4. Carolina Panthers
Key Additions: Teddy Bridgewater, Robby Anderson, Derrick Brown, Yetur Gross-Matos, Russell Okung
Key Losses: Cam Newton, Luke Kuechly, Gerald McCoy, Mario Addison, James Bradberry, Greg Olsen, Eric Reid, Trai Turner
When you sign Teddy Bridgewater to replace Cam Newton, it’s pretty clear you’re rebuilding. But don’t stop there. Carolina has moved on from pretty much every key veteran, making Luke Kuechly’s retirement seem like a wise move in retrospect. They replaced Ron Rivera with Matt Rhule.
I do like The Panthers’ draft haul, landing two potentially disruptive defensive linemen to replace Mario Addison and Gerald McCoy. Realistically, though, Carolina’s offseason hasn’t been indicative of a team trying to win anytime soon.
Too much roster turnover and some questionable moves make it hard to believe the Panthers can be a legitimate threat in a loaded division. The future is bright if the team lands a top pick and its young talent develops. Plus, Christian McCaffrey is easily the NFC South’s best running back — which should make for some entertaining games.
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