With the Super Bowl behind us, teams are forced to move on from the 2022 season and look towards 2023. In a series of articles, we will recap the past season, and look at how teams are positioned at their skill positions for next September.
Carolina Panthers
Projected Cap Space: $23.570 Million
Upcoming Draft Picks: Round 1 (1), Round 2 (39), Round 3 (93), Round 4 (114, 132), Round 5 (147), Round 7 (247)
The Carolina Panthers made the 1st major splash via trade days before free agency opened up by coming to an agreement with the Chicago Bears to acquire the #1 overall pick in the 2023 draft. While the team gave up alot in the deal, including their WR1 D.J. Moore, they were stuck behind multiple quarterback needy teams in the draft and didn’t have a realistic path to securing a viable veteran starter in free agency.
They’re now hoping that whomever they select at #1 will lead them to a division title in a weak NFC South division, which will help offset the loss of next year’s first round pick. This past season, after a dismal 1-4 start, head coach Matt Rhule was fired, finishing his 3 year tenure with a paltry 11-27 record.
Interim head coach Steve Wilks managed to coax the Panthers to a 6-6 record the rest of the way despite management selling off pieces in anticipation of a retooling, with superstar running back Christian McCaffrey being the highest profile departure. Despite his impressive efforts with a lessened roster, the Panthers decided to move on from Wilks, hiring the franchise’s original starting quarterback Frank Reich as their new head coach. With a new regime in tow, Panthers management opted to pay an extremely high price to have the opportunity for their new coaching staff to select their quarterback going forward.
Coaching:
As mentioned, the Panthers tagged Frank Reich as their new head coach. Reich, who has a superbowl ring from his time in Philadelphia, was fired as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts in 2022 after 4 seasons. Reich is known as a high end quarterbacks coach, especially after making Carson Wentz look like a legitimate starter in Philadelphia. But after the retirement of Andrew Luck in 2019, he was unable to sustain much success with aging veterans Philip Rivers and Matt Ryan.
While Reich interviewed for several openings across the NFL, he opted to sign with a team that had no quarterback in place, so one would have to assume management assured him that it would be a top priority this offseason. Under Wilks, the Panthers found success in the running game, which Reich has shown the ability to lean on while with the Colts, operating behind a strong offensive line and utilizing an elite running back in Jonathan Taylor.
Reich is highly respected across the NFL, but this very well could be his last shot to make it as a head coach. With the Panthers making the move to acquire the 1st overall pick, Reich must be confident in what he has seen from at least one of the quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft.
Joining him in Carolina is new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. Brown, who was offensive coordinator and running backs coach at Miami (FL), made his NFL debut with the Rams in 2020 as running backs coach. In 2021 he added assistant head coach to his title, and was a key part of the Rams Super Bowl victory that season.
He’s credited for creating a two headed attack with Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson that season, which would mesh well in Carolina after they rode the tandem of D’onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard down the stretch. Despite Brown’s inexperience at the NFL level, his progression is impressive, and the Panthers have wisely paired him with veteran NFL coach Jim Caldwell, who they hired as a Senior Assistant. With Brown’s background working with tight ends and running backs, having both Reich and Caldwell on the staff to work with whoever becomes the new starting quarterback makes this a well rounded group of offensive minds.
After interviewing for the head coaching position, Ejiro Evero was eventually hired to be defensive coordinator after one season in Denver at the same position. Despite only having one season as coordinator on his resume, Evero boasts 17 years of coaching experience, 15 of those spent in the NFL. He, like Brown, has a Super Bowl ring from his time with the Rams, where he worked as secondary coach/pass game coordinator. Evero is well rounded himself, having worked on both sides of the ball, but his strengths come out when working with the secondary, as proved by the progression of Patrick Surtain II and Justin Simmons last season in Denver. The Panthers secondary has lots of potential, but has yet to take that next step, and the hiring of Evero will hopefully elevate them above the below average performances of 2022.
Quarterbacks:
The Panthers didn’t give up as much as they did to move up to the first overall pick to not select a quarterback. Carolina currently has 2 quarterbacks under contract – 2020 4th round pick Jacob Eason, who has attempted a total of 10 passes in his career, 2 of those being interceptions, and 2022 3rd round pick Matt Corral, who spent the entirety of the 2022 season on IR with a foot injury suffered in preseason.
While Corral wasn’t expected to compete for the starting position with Sam Darnold or Baker Mayfield entering this past season, after both Darnold and Mayfield struggled throughout the season Carolina would have liked a chance to give Corral some snaps and see what he has at the NFL level. That being said, he doesn’t project to be much more than a backup, so Carolina opting to select their new QB1 in this year’s draft makes perfect sense. The only question now surrounding the Panthers is who did they trade all those assets to acquire?
The early buzz after the trade is that the Panthers staff have identified Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud as the franchises next starting quarterback. Stroud, who has good size at 6’3’’ and 214 lbs, is coming off of two successful seasons as a starter at Ohio state. He has good accuracy and passing game instincts, but still needs some development as he has struggled with consistency when facing pressure from opposing defenses. The Panthers are hoping he will be the face of the franchise for years to come.
Wide Receiver/Tight End:
The Panthers included their WR1 in the deal with the Bears to acquire the #1 pick, shipping D.J. Moore to Chicago, one season after they signed him to a 3 year, $62 million dollar extension. From 2019 to 2021, D.J. Moore topped 1100 receiving yards, and in 2022 set a career high with 7 touchdowns, all with questionable quarterback play. While the theory is that it’s easier for a franchise to find a WR1 than a QB1, his departure certainly leaves a gaping void on the depth chart.
