4 biggest positions of need for the Panthers this offseason
By Dean Jones
Linebacker
Losing someone like Luke Kuechly was always going to come with its own set of problems. The perennial All-Pro was the heart and soul of the Carolina Panthers from the moment he stepped on the field and even though he is still part of the organization behind the scenes, it is just not the same as having the linebacker flying around at the second level.
Free-agent signing Tahir Whitehead didn’t work out, to put it mildly. Things picked up somewhat when Jermaine Carter patched up his differences with head coach Matt Rhule and was installed as a starter, but this could be another positional group that undergoes some big changes in the coming weeks.
Carter may have done enough to get another shot at starting in 2021, although it’s highly likely the Panthers will address the depth on the inside with a couple of new arrivals. There is also the prospect of moving stud rookie Jeremy Chinn back to safety after a starring role as an outside linebacker during his first year in the league.
Shaq Thompson‘s huge pay increase in 2021 is something else that could see his future in Carolina come into question despite recording more than 100 tackles for the second straight year.
The former first-round pick struggled without Kuechly by his side early on before turning things around after the bye week. But this is another significant topic for discussion for the powers that be before free agency begins.