It feels surreal to think that only five years ago, the Panthers had just completed one of the most dominant regular seasons of all time and were one win short of a Super Bowl. We all know how that went, smh.
Cam Newton, who was on top of the world after a 2015 MVP season, has since been through injury rehabilitation several times and is up north playing for the Patriots, where he just finished a subpar 7-9 regular season.
Luke Kuechly, perhaps the most dominant linebacker in the sport at that point in time, is now retired after a short, eight-year career in the league.
The Panthers wide receiver corps has been revamped entirely since then, Christian McCaffrey has emerged as one of the league’s top running backs and the defense is full of young talent that was still enrolled in college at the time.
The same can be said about nearly every team in the league, with the main takeaway being that a lot can change in a year.
Need proof? Take a look at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who just a season ago finished third in the NFC South with a 7-9 record. In the off-season, they acquired the necessary pieces (Tom Brady) to win a Super Bowl just a year after.
So, that begs the question, what can the Panthers do before the commencement of the 2021 season to find success? In my opinion, the biggest priority is to find a franchise quarterback. It was evident week after week that Teddy Bridgewater was not the answer. Despite the rest of the team putting the offense in positions to win, Teddy failed to put together a single game winning drive all year.
Grading Teddy Bridgewater’s 2020 Season
It would be naive to place all the blame on Teddy, for sure. Football is a team sport at the end of the day. However, I am confident in saying that at least half of the league’s starting quarterbacks could’ve thrown together at least one fourth-quarter comeback.
The Panthers currently have what is likely the best offensive roster of the last decade, as four different players piled up over 1,000 scrimmage yards this year. And without McCaffrey at that. I mean look at this specimen.
I can’t be the only one who’s frustrated seeing all this young talent go to waste. If I’ve noticed anything throughout my years of fandom, it’s that players only have a short window to be great; I worry that for guys like D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson and Christian McCaffrey, that window may be soon to close.
Fortunately, the upcoming NFL Draft includes a star-studded group of quarterbacks, with Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Justin Fields leading the pack. Deshaun Watson, now a free agent, is also a worthy option for the QB slot in Carolina. It’s fun to dream, right? If you’re looking at the legitimacy of these options, though, it might be safe the check the link below.
Carolina Panthers: Examining 9 options to play quarterback in 2021
Of course, I don’t know for certain what direction the organization will go, nor do I know what player would fit best in the locker room. If I did, I wouldn’t be studying Advertising and Marketing.
What I do know, however, is that the Panthers cannot afford another mediocre season with so much potential on both sides of the ball. We need excitement to return to Bank of America Stadium and until the issue at quarterback is addressed, the franchise can only hope to have a season that eclipses the .500 mark.
For now, the nickname “Cardiac Cats” will remain and I still need to replace the Newton and Kuechly Jerseys that hang stiffly in my closet. Keep Pounding, I guess.
Stanley out.
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