What burning questions are Carolina Panthers fans asking ahead of a crucial 2023 off-season for the franchise?
Carolina Panthers fans, rejoice. One of the most chaotic regular seasons in franchise history is over, and there is a lot to talk about.
The team finished on a high, yet ugly note with a 10-7 victory and season sweep over the New Orleans Saints thanks to an Eddy Pineiro game-winning field goal as time expired.
It’s been a tumultuous season, one that saw Matt Rhule being fired as head coach after two seasons and four games, star running back Christian McCaffrey traded to the San Francisco 49ers for a hefty amount of draft capital, four quarterbacks seeing action in some capacity and the team playing meaningful football in the later portion of the season under interim coach Steve Wilks.
As of this moment, the Panthers are in the process of beginning their head coaching interviews starting with Jim Caldwell and Wilks himself. The team has also requested permission to speak with coaches such as Ken Dorsey and Shane Steichen.
With Week 18 in the rearview mirror, the organization now enters its most crucial offseason yet. General manager Scott Fitterer will have to maneuver some money around to create cap space but has a decent amount of draft capital to make a move for a rookie quarterback if need be.
Fans have been looking forward to the offseason since Rhule’s firing. Even more so with the coaching search underway, leading to many questions as to what lies ahead for the Panthers.
Without further ado, here are five burning questions fans are asking entering the 2023 off-season.
Potential free agents the Carolina Panthers could target
We’ve been looking at the draft order but I’m curious whether there are any free agents that we could add to improve the team. – Wilson
This is something I am now just getting into, Wilson. That’s because we have a clear idea of what Scott Fitterer will be targeting this offseason pending who the next head coach will be.
Let’s begin with the wide receiver position. Fitterer mentioned he wanted vertical speed and there are plenty of viable options on the open market this offseason. Kansas City Chiefs receiver Mecole Hardman looks like a potential fan-favorite, as he boasts the blazing speed to blow the top off defenses with a market value projected at $11 million per year according to Spotrac.
Another receiver I would mention is Paris Campbell, another speedy player with a similar skill set. But he looks more like a gadget piece, which is the role Laviska Sheanult Jr. currently bestows.
At the tight end spot, there are a lot of big names such as Mike Gesicki, Dalton Schultz, Evan Engram, Austin Hooper, Robert Tonyan, and Irv Smith Jr. All of them have a range of market value between $5 million and $15 million per year. Again, Fitterer has the ability to move money around and it would not be difficult to land any of these on the open market.
Fitterer said Carolina will be looking for speed at linebacker and within their pass rush. Cleveland’s Anthony Walker and Pittsburgh’s Devin Bush are potential targets at linebacker while Indianapolis Colts edge presence Yannick Ngakoue and Jadaveon Clowney look to be viable options and a steady veteran presence up front.
At cornerback, I don’t expect any additions. The top four corners on the roster are likely Jaycee Horn, Donte Jackson, C.J. Henderson, and Keith Taylor Jr. plus a potential rookie. I could see Josh Norman returning as a depth piece after returning to the Panthers before Week 17.
Carolina Panthers trading up in the NFL Draft
What are the odds we trade up for Bryce Young? Are there any QBs in this draft that are worth multiple 1st round picks? – Issac
As I mentioned in last week’s mailbag, I think these types of questions will be very fluid as the NFL Draft process moves along.
You’re going to hear a lot of different things about this draft class. From my end, I don’t believe a team needs to give up multiple future first-round selections for a quarterback unless you’re striking a deal with the Chicago Bears.
The price tag for the No. 1 overall selection would require at a minimum two future first-round picks on top of some current draft capital in 2023. Someone will attempt to do this and I think the Carolina Panthers will be one of those inquiring.
Will they do it? It’s hard to say at this time.
Bryce Young is a great talent at quarterback, size concerns aside. He’s a playmaker and someone that can help an NFL franchise very quickly. His transition could be at a length, but the upside is evident.
However, he’s not an elite quarterback prospect compared to no-doubters such as Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and Justin Herbert. Young grades out as a first-round prospect on my board, with a lower grade than I would’ve given to the aforementioned names on my current scale.
The biggest downfall is his size concern. I think Young’s arm is very good, but not elite. Some of his underlying issues will seem more like nitpicking but are valid for the next level such as throwing flat-footed, distributing off his backfoot, and exiting the pocket early at times.
Young is a tremendous prospect, and knowing some fans they will try and overthink his concerns rather than look at the big picture. The bottom line is that there is a risk in trading up to jump the Houston Texans and everyone else for the Alabama product, though he isn’t an all-world, elite prospect like others before him.
