5 Carolina Panthers players who need a monster offseason in 2022
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers players need a monster offseason period with a view to hitting the ground running when team activities resume in 2022?
This offseason is going to be full of activity for the Carolina Panthers. Plenty of recruits will be coveted in free agency and during the 2022 NFL Draft, which will go a long way to deciding whether head coach Matt Rhule has what it takes to make the necessary impact in a crucial third campaign at the helm.
That will be one of the most dramatic things to keep an eye on. But for those already on the roster, the coming months will be all about rest, reflection, and improvement to hit the ground running when OTAs and training camp come around once again.
Carolina didn’t meet expectations in 2021 after things began so brightly. However, there is plenty of young talent on this roster and if some make the required leaps, then better fortunes could be on the horizon.
With this in mind, here are five Panthers players who need to have a monster offseason this spring.
Player No. 1
Darryl Johnson – Carolina Panthers DE
Trading for Darryl Johnson was an odd move by the Carolina Panthers in hindsight. The team has an abundance of talent on this side of the football and it left the lineman on the outside looking more often than not following his move from the Buffalo Bills.
Whether Johnson can become more involved next time around is unclear. He appears right on the roster bubble in one sense, but if the likes of Marquis Haynes and Haason Reddick don’t sign new deals, then a slight window of opportunity could open as a result.
Johnson is still young enough to make significant strides. But that simply has to arrive during the current offseason.