Terrace Marshall will enter the third season of his NFL career hoping to put together a more consistent performance. He has the size (6’4’’, 200 lbs) and speed to be a high end receiver, but has missed time due to injuries and has yet to get his career on track. He was criticized before his draft about his lack of focus, which has only been exasperated in Carolina with inconsistent quarterback play. He has potential to carve out a solid career as a WR2, and possesses game breaking talent, but needs to continue to put in the work off the field and improve his focus when it comes to gametime.
Carolina isn’t losing anyone else of note in their wide receiver room, but they will hope that one of Laviska Shenault, Preston Willliams or Shi Smith can step up to be a productive #3 option, and that they will be able to find a game breaking #1 receiver to replace Moore.
At tight end, Ian Thomas signed a 3 year deal for $16.95 million in February of 2022 to be their #1 tight end. He ended the season with a grand total of 21 receptions for 197 yards while starting all 17 games. He was ranked as the 67th overall tight end (per PFF), only one spot higher than sophomore Tommy Tremble. There isn’t a lot of production coming from their tight end position, although the Panthers offense was very run heavy and both tight ends proved to be adequate blockers, which is a highly underrated skill at that position. The Panthers will look to get them both more involved in the offense in 2023, as they are both signed until the end of the 2024 campaign.
Running Backs
The Panthers entered the 2022 season with one of the best running backs in the NFL in Christian McCaffrey. After the season quickly went off the rails, Carolina traded McCaffrey to the 49ers and handed the keys to the running game over to Houston Texans castoff D’onta Foreman and 2nd year, 4th round pick Chuba Hubbard.
Foreman flashed a ton of potential, highlighted by a 118 yard 3 touchdown performance in week 8 against Atlanta and a 165 yard, 1 touchdown showing against Detroit in week 15. He’s entering the 2023 offseason without a contract, but after breaking out post McCaffrey, it would behoove both sides to come to an agreement and try and build on what they started.
Chuba Hubbard has also shown flashes, including a 125 yard performance in his 2nd of 2 starts of the season. He’s more of a pass catcher than Foreman, but the Canadian will probably top out as a complimentary piece as opposed to becoming a full fledged starter. If Carolina and Foreman decide not to reunite for the 2023 season, the Panthers should aggressively scour the market for a high end starter, to complement Thomas Brown’s brand of offense.
Offensive Line
The Panthers offensive line took a hit early when starting center Pat Elfian was put on injured reserve before the season began after only suiting up for 15 games over the previous 2 seasons combined. Since then however, the line was able to grow as a unit together.
Ikem Ikwonu and fellow tackle Taylor Moton both played 100% of the offensive snaps for the team over the entire season. Center Bradley Bozeman did the same from week 7 onwards. Guards Austin Corbett and Brady Christensen would have joined Moton and Ikwonu in the 100% club if not for each of them leaving the final game of the season. Familiarity along the line is absolutely essential, and that kind of cohesion is a big reason for the late season success the Panthers achieved, particularly in the run game.
Bradley Bozeman is the only pending UFA amongst the starters, and the Panthers would be wise to reallocate the money owed to Elfien to help keep their line together for another full season.
Defense:
Ejiro Evero will be licking his lips with the loaded potential of the Carolina secondary. Jaycee Horn and CJ Henderson have the potential to be an above average shutdown tandem at cornerback after being selected 8th and 9th respectively in their draft years. Horn has looked like he’s tracking to become a true number 1 and hopes to continue that projection in his 3rd season.
Henderson, who was drafted by Jacksonville and then dumped to the Panthers during the Urban Meyer era for middling tight end Dan Arnold has, to this point, struggled to stay on the field which has certainly hampered his development in the NFL. Entering his draft year he was projected to be a #1 corner in his own right. With Evero’s experience in the secondary, and a little more luck in the health department, this could be the year that Henderson finally breaks out.
The Panthers defensive backfield also boasts 2nd round pick Jeremy Chinn at safety, who, like Henderson, has battled injuries thus far in his career but has a ton of untapped potential. At linebacker, the Panthers boast two high end outside linebackers in Shaq Thompson and the underrated Frankie Luvu, who both excelled in run defense in 2022. Veteran inside linebacker Cory Littleton is a notable free agent after an impressive season, and will have to be replaced if the Panthers can’t work out a deal to bring him back.
Along the defensive front, Carolina boasts an elite interior defensive lineman in Derrick Brown, and a more than capable Matt Ioannidis. They received disappointing seasons from pass rushers Brian Burns, who was in the midst of trade rumors up until the deadline, and Yetur Gross-Matos, their 2020 2nd round pick. The Panthers have clearly invested in their defense over the past few seasons, and have high potential talent throughout the defense. It will be up to the coaching staff to finally get them over the hump and develop them into what has the potential to be a top 10 unit in the NFL.
The Panthers were listed as the top destination amongst teams with a head coach openings following the 2022 campaign, and their move to secure the #1 pick shows that management thinks the roster that they’ve built is ready to compete. They’ve spent the past few years building the team the right way, focusing on high potential defensive pieces through the draft and developing a top offensive line.
In addition to having the #1 pick in the draft, the Panthers also boast a decent amount of cap space, and have a good selection of picks in this year’s draft, so finding the pieces to round out this roster and winning the NFC south in 2023 is very much within the realm of possibility. Of course, that will all hinge on how their new quarterback integrates himself into the NFL.
-Devon Gallant
Twitter: @DevGallant
Photo: Kyle Tsui. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.