Someone will trade up for him and it could very well be Carolina. It’s worth the risk, in my opinion. All of this can be true.
Carolina Panthers extending Bradley Bozeman and D’Onta Foreman
Are the Carolina Panthers gonna re-sign Bradley Bozeman and D’Onta Foreman or fumble in free agency like always? – Jeffrey
This is a great question, Jeffrey. It’s going to be an interesting offseason as it pertains to these two pieces of the Carolina Panthers offense.
Let’s begin with Bradley Bozeman. Baltimore Ravens fans were upset when they lost him in free agency and rightfully so. The former Alabama center is a very good player at his position.
Bozeman is as physical as they come. Once he establishes an anchor and gets his hands on you, he’s a concrete barrier. He has the athleticism to work to the second and deeper levels of the field on gap-blocking plays, and he looks for work in pass protection to lay down anyone wanting to get to the quarterback.
The fifth-year veteran has a decent market value for this upcoming free agency period. His average per year is projected at $12 million, according to Spotrac. That would put him just outside the five highest-paid centers in the NFL.
Bozeman deserves every penny and his play has shown that. I think Scott Fitterer will pay him this offseason.
As for D’Onta Foreman, that could be a different story considering his position and its value. The former Texas Longhorn had a breakout season and will be looking for a decent-sized payday either in Carolina or elsewhere.
According to Spotrac, Foreman’s market value is only at $3.2 million per season with a projected one-year contract. While that seems like the type of team-friendly deal the Panthers would love, one-time Tennessee Titan could be looking to be paid somewhere in the $7-12 million range. That could be risky considering Carolina needs to focus on extending Brian Burns and other big-name defensive pieces.
I would love to see Foreman back. However, there are running backs that could offer similar production through free agency, the NFL Draft, or even on the Panthers’ current roster.
Does James Campen return with a new Carolina Panthers coaching staff?
Can we keep our o-line coach with whoever the new HC is? Our o-line actually showed some improvement this year and stability for those guys is everything. – Brandon
This is certainly a question that has flown under the radar.
The Carolina Panthers have enjoyed the best offensive line play they have had in several years. I would argue that this is a better group that protected Cam Newton during his NFL MVP season in 2015.
This is an above-average unit that is ready to protect a potential rookie quarterback. Much of the credit goes down to the excellent coaching that offensive line coach James Campen has done since arriving in the Carolinas.
Campen was the Green Bay Packers’ long-time offensive line coach from 2004-2018, possessing steady groups that did terrific work in the run game and pass protection. We have seen that continuity and discipline this season thanks to his coaching and the talent the Panthers possess upfront.
Ikem Ekwonu, Brady Christensen, Austin Corbett, and Taylor Moton are all under contract for the next couple of seasons with a return hopeful on Bradley Bozeman’s end. This is a group I believe is among the 10 best offensive lines in the NFL if they stay together.
The biggest question is whether Campen stays on with a new coaching staff. If Steve Wilks becomes the head coach moving forward, he should return.
It’s a little murky after that, however. Campen is well-respected in league circles and I do think he would be a valuable piece to whoever becomes the Panthers’ next head coach.
What Carolina Panthers CB room could look like in 2023
What do you believe our ideal cornerback room should be looking like? – Landon
At the end of the first slide, I mentioned who I think returns at cornerback for the Carolina Panthers in 2023.
It’s been an interesting season at cornerback. Jaycee Horn offered elite play when healthy and steady showings from Donte Jackson before he tore his Achilles halfway through the season left reasons for encouragement.
After some promising play in his rookie season, Keith Taylor Jr. looks out of sorts and out of position at times. I think he’s a corner who is quite scheme-specific and never looked comfortable in Al Holcomb’s system.
C.J. Henderson was a major disappointment. Steve Wilks talked about trying to get him going and to mentally stay in games, which didn’t pan out despite a solid end to proceedings at the New Orleans Saints. I don’t want to speculate if the former Florida Gator is out of sorts because it is not my place to.
Henderson is very talented and did flash this season. When he’s clicking, the No. 9 overall selection in 2020 is a good man cover corner who is always glued to the receiver’s hip pocket with good transitions and ball skills. I’m still bullish on him and I expect the player to return as a depth piece.
The cornerback room will have the top four previously mentioned names plus a potential veteran and rookie cornerback. If the Panthers bring in a creative defensive coordinator that can use each corner’s skill set to their advantage, I like where this group could be heading considering the youth in that room.