Between now and the end of August, TGS will offer up a quick snapshot of every NFL team heading into the 2016 regular season. Today, the Carolina Panthers.
2015 in a nutshell: They win an NFL-high 15 regular-season games and kick ass in their first two playoff games before putting together a dud performance in a Super Bowl 50 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Why 2016 could be different: MVP quarterback Cam Newton is one year older, and probably only entering his prime. He’ll also have a new stud-caliber receiver in Kelvin Benjamin, who missed his entire rookie season.
Major additions: Benjamin, who is finally healthy. They also became even deeper at defensive tackle with top pick Vernon Butler and free-agent addition Paul Soliai.
Major losses: Nobody except for All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman, whom they let walk. They even kept high-profile coordinators Mike Shula and Sean McDermott.
Breakout watch: Rookie first-round pick Shaq Thompson became a solid starter at linebacker late in the season. Life’s good alongside Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis, so look for the 22-year-old to have a superb sophomore season.
Position to watch: Would have liked to see them do more to address a secondary that was sometimes a problem in 2015, especially after basically dumping Norman. Robert McClain, Bene’ Benwikere, Tre Boston and Kurt Coleman isn’t a great starting four, and there isn’t a lot of depth. That could be their Achilles’ heel in 2016. A lot could fall on rookie second- and third-round corners James Bradberry and Daryl Worley.
Prediction: Still, I don’t think they’ll miss Norman that much. That front seven should be remarkable, and the offense should be even better. I believe they’re going back to the Super Bowl.
