By Zach Goins
September 4, 2024
Photo: Charles Krupa /AP
The Carolina Panthers enter the 2024 NFL season once again starting from the bottom. It’s a place Panthers fans have become all too familiar with over the last five seasons. But with an exuberant new head coach and restructured front office, there’s always renewed hope for an NFL franchise.
Dave Canales heads into his first season with second-year quarterback Bryce Young at the helm, big-money free-agent signings, a steady defense under Ejiro Evero, and one of the league’s easier schedules. Canales has the best chance of any of Carolina’s recent head coaches to turn things around.
While the Panthers finished with a 2-15 record last season, the potential of Young was evident when he wasn’t being pressured or sacked. Now, with a revamped offensive line, the spotlight is squarely on Young and his ability to lead the Panthers back into relevancy. But the success or failure of the team won’t be determined by Young alone, as several key factors will ultimately define Carolina’s fate in the upcoming season.
The offensive line must protect Young
While Young’s development is crucial, it will be difficult to assess his progress if he’s constantly under siege again. Last season, the Panthers’ offensive line allowed 65 sacks (tied for second most in the league behind only the Giants). Not exactly an ideal scenario for a rookie quarterback to find his footing.
Recognizing this as a critical area of need, Canales and new general manager Dan Morgan made it a priority to beef up the offensive line during the offseason. Carolina made key acquisitions in free agency, including veteran guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. Additionally, seventh-year veteran Austin Corbett is making the move from guard to center. With a pocket that was constantly collapsing last year, three dependable interior linemen will hopefully shore up the protection and allow Young more time to make his reads. On the outside, right tackle Taylor Moton is as consistent as ever, but left tackle and former first-round draft pick Ikem Ekwonu regressed in his second season in pass protection, and will need to improve significantly to help protect Young’s blind side.
Canales has repeatedly emphasized how important the ground game is to his offensive scheme, opening up the playbook for bootlegs and play actions to help buy more time for Young. However, Canales’ Buccaneers offense ranked last in rushing yards in 2023. Hopefully with two new road graders in Hunt and Lewis along with a stable of backs including Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders, and Jonathon Brooks (who is eligible to return from the PUP list in Week 5), he’ll commit to the running game throughout the season.
Who will provide a pass rush opposite Clowney?
The Panthers’ defense was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise abysmal 2023 season. Under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, the unit showed marked improvement, finishing the year fourth in the NFL in yards allowed per game (293.9).
While there may be continuity with the coaching staff, some of Carolina’s biggest names on the defensive side of the ball are no more. Two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Brian Burns was shipped off to the Giants, while linebacker Frankie Luvu and edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos left in free agency. Together, they accounted for 40 sacks over the last two seasons.
On top of that, most of the Panthers’ offseason attention was focused on improving the offense. While that was undoubtedly necessary, it does raise some concerns about the defense’s ability to maintain its level of play.
One notable defensive addition was the signing of hometown hero Jadeveon Clowney. The former Gamecock from Rock Hill, South Carolina provides a veteran presence at edge rusher, but beyond Clowney, the position group leaves a lot to be desired. Last year’s third-round draft pick DJ Johnson saw limited action in 2023, but has earned some praise from Canales, and is expected to start at outside linebacker opposite Clowney.
K’Lavon Chaisson, a 2020 first-round pick by the Jaguars, was expected to contribute to the pass rush, but after a disappointing offseason and preseason, the Panthers cut the fifth-year linebacker on Tuesday.
Can the secondary hold up?
The cornerback position is thin after veteran Donte Jackson was traded to the Steelers. With Jackson’s departure, all eyes will be on Jaycee Horn to step up in his fourth season after the Panthers picked up his $12.472 million fifth-year option. Horn’s production has never been an issue, but it’s his health that has held him back. A fractured foot in Week 3 ended Horn’s rookie season in 2021, followed by a rib injury and a broken wrist in 2022 that accounted for four missed games. In 2023, a Week 1 hamstring tear sidelined him for 10 games along with another wrist injury towards the end of the season.
