The Panthers, who completed 7-10 in 2022, have not had a lot success since their run to the Tremendous Bowl through the 2015 season. Since that crew went 15-1 and misplaced to the Broncos in Tremendous Bowl 50, the Panthers have not gained a playoff recreation and have one postseason look.
The Matt Rhule period ended halfway by way of his third season, and the crew traded its greatest offensive weapon (Christian McCaffrey) shortly afterward. Carolina followers might be forgiven for not anticipating a lot from the crew in 2023, however there are causes to imagine the worst a part of the post-Tremendous Bowl storm is over.
1. New teaching workers
Steve Wilks did sufficient to have the interim head coach tag faraway from his title, however Carolina employed Frank Reich as head coach. He was unceremoniously dumped from the Colts after the crew failed to search out consistency at QB.
Reich obtained off to a robust begin with a number of teaching hires praised by individuals across the league, per Pro Football Talk)
He added two former head coaches — Jim Caldwell (Colts, Lions) and Dom Capers (Panthers, Texans) — as senior assistants and former Rams assistant head coach and tight ends coach Thomas Brown as offensive coordinator.
Maybe most significantly, Reich landed former Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who was a Carolina head-coaching candidate, as DC.
2. Defensive expertise
Evero may have loads of expertise to work with. Defensive finish Brian Burns and sort out Derrick Brown give the Panthers two pillars alongside the road. Younger defensive backs Jaycee Horn, 23, and security Jeremy Chinn, 24 may be the spine of a robust secondary.
Carolina’s energy is arguably its linebackers, with Cory Littleton, Frankie Luvu and Shaq Thompson forming top-of-the-line beginning linebacker teams within the NFL. Per Pro Football Focus grades, every completed the season within the prime 25 out of 81 linebackers.
3. Sturdy working recreation
Carolina’s midseason commerce of McCaffrey did not have a serious damaging influence. If something, the Panthers have been higher with out McCaffrey, which may be filed away within the “unusual however true” folder for the 2022 season.
Carolina was 1-5 with McCaffrey and 6-5 with out him, and a big motive why was the backfield, spearheaded by D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard.
Foreman completed with 914 yards speeding on 203 carries (4.5 per carry). Hubbard missed two video games however had 95 carries for 466 yards and two touchdowns.
Foreman is a 2023 free agent, and with the Panthers somewhat greater than $10 million over the cap, per Spotrac, the crew might must depend on Hubbard whereas exploring the draft for working again depth. The crew ought to retain its core alongside the offensive line, which can profit whoever leads to Carolina’s backfield.
“I do know we are able to run the soccer, and we will run the soccer,” Reich told reporters at his introductory news conference.
The speeding assault provides the Panthers an offensive id, one thing no different crew within the division has as we method the beginning of the league yr.
