Panthers mailbag: Offseason focus? Draft position? Why fire Ron Rivera midseason?
The playoffs are out of the picture. The 2019 season is officially winding down, but there are so many unanswered questions about what’s to come next for the Panthers. Most likely won’t be resolved for some time.
Fortunately, there are some things we do know. So with all of the mystique and change surrounding Bank of America Stadium and the future of Carolina, we’re going to take a stab at some of your questions and try to establish as much calm as possible.
With the Panthers officially eliminated from playoff contention, is there any chance Christian McCaffrey’s workload starts to diminish this week?
Not this week, no. Offensive coordinator Scott Turner seemed pretty emphatic that the Panthers offense will continue to go through and revolve around Christian McCaffrey as it has all season long. Expect him to have his usual role in Sunday’s offense and probably even have more carries than last week after he had a season-low 11 rushes vs. the Falcons.
After that, who knows. While it seems like a good option for the Panthers to consider keeping McCaffrey out some during the next three games, there is a lot of desire from both McCaffrey and the coaching staff for him to play out. Part of that is due to everyone currently “auditioning” for their jobs next year and a desire to prove they can win. The running back wants to be there for his team and there is that elusive 1,000 rushing yards/1,000 receiving yards season that only two players before him have reached. McCaffrey needs 274 receiving yards to hit that total, which will be hard, but not impossible.
Despite potential injuries, the Panthers seem set on keeping him in for now.
What made an analytical guy like David Tepper pull the trigger on Ron Rivera now?
This is a good opportunity for a refresher on why exactly Ron Rivera was fired midseason.
Owner David Tepper claims that the team elected to let Rivera go with four games still to play in the year because he wanted to get ahead on the coaching search, but “respected” Rivera enough that he did not want to do so behind his back. Thus as soon as Tepper decided that Rivera wasn’t the future, he let him go.
Why couldn’t he fit the next phase of the team’s history? Well, the Panthers’ owner has talked a lot about how he put his stamp on the business side of things and it was really only a matter of time before he did the same on the football side. Not only will there be a new head coach next year, but the team will also be restructuring the operations side some, including hiring an assistant general manager and vice president of football operations.
Tepper said he is now looking for an offensive-minded, analytics-accepting head coach. Rivera, who had a defensive background, just didn’t fit the long-term vision.
What are the two position groups the Panthers need to focus on in the offseason?
Well quarterback seems like the obvious answer here, but let’s just say that the Panthers will be all over the Cam Newton situation and whatever ripple effects come from it. If they trade him or move on, it becomes the most pressing need.
Outside of that, offensive and defensive line seem to be the next groups in need of the most attention. On the defensive side, tackles Kyle Love and Vernon Butler’s contract are ending this year, as well as defensive ends Gerald McCoy, Efe Obada and Wes Horton. While the Panthers are second in the NFL in sacks (47), they have struggled to defend against the run. Since Week 8, they have given up the second-most rushing yards per game (156.4). So that unit will likely get somewhat of a refresh.
As far as the offensive line’s concerned, guard Greg Van Roten and tackle Daryl Williams are the only major pieces that have their contracts up this offseason. The unit has given up 50 sacks and, while dealing with multiple injuries, has struggled to find consistency. Rookie left tackle Greg Little missing most of the season with concussions and an ankle injury didn’t help, but despite the young talent — rookie tackle Dennis Daley has also struggled at times — the Panthers would do well to give their offensive line a boost this offseason for whatever quarterback is starting in September.
Where are the Panthers slated to pick in the draft?
The Panthers are currently in place to have the 11th overall pick in the draft, but depending on how the rest of the season goes, that number could change a good bit by the end of the year.
The Chargers and Broncos are also 5-8 and there are five 6-7 teams and two 4-9 teams. Carolina could end up in the top 10 of the draft, and it would be surprising if they end up outside of the top 15.
ESPN currently has the Panthers projected to finish with the 10th overall pick. Carolina should be in good position to fill whatever hole is most pressing in April, quarterback or otherwise.
