They’re obviously not a finished product just yet, but the Carolina Panthers have retooled a bit this offseason. And a good chunk of that retooling has come to what was one of the league’s most miserable offenses from 2021.
Carolina, who fired coordinator Joe Brady smack dab in the middle of the season, saw their unit rank 30th in total yards (298.9 per game), 29th in points (17.9 per game), 26th in first downs (174), 30th in big plays (36) and dead-last in passer rating (68.5). Oh joy!
So, hopefully, they’ll have some more work to do on the group this upcoming week with the 2022 NFL draft on tap. But until then, here’s how the Panthers offense currently projects as we move towards a pivotal three-day stretch for head coach Matt Rhule and general manager Scott Fitterer.
| Position | Starter | Depth | |||
| QB | Sam Darnold | P.J. Walker | |||
| RB | Christian McCaffrey | Chuba Hubbard | D’Onta Foreman | Spencer Brown | Darius Bradwell |
| FB | Giovanni Ricci | ||||
| WR | DJ Moore | Terrace Marshall Jr. | Brandon Zylstra | C.J. Saunders | |
| WR | Robby Anderson | Rashard Higgins | Shi Smith | Aaron Parker | |
| TE | Ian Thomas | Colin Thompson | |||
| TE | Tommy Tremble | Stephen Sullivan | |||
| LT | Brady Christensen | Cameron Erving | Aaron Monteiro | ||
| LG | Bradley Bozeman | Michael Jordan | Dennis Daley | ||
| C | Pat Elflein | Sam Tecklenburg | |||
| RG | Austin Corbett | Deonte Brown | Mike Horton | ||
| RT | Taylor Moton | Austen Pleasants |
If we’re to classify these positions relative to need, we can do so in three categories:
- We’re good
- We’re okay, I guess
- We need God
Surprisingly, much of the offensive line lands in the first two categories. The right side is locked up with Moton and Corbett, Bozeman and Elflein will likely be comfy between left guard and center and Christensen is a passable blindside protector at the moment. There is, however, no doubt that the prospect of landing one of Evan Neal, Ikem Ekwonu or Charles Cross could boost the profile of that left side.
Other spots that could use some additional help include tight end and the slots behind Moore and Anderson at wideout. While the Panthers are quite high on both Thomas and Tremble, the offense hasn’t had a serious threat at the spot since Greg Olsen. Plus, the depth behind Moore and Anderson is a tad on the unproven side.
And, of course, we have our Category 3 disaster at quarterback. The only question is, will the next man to show up on that depth chart come from the draft or a trade?
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