3 winners (and 2 losers) from Carolina Panthers 2024 offseason overhaul
By Dean Jones
The Carolina Panthers underwent more substantial changes across the board this offseason. David Tepper's heavy investment in Frank Reich and his coaching staff was another ill-advised move from the beleaguered owner. It blew up in his face, so adopting a hard reset was the only avenue left for a franchise in the proverbial gutter.
Dan Morgan, Brandt Tilis, and Dave Canales have been hard at work since their respective appointments. Some tough decisions were made and popular figures departed for one reason or another. Whether it brings a turnaround in fortunes remains to be seen, but fans can relax safe in the knowledge there is a legitimate long-term plan in place.
Morgan admitted that not every roster complication was going to be solved in one offseason. Not even the brightest optimist will be anticipating that. But if the Panthers can improve gradually and show signs of being more competitive, it's a solid foundation those in power can build upon in the coming years.
With that being said, we picked out three winners and two losers from Carolina's offseason overhaul in 2024.
Winner No. 1
Adam Thielen - Carolina Panthers WR
There's just no telling how bad things would have gotten for Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers offense last season had it not been for Adam Thielen. The wide receiver was thrust into the No. 1 role thanks to the failures of others, emerging as the only pass-catcher capable of creating consistent separation while all around him crumbled.
Thielen quickly became Young's favorite target and went over 1,000 receiving yards along the way. Looking at the moves made throughout a busy recruitment period by Dan Morgan, the former undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State will have a much lighter workload next time around.
The Panthers traded for Diontae Johnson and selected Xavier Legette at No. 32 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. They also plan to run the football more effectively under Dave Canales and picked a promising pass-catching tight end in the form of Ja'Tavion Sanders at No. 101 overall. Thielen has a part to play, but the stress should be far less if these new arrivals manage to make contributions.