Panthers balance sheet: Offense in the black after major QB move

Carolina Panthers offense: The verdict

As stated previously, the Carolina Panthers did a good job of bringing in the right pieces to possibly make more of a splash in 2021. This is an offense that is stacked with dynamic playmakers, so if Sam Darnold holds up his end of the bargain, the sky is the limit.

Getting the protection right is key. The longer Darnold has to go through his progressions, the less chance we’ll see some of the questionable decision-making that blighted his three years on the New York Jets.

Leaning on Christian McCaffrey is a luxury Darnold has never been afforded before. Maximizing the running back’s production with fewer carries is the smart route to go down and the Panthers appear to have plenty of other options that can assist.

Simply put, everything will go through Darnold no matter what.

Everything is in place for the signal-caller to succeed. Having a potentially dominant defense locking things down should also help matters for the offense.

It’s hard to envisage a situation where the Panthers aren’t going to make things very difficult for opposing defenses. They’ll want to put as much in the way of pressure on Darnold to see how he copes, so Joe Brady needs to recognize this and react accordingly with sensible play calls to further smooth his transition.

The gamble to go with Darnold over Teddy Bridgewater was a big call to make. But the upside is far greater if everything goes right.