Newcomer Mike Jackson, acquired from the Seahawks, is expected to start opposite Horn, and after starting three games for the Panthers last year, veteran Troy Hill is expected to line up in the slot. Beyond Horn, Jackson and Hill, the options are slim on the depth chart, but the Panthers appear to be actively working to address that deficiency, claiming three defensive backs off the waiver wire earlier this week.
The most promising of those new additions is rookie Shemar Bartholomew, an undrafted free agent previously with the Jets. Bartholomew was a hot commodity with four teams trying to claim the 6-foot-1, 200-pound corner. At that size, Bartholomew fits right in with Carolina’s big corners like Horn and Jackson, who are also capable of setting the edge in the run game.
Still, the pass rush concerns could mean a lot of time in the pocket for opposing quarterbacks, putting significant stress on the secondary. Combine that with Horn’s injury history, and the Panthers secondary could be the team’s most vulnerable position group.
Bryce Young must take a big step forward
The development of Young is the most critical factor in the Panthers’ 2024 season, and he must make significant strides. The good news for fans is that Young will have the guidance of Canales, a highly supportive quarterback-friendly coach with a proven track record of developing, and redeveloping signal callers.
In past stops as the Buccaneers offensive coordinator and Seahawks quarterback coach, Canales has revitalized the careers of quarterbacks like Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield. While Young isn’t quite a seasoned veteran needing to get back on track, Canales’ ability to tailor an offense to the strengths of his quarterback should help him make significant progress. His system is designed to simplify reads, which should help Young avoid the pitfalls that plagued him at times last year. Young will need to improve his decision-making, accuracy, and ability to read defenses, but maybe most importantly, he’ll need to stretch the field. Young ranked at the bottom of the NFL last season in completions over 30 yards for quarterbacks who started more than 12 games. Keeping opposing secondaries honest will allow more space for his new receiving core to work.
The need for a true No. 1 target
Every young quarterback needs a reliable target, and the Panthers have spent the offseason searching for a true No. 1 wide receiver. Adam Thielen led the team in receiving yards last year, but at 34 years old, he’s not the long-term answer. That’s why the Panthers made a bold move trading for wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who they hope can emerge as the go-to guy for Young.
Johnson, who comes over from the Pittsburgh Steelers, has shown flashes of brilliance throughout his career but has yet to establish himself as a consistent top-tier receiver. He led the Steelers in receiving yards in three of his five seasons in Pittsburgh, including a breakout year in 2021 with 107 catches, 1,161 yards, and eight touchdowns.
In addition to Johnson, the Panthers’ first-round draft pick out of South Carolina, Xavier Legette, has the size, speed and physicality to be a difference-maker at the next level, but he’ll need time to adjust to the NFL game. Combining Legette’s physicality with Johnson’s technical route running and Thielen’s reliability should give Young a variety of weapons to target this season.
A sleeper pick to haul in some passes this season is rookie tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, the fourth-round selection out of Texas. While he may be listed third on the tight end depth chart behind Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas, neither of those two have proven themselves to be significant threats in the passing game like Sanders appeared to be throughout training camp. Sanders set the school record for career receptions by a tight end at Texas and ranked second in career receiving yards, so if his time as a Longhorn is any indicator, he may become another frequent target for Young.
The Panthers will also be looking for second-year receiver Jonathan Mingo to make strides after an underwhelming rookie season. Drafted alongside Young, Mingo caught just 43 passes despite seeing 85 targets in 2023. He has the physical tools to be a dynamic playmaker, but must show that he can translate potential into production– especially after seeing the Panthers cut third-year wideout Terrace Marshall Jr. during the preseason.
The 2024 season is a pivotal one for the Carolina Panthers. With a new head coach, a promising young quarterback, and several key offseason acquisitions, the team is poised to take a step forward, but success won’t come easy. Young must develop, the offensive line must protect him, the defense must continue to play at a high level, and the team must navigate a challenging early schedule.
If all the pieces come together, the Panthers may not be NFC South champions yet, but they’ll be headed in the right direction. If they falter in any of these areas, it could be another long season in Carolina.
The Panthers kick off the 2024 NFL season against the New Orleans Saints this Sunday, September 8 at 1 p.m. on FOX. Check out the full 2024 Carolina Panthers schedule.
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