3 winners (and 2 losers) from Carolina Panthers 2024 offseason overhaul
By Dean Jones
Winner No. 3
Bryce Young - Carolina Panthers QB
Bryce Young is the big winner of the Carolina Panthers offseason. One could even make a case for the signal-caller being one of the league's biggest beneficiaries after Dan Morgan made a concerted effort to place everything around the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.
This was the only viable outcome for the Panthers after watching Young go through some confidence-sapping complications as a rookie. Some around the media have already declared this the biggest draft fumble in NFL history. It's way too soon for that, but the stakes have been raised thanks to a much-improved supporting cast in 2024.
Young has an offensive line that should be able to provide him with more time to go through his progressions. There are upgraded weapons in the passing game to utilize. Carolina also acquired two new running backs to make life easier for the Heisman Trophy winner out of Alabama.
Arguably the most important addition is that of Dave Canales. The head coach has developed an exceptional reputation for galvanizing quarterbacks and getting them back on the right path. This is a big reason why Carolina gave him the job despite one year as an NFL play-caller. Nobody should have been happier than Young.
Canales is molding a scheme to suit his strengths and is aiming to firmly establish the run behind a physically imposing protection. Any help Young can get is a bonus, but the Panthers couldn't have done much more considering how bleak things looked before the offseason began.
What comes next is down to Young. That's the long and short of it.
The signal-caller cannot do it alone, but a more stable environment, fewer people in his ear, a clear path to progress, and productive players alongside him in the offensive lineup should help enormously. The pressure to improve is obvious, but all signs point to Young bouncing back if there are no hiccups throughout Carolina's preparations for the new campaign.