What burning questions are Carolina Panthers fans asking ahead of the team's Week 1 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons?
It's here. The regular season is finally upon us as the Carolina Panthers begin their next era of football this weekend when they travel down I-85 to face the Atlanta Falcons in what seems to be an important early-season matchup for two playoff-hungry organizations.
Why is this game such a high-prized matchup this early in the campaign? The Panthers kick off their season with two division games with the out-of-town face-off with Atlanta before embarking on a Monday Night Football clash against division-favorites - the New Orleans Saints - in Week 2 at Bank of America Stadium.
However, with their first game just days away, Carolina is in a potentially damaging situation that could cost them their top franchise player next offseason. This has left some skepticism for this weekend, especially with the loss of situational pass rusher Marquis Haynes Sr.
We'll be getting into everything throughout this week's edition of the Cat Crave mailbag. Panthers fans have plenty of questions pertaining to the aforementioned situation as well as the team's top weapons, the potential game plan against the Falcons offense, and more.
Without further ado, here are four burning questions from Panthers fans...
Carolina Panthers OLB Brian Burns' contract
Are we gonna give Brian Burns his extension? - Austin P.
This is the elephant in the room, so to speak. Brian Burns is still waiting on a contract extension as he begins the final year of his rookie contract. It has become the talk of the town after the Carolina Panthers chose not to give him a new deal during the offseason.
After all, the franchise did turn down a 2023 second-round selection and two future first-round picks from the Los Angeles Rams last year and told the Chicago Bears "no" on adding Burns in the negotiations for the No. 1 overall pick. They were right in doing so, though this opened the door to the Panthers having very little - if any - leverage in these negotiations.
There is hope, though, that the former Florida State standout will either play the season without a contract considering he was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, or secure an extension within the next 72 to 96 hours following Nick Bosa's record, and market-setting agreement with the San Francisco 49ers.
My theory since the summer has always been that Carolina's front office has been waiting for the first domino, Bosa, to fall before ramping up talks with Burns. This could very well be the case after San Francisco's star pass rusher secured a five-year, $170 million extension with $122.5 guaranteed while now averaging a mind-boggling $34 million per year.
Because Carolina has waited this long to see how things play out, they're being placed in a position where they almost have to pay Burns an average annual salary of anywhere between $28 million and $34.5 million. Had those in power bit the bullet sooner, it could have been less.
Personally, the Panthers made their bed. It might be a slight overpay, but Burns is going to get paid in that range and some fans will just have to accept that fact whether they like it or not.
I believe Burns is more than deserving of this money and has not reached his ceiling yet. This is scary for the rest of the NFC South and the NFL.
Carolina Panthers run defense vs. Bijan Robinson
How well will Carolina's defense hold against the Falcons run game and rookie RB Bijan Robinson? - Tommy S.
I'm going to be very honest with you, Tommy, I have some concerns pertaining to the Carolina Panthers run defense being able to stop Bijan Robinson, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Tyler Allgeier.
Carolina isn't beefy up front. Sure, Derrick Brown looks like the Hulk in the trenches at 6-foot-5, 320 pounds, and could easily work from the one-technique or zero-technique. However, it looks like their starting interior defensive line will be Shy Tuttle at nose tackle and DeShawn Williams at the five-technique.
Outside of Brown, is it a strong group? We'll have to wait and see. However, after some of their showings in the preseason, the run defense could be an underwhelming area if they continue to underperform when maintaining two-gap integrity or setting the edge.
Robinson, Patterson, and Allgeier are not easy to bring down. Carolina struggled against Atlanta during their last meeting when they allowed 167 yards on 4.5 yards per attempt. I was there to witness it.
All hope is not lost, though. This time around, Jeremy Chinn will be available now he is in the big nickel role, working in the box as part of Ejiro Evero's defense. The Panthers also added Vonn Bell to the secondary, which should help on the backend.
I expect somewhat of a better performance from the Panthers' run defense this go-round. However, the Falcons adding a gifted runner in Robinson could prove to be the difference maker in this matchup.
Should the Carolina Panthers worry about the Falcons?
Which Falcons player do you see having the biggest impact against the Panthers on offense and defense? - @TLSPanthersV2
Don't let your bias fool you, the Atlanta Falcons have a talented team on both sides of the football - albeit with some areas of concern. In some ways, I feel like this is a loaded question because there are multiple players that could have a big impact against the Carolina Panthers.
Offensively, the biggest impact player has to be tight end Kyle Pitts, a unicorn at the position.
Pitts was a top-five selection in the 2021 NFL Draft and rightfully so. He moves as well as any wide receiver in the league and has shown progression as an in-line blocker at the line of scrimmage.
The former Florida Gator will be difficult to defend on Sunday. This is why I am hoping to see some of Jaycee Horn shadowing Pitts like he did at South Carolina.
Defensively, while I would like to say Grady Jarrett or Calais Campbell along the defensive front, star cornerback A.J. Terrell could give the Panthers wideouts some problems.
The former Clemson Tiger and first-round selection has great man coverage skills that allow him to shut down an entire portion of the field. Especially in zone drops when the Falcons go into Cover 3 or Cover 4.
Another name I would also mention is Jessie Bates III, one of the better free-range safeties in the game. He could keep rookie quarterback Bryce Young from taking more downfield attempts than you would hope.
Carolina Panthers top WR
Who’s going to be our No. 1 wide receiver? - Robbie E
The Carolina Panthers are entering the 2023 season without a true No. 1 target on the outside thanks in part to the trade-up that resulted in both the addition of Bryce Young and the subtraction of star wide receiver D.J. Moore, who is now with the Chicago Bears.
Some believe rookie Jonathan Mingo could be the top wideout on the roster by the end of the year. However, I think he has some developing to do in terms of ball skills, catching consistency, and improvement as a route-runner.
D.J. Chark could emerge as the top deep threat on the team. I worry about his ability to separate consistently on all three levels, though he has shown flashes on vertical planes.
I like the prospect of Terrace Marshall Jr. becoming the team's top pass-catching option should he be able to stay healthy. His skill set is arguably the best in the room, but he will need to show more consistency and long stretches of healthy play.
In my opinion, he might be one of the best yet riskiest bets to be the guy at his position for Carolina.
That leaves Adam Thielen. I think the former Minnesota Viking is still one of the best route runners in the game and still offers strong hands that will be a welcome sight for Young in the passing game. If there is a receiver who is a safe bet to receive the most targets and catches, it's him.