2. Carolina Panthers
There is potential for the 2020 Carolina Panthers to vastly surpass expectations. New head coach Matt Rhule installed Joe Brady, formerly the passing game coordinator at LSU, as the offensive coordinator. Brady will be reunited with Teddy Bridgewater, after the two spent time together with the New Orleans Saints, and Bridgewater will be running a familiar offensive system, one that Brady installed at LSU. The new quarterback will have weapons in Robby Anderson, D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel – a solid trio of wide receivers – and of course running back Christian McCaffrey, big new contract in hand.
Beyond the skill positions, however, there are issues. The offensive line has some holes, perhaps bigger than Russell Okung can plug. Pass rush is a question mark, although Derrick Brown on the inside and Yetur Gross-Matos on the outside can help. Luke Kuechly’s retirement leaves a big hole, and the secondary also faces questions after the departure of James Bradberry. Eli Apple showed promise while in New Orleans, so he could step into that cornerback spot, Jeremy Chinn was a very intriguing prospect prior to the draft and fits the mold of the modern NFL safety.
So while there is talent on both sides of the football, the depth behind those players, as well as how those new faces gel, are big questions facing Rhule in 2020.