Assembling a dream starting Panthers offense for 2021 season
By Dean Jones
What would the Carolina Panthers’ dream starting lineup look like in 2021 ahead of a crucial period in their rebuild this spring?
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the Carolina Panthers are going to be extremely aggressive in pursuit of improving their roster this offseason. Matt Rhule got a relative pass for his final 2020 record of 5-11 given the amount of player upheaval there was last year. But owner David Tepper is not going to afford him the same luxury next time around.
That means it’s essential that the Panthers make the right moves in terms of current roster members, out-of-contract players, and with their recruitment in free agency, the 2021 NFL Draft, or the trade market.
Carolina cleared a significant amount of salary-cap space this week with some notable departures including Kawann Short and Tre Boston, which should ensure they are in a strong position to keep the players they want around and attract the right sort of quality in the process.
What comes next over the next few weeks will shape the long and short-term aspirations of the franchise. The Panthers showed plenty of encouraging signs this season without quite doing enough in close games to get themselves to a surprise playoff berth. But providing the necessary adjustments are made, postseason football won’t be too much longer in the offing.
There is just no telling what the Panthers are going to do.
But it’s going to be another drama-filled period whichever avenues they choose to explore.
With this in mind, we picked a dream starting lineup on the offensive side of the ball in Carolina for the 2021 season, which would do their chances of making substantial strides an incredible amount of good.