Panthers Opinion: Time For Management To Improve Approach -

The Carolina Panthers hover at a crossroads. With one failed coaching hire under his belt, what’s the future for the Panthers?

Despite a recent history of losing, the Carolina Panthers are a sleeping giant. With a two-state, rabid fanbase, and a billionaire owner, Carolina possesses all the tools to succeed. Yet, after a coaching failure, and a litany of free agent faux pas, the franchise still looks for long-term answers. With the 2022 season lurking in the rearview, an uncertain but potentially successful future awaits. If owner David Tepper and GM Scott Fitterer do not botch the process.

Doing Wilks Dirty

Earlier this week, word trickled out that Tepper spoke to Jim Harbaugh regarding the head coaching gig. For the second time during his career, a franchise will probably pull the rug out from Steve Wilks. First, the Arizona Cardinals saddled him with a subpar roster while eyeing Kliff Kingsbury to take Wilks’ job. After one season, Arizona showed Wilks the door. Now, Tepper and the Panthers appear to walk the same path. When the Panthers fired Matt Rhule, Wilks amalgamated the locker room under a credo of hard work, effort, and accountability. Meanwhile, Tepper continues to search for a head coach. Wilks grew up in Charlotte and calls the area home. Neither flashy nor camera-hoggish, Wilks shows up to work. On top of that, in that city, does Tepper really want to shuttle a qualified Black head coach? Shameful.

Draft Capital

After sending Christian McCaffrey to San Francisco, the Panthers own four picks in the first three rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft. While sections of the rabid fandom would like to throw caution to the wind and trade up, conventional wisdom differs. For a team that could contend for a division championship, the Panthers need more than a quarterback. Initially, the offensive line bubbles to the surface. Granted, Ikem Ekwonu anchors the left side, and Taylor Moton the right, but the interior of the line needs help. Next, wideout becomes a concern. If the Panthers draft a quarterback in the first round, the offense needs another receiver. Make no mistake, D.J. Moore is the number-one option in the passing game. Laviska Shenault, acquired early-season could function as a Deebo Samuel-like receiver. For example, line Shenault up in the backfield. Either give him five to eight carries or motion him to the line of scrimmage. Unused in Jacksonville, Shenault’s blend of hands and run-after-catch ability presents matchup problems in base and subpackage sets.

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by Full Press Coverage on February 5, 2023 at 3:49 pm

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The Changing NFC South

With every team in the division presumably looking for a quarterback, the NFC South is a level playing field. No one enjoys an advantage. As a result, this is where the Panthers could take control. To be honest, between Tepper and Fitterer, the faith in them to not snatch defeat from victory remains high. The NFC South is the only division, heading into 2023 without a clear-cut, dominant favorite. Now, the Panthers must get things right.

The Fanbase

Going back to Brad Hoover scoring and Steve Beuerlein, this fanbase stood by this franchise. Kerry Collins called Moose Muhammad the worst name imaginable. Through tragedy, Panthers fans showed up. Jerry Richardson, the man that brought professional football to Charlotte ended up demonstrating inappropriate behavior. Fans stayed. Cam Newton, the best player in team history, played a Super Bowl with zero blocking and sacrificed his health. Fans stayed. David Tepper, until he shows otherwise, feels like a fan with a bank account, instead of running the team like a business. Fans ride for the organization. The team must reciprocate