3 key Carolina Panthers components to potential Bryce Young bounce-back
By Dean Jones
Bryce Young experienced his first taste of prolonged hardship in 2023. The quarterback was a high school prodigy in Southern California. He won a Heisman Trophy at Alabama and was taken No. 1 overall in last year's draft by the Carolina Panthers. However, things didn't go according to plan after that.
Young endured a rookie campaign that was forgettable at best. There were flaws in his game that weren't evident previously. The player also dropped confidence as Carolina went through one of the worst seasons in franchise history, winning just two games due to their woeful efforts.
There was plenty of blame to go around. The Panthers offensive line was abysmal. Their pass-catchers couldn't create separation aside from veteran Adam Thielen. Carolina's scheme was bland and the coaching staff couldn't get on the same page regarding Young's development.
It was a recipe for disaster from start to finish. Thankfully, the new regime has made a huge effort to place stable foundations around their prized possession in the hope of better fortunes in 2024 and beyond.
With this in mind, here are three critical components to a potential bounce-back campaign for Young in 2024.
Carolina Panthers' supporting cast must produce
No quarterback can do it alone. The situation matters enormously.
Bryce Young walked into a toxic, incompetent environment last season with the Carolina Panthers and paid the price. Something made worse by No. 2 pick C.J. Stroud, who was set up to thrive immediately by the Houston Texans en route to a historic first season in the pros.
The Panthers have invested heavily in the supporting cast around Young this offseason. Their offensive line interior got two new starting guards at great expense. Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis have the accomplished production and ruthless aggression to assist greatly. Still, much will depend on whether Ikem Ekwonu can restore order after the left tackle's dismal 2023 contribution.
Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette are notable additions to the wide receiver room. Ja'Tavion Sanders was taken at No. 101 overall to bolster the team's pass-catching options at the tight end position. Things are looking up, but Young's supporting cast must produce the goods consistently to give him a fighting chance of silencing some increasing doubters.
It could go wrong, but general manager Dan Morgan believes the Panthers are in a better spot offensively thanks to his frantic activity throughout the recruitment period. That's a good sign for Young, but it'll take much more.