3 winners and 3 losers from the Carolina Panthers 2021 offseason
By Dean Jones
Who were the big winners and losers from an eventful 2021 offseason for the Carolina Panthers?
It’s been an intriguing offseason period for the Carolina Panthers. Past mistakes have been rectified, a shift in the team’s recruitment process came in the form of new general manager Scott Fitterer, and the coaching staff got the chance to experience a full training camp for the first time.
All this was a steep learning curve once again for the Panthers. Something that will hopefully stand them in good stead during their Week 1 clash against the New York Jets and throughout the campaign.
Fans are approaching the new season with excitement and dread in equal measure. The team has a lot of unknowns that won’t be figured out until we see Carolina in a competitive game setting, but there are some obvious complications that could emerge if the Panthers start poorly.
Looking back on an eventful few months, here are three winners and three losers from the Panthers’ 2021 offseason.
Winner No. 1
David Tepper – Carolina Panthers owner
David Tepper’s guys are all finally in place and ambitious plans remain on track despite a slight setback due to COVID-19. The Panthers owner came out of the offseason smiling and appears confident in the team’s chances, although his biggest desire of landing Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans hit a major stumbling block.
The billionaire hasn’t had much to cheer about since buying the franchise. Tepper’s taken some time to put the right pieces together, but his desire for a more analytical approach was evident throughout Carolina’s recruitment process in free agency and the 2021 NFL Draft.
Tepper is expecting better from the Panthers this season. But as far as the offseason goes, things couldn’t have gone much better from a structural perspective.