Coming into the 2020 season, the Panthers were coming off of a facelift after releasing former MVP quarterback Cam Newton, welcoming Teddy Bridgewater as the new starter for 2020, signing him to a three-year, $63 million dollar contract. There was optimism surrounding the season with head coach Matt Rhule taking over with Joe Brady as offensive coordinator after a dominant season on the LSU national championship staff.
Things didn’t go as planned in 2020 as the Panthers had to juggle on-and-off injuries for All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey and failing to find ways to win late in games. During the 5-11 season, the Panthers lost eight games by single digits, turning a season that could’ve competed for a wild card spot into a disappointment.
On the other hand, Carolina got to lick their chops and enter free agency and look towards their No. 8 pick in the 2021 draft. General manager Scott Fitterer was welcomed to the staff and quickly looked to improve in free agency, signing linebackers Haason Reddick and Denzel Perryman to improve a corps that hasn’t been the same since future Hall of Famer Luke Kuechly retired due to concussions.
The biggest move of them all, Carolina traded for quarterback Sam Darnold and were able to ship Bridgewater but his contract will still come back to bite. Darnold had been the starter for the Jets for three years after going third overall in 2018 and many of his struggles were credited to the disappointing team that surrounded him and he is now reunited with wide receiver Robby Anderson.
The Panthers also made a notable signing with former PFWA All-Rookie offensive guard Pat Elflein, who adds some depth and starting potential on a three-year deal. After also adding former Cowboys swing tackle Cam Erving to the line, they turned their eyes towards the draft.
The Panthers were on the clock at No. 8 and with Ohio State standout quarterback Justin Fields on the board, Carolina held back the intrigue and selected South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn. The prolific cornerback plays extremely physically at the line, shoving back receivers, but might have to lay off a bit in the NFL where he could be flagged more often.
The pick surprised a lot of fans who would’ve expected Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II to be the pick if they went cornerback but most analysts consider them to be 1A and 1B at the position. After an underwhelming season for cornerback Donte Jackson, Horn gives insurance for a potential departure by the LSU product, who is entering a contract year in Carolina.
The Panthers drafted many offensive weapons, including wide receivers Terrace Marshall and Shi Smith, running back Chuba Hubbard, and intriguing tight end Tommy Tremble. Marshall is facing injury concerns after rookie minicamp and could be a project in Carolina but his production at LSU and connection to Brady on the staff likely led to his selection.
The other three could be unsung heroes for the Panthers offense. Tremble is a strong tight end who can be a willing and great blocker, as shown at Notre Dame, and is raw as a receiver but flashed with his athleticism during his college career. Hubbard and Smith follow comparable trends, as star offensive weapons that didn’t get enough national attention. Hubbard will likely step in as the new back up running back after Mike Davis departed to Atlanta while Smith will have to compete at a position group that is already rich with talent.
Possibly the most important pick of the draft was BYU offensive tackle Brady Christensen in the third round. Christensen shined alongside quarterback Zach Wilson during his last season as a Cougar. With a more mobile quarterback in Darnold, the extra protection won’t be as necessary as it was with Bridgewater but Christensen has the talent to be a Day 1 starter for Rhule.
The 2021 schedule is intriguing for the Panthers, starting with a reunion for Darnold against te Jets in Carolina, which Carolina shouldn’t have much issues coming up on top against rookie Zach Wilson for New York.
Down the road, Carolina goes up against the NFC East and AFC East, who feature no 2020 wild card teams and could give the Panthers a real chance to compete in the division if they take the opportunity against the below-average opponents. The real issue in their schedule lies in their division, having to play against Tampa Bay and New Orleans twice.
Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:’mN6xteTJQD9N9YUQxusMdg’,sig:’uKgFlj4tEz28O0ff3Z0nA-eFMZXCnpSVolfkI5vDk0E=’,w:’594px’,h:’396px’,items:’1191279827′,caption: true ,tld:’com’,is360: false })});On the bright side, Drew Brees won’t be suiting up for the Saints after his retirement and could allow Carolina to vault into the spot as the 2nd best team in the division.
After offseason facelift 2.0 for Carolina, there isn’t a lot of certainty for the Panthers but with promising draft picks, a new quarterback, and stars recovering from injuries, they should compete for a wild-card spot and make some noise in the NFC South that will likely be controlled by the Buccaneers.
