Carolina Panthers should improve the unit by addressing it in this year’s draft. The 2024 draft is a deep one for receiver, so it would behoove Carolina to take advantage. The Panthers have yet to replace DJ Moore, so they should be on the hunt for a legitimate number one to pair with Bryce Young.
Cornerback
The Panthers traded Donte Jackson and lost CJ Henderson in free agency. They are left with oft-injured Jaycee Horn, unproven Dane Jackson, and Troy Hill. Jaycee Horn is a very good player but has only appeared in 22 out of 51 career games. The Panthers should target a corner in the draft. The corners currently on the roster are unproven or not dependable.
Another reason to pursue a corner in this year’s draft is because a lack of splash plays. The Panthers only had 8 interceptions in 2023, which was 30th in the NFL. Interceptions aren’t an indicator of success, as the unit finished 3rh in passing yards allowed, with a stellar 171.5 allowed per game. This low number is due in part to the team’s holding big leads, but it’s still impressive. The team should target a fundamentally sound corner who can shadow number-one wide receivers as insurance for Jaycee Horn. One who is a ballhawk would help create turnovers for an anemic offense that will need all the help it can get.
Offensive line
The Panthers have addressed the interior of the offensive line, but they have hard decisions to make about tackle. Ikem Ekwonu has struggled at left tackle thus far in his career. The Panthers should decide if Ekwonu is better suited as a right tackle and respond accordingly in this year’s draft. Ekwonu gave up the second-most sacks in the league (11) at his position.
Ekwonu is strong as a run-blocker and has been misused on Bryce Young’s blindside thus far in his career. Schematic changes playing to the roster’s strengths should be in store. Moving Ekwonu to right tackle makes sense but then the team would need to select a left tackle in this year’s draft. This could be a make-or-break year for Ekwonu. Putting him on the other side of the line could be most advantageous to both his skillset and career.
Last Word on the Carolina Panthers Current Roster
The Carolina Panthers need explosive players on both sides of the ball. Big plays were scarce for the Panthers. Wide receivers couldn’t get behind defenders and there weren’t a lot of yards after the catch. Defensively, the team didn’t get a lot of sacks or interceptions. This isn’t necessary to play good defense, but with an offense as putrid as Carolina’s in 2023, all help is welcome. The Panthers should pursue wide receivers – and possibly a tight end – who are fast but also strong route runners who know how to create separation.
Defensively, Carolina has holes at both pass-rusher and corner that need to be addressed. Carolina fielded a solid but not spectacular defense in 2023. Carolina should target defensive players that can be cornerstones of the franchise. They need highly talented players who can make big plays.
This is a critical year for the organization. The team should be on the hunt for building blocks of the future for the next five years. This is one of the most important drafts in recent memory and the team needs to respond by drafting legitimate difference-makers.
Main Photo Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
