It’s NFL team preview time, and today we’re looking at the Carolina Panthers. Each Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from July 25 through Sept. 8, we will take an in-depth look at each team in the NFL with a 7- to 10-minute video going through impactful additions and departures, last year’s rankings and strength of schedule in 2023.
analyst Jim Derry will then make a prediction on the team’s record this season and where they will finish in their respective division, along with the over/under win total, as posted by our partners at Caesars Sportsbook.
These stories are a brief summary of the accompanied preview videos – powered by the (which will review each division every Friday until the season begins). The schedule for when each team will run is listed below with a link to each story and video that already has run.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
Coach: Frank Reich (1st season)
2022 record: 7-10, 2nd in NFC South; did not make playoffs.
Last season in a nutshell: A mess that seemed to tidy up just a bit in the end before becoming a mess again in the offseason.
Steve Wilks though he did enough in his 12 games as interim head coach – taking over for Matt Rhule after his Week 4 firing – but the Panthers administration did not necessarily see it that way. Instead, Frank Reich, who was fired by the Indianapolis Colts during the 2022 season, was named coach, and Wilks became the defensive coordinator in San Francisco.
Most of the skill players on offense either left during the season or after, as Christian McCaffrey was traded to the same 49ers Wilks later went to, and D’Onta Foreman (203 carries for 914 yards and five touchdowns) signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bears. Also, quarterbacks Baker Mayfield was cut and Sam Darnold also is in San Francisco.
Wide receiver DJ Moore was traded to Chicago in part of a deal for the first overall pick.
What many experts fail to remember is this team is two seasons removed from having the league’s second-ranked defense in the NFL, although they slipped all the way to 22nd in 2022, which likely was a main contributor to Wilks not being retained.
Can they turn that back around in 2023, and if so will that be enough to contend in a weak division?
2023 bye week: 7
2023 Draft: 1 (1st overall) QB Bryce Young, Alabama; 2 (39) WR Jonathan Mingo, Ole Miss; 3 (80) LB DJ Johnson, Oregon; 4 (114) G Chandler Zavala, North Carolina State; 5 (145) DB Jammie Robinson, Florida State.
Free-agent signings: RB Miles Sanders (from Philadelphia), 4 years, $25M; WR Adam Thielen (from Minnesota), 3 years, $25M; S Vonn Bell (from Cincinnati), 3 years, $22.5M; TE Hayden Hurst (from Cincinnati), 3 years, $21.8M; DT Shy Tuttle (from New Orleans), 3 years, $19.5M; QB Andy Dalton (from New Orleans), 2 years, $10M; DE Justin Houston (from Baltimore), 1 year, $6M; WR DJ Chark (from Detroit), 1 year, $5M; G Justin McCray (from Houston), 1 year, $1.77M; DE DeShawn Williams (from Denver), 1 year, $1.75M; WR Damiere Byrd (IR); S Eric Rowe (cut); LB Kamu Grugier-Hill (from Arizona), 1 year, $1.32M; LB Deion Jones (cut); DT Taylor Stallworth (cut); QB Jake Luton (cut).
What needs to go right: We have asked this question before, but how much right are we talking about here? If we’re talking about being a great value at +135 to win more than seven games and an incredible +500 to win the division, then Bryce Young needs to give us a glimpse of what a potential decade-plus career could look like, and the defense needs to get back somewhere near the top 10.
If we’re talking about anything beyond that, the Panthers will have to be near perfect and overachieve in nearly every category (which is possible).
Young is surrounded by many new players, including running back Miles Sanders, who played lead running back for the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl last year. He also will have veteran Adam Thielen at wide receiver, who should help in the development of Young.
Tight end Hayden Hurst is 2 years removed from playing in a Super Bowl, as well, and rookie receiver Jonathan Mingo could be quite the dynamic player.
But can the defense be more like No. 2 of 2021 instead of the mixed bag of last season? Veteran edge rusher Justin Houston comes over from Baltimore, as does DT Shy Tuttle from New Orleans and DE DeShawn Williams from Denver. The secondary had some injury concerns and should be better.
But will they be better enough to wrest this division from either favorite New Orleans or Atlanta? The good news is they have the sixth-easiest schedule in the NFL. The bad news is the Falcons and Saints have the second-easiest and easiest, respectively.
Key moments in video:
0:00 Carolina Panthers preview
1:09 So many changes in offseason
2:22 Bryce Young is here!
3:38 A whole new offense
5:49 Can the defense be more like 2021?
6:18 Dissecting the schedule
8:42 Predictions, best bets
PREVIEW SCHEDULE / LINKS
AFC SOUTH
July 25:
July 26:
NFC SOUTH
Sept. 5:
Sept. 6:
Sept. 7: Carolina Panthers
Sept. 8: New Orleans Saints