The NFL is full of parody. Teams can go from worst to first in their division in just one season. After having a big off-season, this NFC team is on the rise.
The Carolina Panthers Are on the Rise After a Big Off-Season
The Coaching Hire
Before looking at the Panthers roster as the reason they’re on the rise, it starts with Dave Canales. In Seattle and Tampa Bay, Canales helped two quarterbacks revive their careers. With Geno Smith in 2022, Canales helped the Seattle Seahawks engineer a surprising run to the playoffs. Few expected Smith to have a career resurgence in Seattle after spending years as a backup on different teams. Under Canales, Smith put up some of the best numbers in the league in 2022. His production on deep ball shots was especially prolific.
While Bryce Young doesn’t have the same arm strength as Smith, he does have excellent mid-level accuracy and touch. Young’s game is more similar to Baker Mayfield’s than Geno Smith’s. Mayfield experienced a similar turnaround under Canales. The Panthers should expect a similar bounce back from Young. His 2023 season was disappointing, but the Panthers did not do Young any favors with the players they put around him. With Canales, Young and the Panthers are in good hands.
The Playmakers
Carolina went heavy on offense in the 2024 NFL Draft. Picking Xavier Legette was a surprise in round one, but the former South Carolina star has plenty of potential. The receiver room looks vastly improved from last season when Young’s best targets were Adam Thielen and rookie Jonathan Mingo. While Mingo has a chance to become a quality receiver, the team added insurance by trading with the Pittsburgh Steelers for Diontae Johnson. At this stage of his career, Thielen is more of a complementary piece than a number-one receiver like he was last season. With Johnson, Mingo, and Legette, the Panthers are building a solid core around Young.
Add in Ja’Tavion Sanders, who could be a draft gem for Carolina, and the Panthers offense has a much higher floor than it did in 2023. Sanders could end up stealing snaps from Tommy Trebble early, and become a fixture of the offense. Picked two rounds ahead of Sanders was Jonathon Brooks. The former Texas star was considered by many to be the top prospect in the draft at running back. While Brooks is coming off a torn ACL, he plays with a blend of speed and power. Adding to the running back and receiver rooms puts the Panthers in a position to turn things around quickly.
The Front Office
For as good as a coach or roster might be, teams only go as far as their front offices can take them. The Panthers have cycled through multiple coaches since firing Ron Rivera during the 2019 season. Their front office has also been unstable. With Canales and Dan Morgan in charge, the organization is better equipped to succeed. Morgan worked as assistant general manager in Carolina before being promoted to General Manager in 2024. Before that, he worked in Buffalo and Seattle. Both organizations have been a model for success in the NFL and that experience should help him build the Panthers into a contender.
Morgan’s time as General Manager has been highlighted by a more calculated and pragmatic approach than his predecessors. The Panthers added a few veteran players with proven track records to bolster their defense. While the team may have overpaid for a few new players on the offensive line, their approach solidifies their belief in Young and wanting to support him. It is too early to proclaim, but the team’s approach to building their roster resembles what the Houston Texans recently accomplished with CJ Stroud and a retooled roster. Given their staff overhaul and draft picks, the Panthers could be on the rise in 2024.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
