Floor, ceiling and reality projections for the Panthers in 2021
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers 2021 record: The ceiling
- 11-12 wins
There is a flipside to the doom and gloom.
If everything clicks into place for the Carolina Panthers right away, who’s to say they cannot go on to secure 11 or 12 wins during the 2021 season given the abundance of talent at their disposal on both sides of the football.
This would be the biggest of turnarounds from consecutive 5-11 seasons.
The Panthers still appear to be a work in progress – especially with so many changes to the roster this offseason – but there is a strong opportunity to build some early momentum that could propel them to great things as the campaign progresses.
Carolina has a defense that has the scope to be among the league’s most dynamic. Couple this with the impending return to health of star running back Christian McCaffrey and the elite weapons in the passing game, and things might not be all that bleak.
A record such as this is predicated on Sam Darnold hitting the ground running. His protection must also live up to their end of the bargain and if both concerns become positives, the sky is the limit for this group of players.
If the Panthers ended up with an 11-6 or even a 12-5 record, it would be the shock of the season. Perhaps a little too on the optimistic side, but that is what this time of the offseason is for.