Dan Morgan left no stone unturned in pursuit of improving the Carolina Panthers this offseason. The general manager was incredibly active in resolving some major issues across the squad. They have to prove it in a competitive setting, but the signs are positive.
That's not an opinion shared by everybody.
Kristopher Knox from The Bleacher Report listed the Panthers among the league's five-worst rosters. The analyst acknowledged that Carolina should improve this season. However, things are still hanging precariously based on the problems suffered during the previous campaign.
"We're talking about a team that ranked 29th in total offense and dead-last in total defense a year ago. The Panthers should be better in 2025, but they came into the offseason with so many holes to address that they still appear to have a bottom-five roster in the NFL entering OTAs."Kristopher Knox
That might be the case. Even so, the performance enhancements made over the second half of 2024 indicate head coach Dave Canales has his squad trending in the right direction.
Carolina Panthers' new signings must hit the ground running in 2025
The Panthers were more competitive against high-caliber teams. They'd have beaten the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles had it not been for wide receiver Xavier Legette's drop with the end zone at his mercy. They picked up some morale-boosting wins, and also ran the Kansas City Chiefs extremely close before faltering late.
It didn't amount to anything more than five wins, but things could have been a lot worse. With a fresh injection of explosive arrivals, continued development from the young core, and the return to health of Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown, it would be a bitter disappointment if the same struggles continued.
Much of the team's fate rests squarely on the shoulders of quarterback Bryce Young. He bounced back emphatically after being benched. There is more confidence around the signal-caller these days, so he must prove that his mini-resurgence can become something more substantial moving forward.
Things won't be easy. The Panthers are still working their way back to respectability before they can think about contending for an elusive first Super Bowl. Morgan has stated on countless occasions that this project has the long-term in mind. If things don't go quite according to plan, he'll have a strategy for that, too.
The time for progress and silencing doubters has arrived. If the Panthers are up to the challenge and the new signings/draft picks meet their billing, fans could be celebrating a first winning record under David Tepper's ownership when it's all said and done.