Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule’s lack of rookie development
Make no mistake about it, Matt Rhule’s seat is very hot right now. This is down in no small part to team owner David Tepper going another season with a losing record, which is all he has known since buying the Carolina Panthers.
The development of some of Carolina’s offensive rookies this season has been a serious cause for concern. Mainly Terrace Marshall Jr., Brady Christensen, and Deonte Brown.
Marshall, Carolina’s second-round pick, was again a non-factor at the Buffalo Bills. The former LSU man has now gone over two months without a reception since the Week 6 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, with Brandon Zylstra elevated ahead of him on the depth chart as a result.
However, it’s the development of Brown and more so Christensen that has drawn the ire of fans. From the refusal to play players in the correct position to simply not playing them at all, this year has been a mess for Rhule and his player development.
Considering, for the most part, this unit has stunk out the place it’s a mystery to most that we’ve seen such a small sample size. Yet fans have been forced to continually watch veterans underperform.
Many factors could lead to Rhule being relieved of his duties when it’s all said and done. But this certainly could be one of them if Tepper opts to cut this experiment short.