Carolina Panthers: 4 newcomers who could surprise in 2020

Carolina Panthers Player No. 2: Michael Schofield (OL)

How the Carolina Panthers perform offensively will ultimately come down to how much protection quarterback Teddy Bridgewater receives. There is little doubting the quality of weapons at his disposal. But it is imperative that the signal-caller gets time to go through his progressions.

Plenty of new faces have been brought in by the Panthers with a view to transforming their fortunes in this area of the field. Michael Schofield was a later arrival in free agency. But he joins the team with a good pedigree after an impressive campaign with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2019.

Schofield gave up just one sack and one penalty in 1,057 snaps last season. Although this earned him a respectable 63.6 grade from Pro Football Focus. It was not enough to convince the Chargers to keep the player around.

This had plenty to do with their trade for Carolina’s perennial Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner, which sent veteran left tackle Russell Okung to the Panthers. Schofield has worked with the coaching staff and the experienced tackle before. So this familiarity might see the player hit the ground running.

His first objective will be to secure a starting spot, which should happen in the coming weeks. What comes next is crucial to his long-term aspirations with the franchise. And the Panthers would have a real steal on their hands if the player performs at the level he is capable of.