What’s missing on the Panthers’ roster? The team’s biggest needs for a busy offseason
Regardless of who owner David Tepper selects to be the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, there are positions on the team’s roster that general manager Scott Fitterer will address this offseason.
“I don’t want to box myself in, but you can always use a vertical receiver, tight ends, speed on the defensive side and ballhawks,” Fitterer said Monday. “That’s what we’re looking for.”
Of course, the Panthers will address the quarterback issue, too. So let’s start there. Here are five key needs the Panthers must satisfy this offseason.
A franchise quarterback
When the Panthers fired Matt Rhule, Football Outsiders gave Carolina a better than 50% chance of landing a top-two pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Then Carolina lost to the Rams 24-10. The Panthers completed just one pass beyond the line of scrimmage that day. Following the game, the Panthers’ top-two pick probability jumped to 74%.
Three months and six victories later, the Panthers earned the pick No. 9 in the draft. NFL evaluators and scouts project four quarterbacks to go in the first round. Most believe Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud will go No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Kentucky’s Will Levis and Anthony Richardson of Florida round out the top four QBs.
In November, the Observer reported Tepper wants Levis. He could very well be available at No. 9. However, the Colts (pick No. 4) also need a franchise quarterback. So do the Raiders at No. 7.
The Panthers could trade up but it would be costly.
If Carolina does not land a first-round quarterback, then Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr could be an option, according to a league source. But Fitterer has been clear about his ambitions to draft and develop a quarterback.
“It’s just it’s too early to tell,” Fitterer said about targeting a first-round quarterback. “Last year you thought a lot of those guys could go one, two, three, and four. (But) a couple of guys were sitting there in the third round. There’s so much work to be done.”
Vertical speed receiver
The Panthers’ offense did not challenge defenses downfield enough this season.
According to Sharp Football Stats, the Panthers’ 36 explosive passing plays were the second-fewest in the league. Only the New York Giants had fewer. The team never replaced receiver Robbie Anderson’s skill set after trading him in Week 4. Second-year receiver Terrace Marshall stepped up as a productive starter but his game doesn’t command over-the-top coverage.
Carolina needs a receiver who opposing defensive coordinators fear. Moore can stretch the field, as he showed at Atlanta and Tampa Bay, but he’s as valuable anywhere else on the field too.
Identifying a middle-round burner to pair with Moore and Marshall would unlock more of the Panthers’ offense for its next quarterback and play caller.
A middle-of-the-field target
Carolina also needs a big-bodied target to occupy the middle of the field. The team hasn’t had a dominant tight end since Greg Olsen.
This season, tight ends Ian Thomas, Tommy Tremble, and Giovanni Ricci combined for 471 yards on 48 catches. That stat line — three players combined — ranks 15th among all tight ends, behind Bears tight end Cole Kmet.
The Panthers need to retake control of the middle of the field next season. That means adding a sure-handed, quick-twitched slot receiver, too. Shi Smith does not play big enough to overcome his small frame.
By adding both a tight end and a dependable slot receiver, Carolina would provide its next quarterback with easy outlets across the middle.
Defensive speed
The Panthers’ defense will undergo some changes this offseason.
The future of the linebacker room is uncertain. Shaq Thompson will need to take a pay cut to return, which may or may not happen. The team will add cheaper talent to pair with Frankie Luvu and rookie Brandon Smith.
Finding a linebacker with speed and open-field coverage skills would benefit the next defensive play caller.
When the Panthers drafted Thompson in the first round of the 2015 draft, he played in 14 games as a rookie and proved valuable as a nickel defender. Carolina kept three linebackers on the field early in Thompson’s career because of his versatility.
Carolina won’t draft a first-round linebacker, but finding the next Shaq Thompson is how Carolina adds defensive speed this offseason.
What we learned
The Panthers spent the past two seasons fixing their offensive and defensive lines. Drafting Jaycee Horn, and Jeremy Chinn and trading for C.J. Henderson shored up the secondary.
Now it’s time Carolina adds pass catchers and defensive talent with explosive traits that can swing games.
“We’re getting the offense line settled. We feel like we have some running backs,” Fitterer said. “We have D.J. Moore. Terrace (Marshall) is coming on. We need to make a couple of tweaks on defense. But we have one of the best young corners in the league. Donte Jackson will be back.
“This is the year that we go out and take some shots on more explosive-type athletes and players. It might be a little bit more of a sexy draft and just a nuts-and-bolts type draft.”
