Another Bleak Picture For Carolina Panthers
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
Coming off one of the most disastrous seasons in franchise history, a National Football League-worst 2-15 debacle that ended Frank Reich’s tenure after only 11 games, the Carolina Panthers hope to take a significant step forward during the 2024 season under new head coach Dave Canales (pictured above).
With the preseason in the books and the Panthers’ regular-season opener (Sept. 8 at New Orleans) here, however, it’s hard to find an objective NFL observer who truly believes Carolina is poised for a breakthrough this fall.
In fact, in a quick roundup of prominent sports media outlets’ preseason NFL power rankings (see below), all five independently forecast the 2024 Panthers for the #32 slot — meaning, once again, the absolute worst team in the league.
In 2023, after the Panthers selected Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the #1 overall NFL draft pick, they averaged an NFL-worst 13.9 points per game.
In the offseason, they attempted to improve Young’s supporting cast via the coaching staff (Canales has built a reputation as a “QB whisperer” of sorts), free agency (veteran guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis), trade (wide receiver Diontae Johnson) and the draft (South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette in the first round, Texas running back Jonathon Brooks in the second round, Texas tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders in the fourth round).
The 2023 Panthers also finished 29th in the league in scoring defense (24.5 points per game) last season, although the team’s truly anemic offense and routinely undesirable field-position circumstances certainly impacted that number.
Carolina also hopes for better health on that side of the ball, after star linebacker Shaq Thompson (only two games) and promising young cornerback Jaycee Horn (six) missed a large majority of the season a year ago.
Nevertheless, the NFL’s preseason pundits clearly aren’t biting on any glass-half-full optimism when it comes to the 2024 Panthers. Below are team capsules taken from various NFL power rankings, each of which independently pegged Carolina as the worst team in the league.
Media Outlet (Writer) — 2024 NFL Projection
ESPN.com (David Newton) — #32
“The Panthers traded for WR Diontae Johnson and moved into the first round of the draft to get WR Xavier Legette. They spent $150 million on guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis to shore up the middle of the offensive line. They used a second-round pick on Jonathon Brooks, the top running back in the draft. They hired a head coach in Dave Canales known for turning around quarterbacks. If QB Bryce Young doesn’t show marked improvement, Carolina will have a high draft pick again and will again be looking for a franchise quarterback.”
NFL.com (Eric Edholm) — #32
“It feels like it’s become a tradition in recent years for the team that generally ranks 32nd across the power rankings landscape entering the season to not finish the year in dead last, so history says the Panthers have a chance to move out of the basement by January. It was getting a bit musty down there, anyway. QB Bryce Young is the clear and obvious source for potential improvement from within, partially thanks to an offseason geared around improving his poor offensive supporting cast. Did they do enough to become true contenders? Probably not, but this offseason was a solid start, and it’s been a welcome development for OT Ikem Ekwonu and WR Jonathan Mingo to start camp on high notes. Defensively, trading OLB Brian Burns will sting the pass rush quite a bit. I think you’ll see GM Dan Morgan scouring the wires for assistance at that spot. Having the first waiver priority helps — but it also is an indication of just how much work there is left to do in Carolina.”
TheAthletic.com (Josh Kendall) — #32
“Maybe the Panthers really, really wanted Dave Canales as their head coach. Or, maybe more high-profile candidates were scared off by the combination of owner David Tepper and QB Bryce Young. Canales had a nice year as Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator in 2023, but it was his only season as a coordinator. If he can reverse Young’s career track, none of that will matter. The former Alabama quarterback’s 5.5 yards per attempt in his rookie season were the fewest for any quarterback in the last eight seasons.”
USAToday.com (Ayrton Ostly) — #32
“Carolina had the second-worst offense and fourth-worst defense in the league last season. The Panthers put a premium on investing around second-year QB Bryce Young this offseason by drafting WR Xavier Legette and RB Jonathan Brooks, signing offensive linemen Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis in free agency, and trading for WR Diontae Johnson. Dave Canales helped quarterbacks Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield turn around their careers in Seattle and Tampa Bay, respectively. Can he have the same impact on Young in 2024?”
Yahoo! Sports (Frank Schwab) — #32
“The Panthers hired a new head coach, Dave Canales, coming off a very good season as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator. He did wonders for Baker Mayfield’s career, which had to catch the Panthers’ interest. Carolina spent $153 million on guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, traded for WR Diontae Johnson and drafted WR Xavier Legette, RB Jonathon Brooks and TE Ja’Tavion Sanders. Those were the first steps in helping QB Bryce Young reach his potential. It’s not like the dark cloud is gone. Owner David Tepper is still around, bothering bar owners who take a shot at him, ready to make the Panthers U-turn all their plans when he gets impatient with losing again. Young has a long way to go, and he might never come close to CJ Stroud as a player or to paying off what the Panthers gave up in that trade. The roster still has massive holes on both sides of the ball. It would be a step forward for the entire franchise if Young played better this season. That would give some reason for hope. The Panthers need some hope. Badly.”
