The Carolina Panthers are a team that hopes to be headed in the right direction after struggling to find their footing in the post-Cam Newton era. Following the late-season success of quarterback and number-one pick Bryce Young, the Panthers have momentum heading into this season, and other members of the media have taken notice.
Yahoo’s Frank Schwab gave the Panther’s offseason high marks in his June 19 article, “NFL offseason power rankings: No. 29 Carolina Panthers believe in Bryce Young, but are still rebuilding.” Schwab gave the Panthers a B+ grade for their offseason moves.
Improved Defense
Schwab gave praise to the Panthers focus on defense in free agency. Schwab wrote, “Defense, and particularly the run defense, was the focus of free agency.” The Panthers added Tre’von Moehrig to their secondary. Tershawn Wharton, Bobby Brown, and Patrick Jones are additions to their defensive line, and Christian Rozeboom to their linebackers room.
Last season, the Panthers gave up 5.2 yards per carry, which was the worst in the league. They also allowed 24 touchdowns on the ground, tied for the worst in the league. The free-agent additions were only a precursor to the work the Panthers put into improving the defensive line, as they used three draft picks as well.
In the draft, the Panthers added defensive end Nic Scourton in the second round out of Texas A&M, defensive end Princely Umanmielen out of Mississippi in the third round, and defensive tackle Cam Jackson out of Florida with their fifth-round pick.
Panthers general manager Dan Morgan talked about back in April that adding edge rushers was a priority for the team. In Anthony Rizzuti’s article for Panthers Wire titled “Panthers GM Dan Morgan talks about team’s exciting Day 2 draft picks,” Morgan said, “And it just so happened to match up with our board. We had these guys high, and they were still there, and that’s why you saw us go and trade up for them.”
The weakness in the Panthers’ defense was identified this offseason, and they’ve made the corresponding moves to try and correct it.
Adding More Weapons for Bryce Young
Along with making improvements on defense, the Panthers also sought to provide more support to Bryce Young, entering his third season. The most significant acquisition on offense came through the draft, with Tetairoa McMillan being selected with the eighth pick in the draft.
McMillan immediately becomes one of Young’s top targets, along with Adam Thielen and last year’s first-round pick Xavier Legette. Jimmy Horn Jr. is also a new addition, added in the sixth round of this year’s draft.
Head coach Dave Canales’ expectations of McMillan in the early going are just for him to get familiar with the offense and go from there, as outlined in the Tim Weaver Sports Illustrated article, “Dave Canales shares expectations for Panthers rookie Tetairoa McMillan.”
“As we’ve talked, my expectation for him is to just get one day better… Apply himself to the installs, know that he’s coming into a group of guys that have been in this system now, a couple of guys for a few years, you know, and then for him to just be focused on just getting one day better. And then that’s gonna elevate the whole group,” Canales said.
The Panthers are a team in the midst of a rebuild, and their successful offseason has positioned them to take a step forward as a franchise in 2025.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Panthers Receive High Grade for Offseason Moves appeared first on Heavy Sports.