Dan Morgan has a lot of hard work ahead this offseason. But for the first time in years, there is legitimate optimism where the Carolina Panthers are concerned.
Morgan was not under any illusions when accepting a promotion to become general manager. He knew the Panthers were in disarray, boasting a league-worst record in 2023 and not even having the No. 1 pick to utilize. This was a long-term project to get Carolina back to prominence. At the same time, the new front-office leader believed there was enough quality to make instant improvements.
That didn't happen initially. Things progressed as the season went on, but there is much hard work ahead.
Fans are hopeful. They became disillusioned and past the point of caring after the team's steady decline to rock bottom under David Tepper's ownership. Morgan wanted to restore pride. Things weren't easy, but the foundations for a brighter future have been laid.
Building on them is the next challenge. With this in mind, here are five genuine offseason positives Morgan must exploit in 2025.
Genuine offseason positives Carolina Panthers GM Dan Morgan must exploit
Carolina Panthers' momentum
Things looked especially bleak for the Carolina Panthers earlier this season. The team benched Bryce Young and found themselves with one win over the first eight games. Fans were wondering (and rightfully so) when this pain of perennial underachievement would end.
Head coach Dave Canales remained positive in front of the media and behind the scenes. His unwavering belief in the methods being installed and the confidence in his squad shone through in their darkest hours. The players recognized this and responded accordingly.
Key men came back from injury. Young came back into the starting lineup and thrived. They didn't win every game over the second half of 2024, but the Panthers were much more competitive.
The Panthers came agonizingly close to beating the Kansas City Chiefs and newly crowned Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. They gained four successes, including a final-day triumph over the Atlanta Falcons. They got blown out just twice, versus the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Carolina is no longer the league's laughingstock. There is competitive fire among the players and exceptional direction from the coaching staff. That's a good selling point for Morgan during discussions with potential targets in free agency.
Winning back respect was the first objective. Now that the Panthers showed they could hang with anyone when everybody meets or performs better than anticipated, it might make veterans looking for work think twice about dismissing a move to Charlotte entirely.