Some people believe the Panthers are going to finish the 2020 season with the worst record in the NFL. While that would set them up to pick a new franchise quarterback in next year’s draft, losing the most games in the league is generally something teams try to avoid. If they’re not interested in tanking, this group is going to need several key players to perform.
Guys who were already on the roster last year who will need to carry a heavy load in 2020 include Christian McCaffrey, Matt Paradis, Ian Thomas, Shaq Thompson and Donte Jackson. We’re already familiar with those players and their expectations, though.
Here are six new players who are under pressure to perform this year.
QB Teddy Bridgewater
Bridgewater has the biggest shoes to fill, at least as far as this franchise is concerned. He doesn’t have the same arm talent or the mobility that Cam Newton does, so it wouldn’t be fair to expect the same things from him as we would from a healthy Newton. What Bridgewater should be judged on his how effectively and aggressively he runs offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s scheme. Dumping off to McCaffrey and throwing simple slants to D.J. Moore over and over isn’t going to get it done. He needs to take advantage of the speed of Curtis Samuel and Robby Anderson and test opponents deep more often than he has in his career up until this point. If Bridgewater elevates his game and becomes more than a check-down artist, he’ll have a chance to be the long-term QB1 and not just a bridge option.