4 Carolina Panthers players who'll benefit most from Frank Reich's firing

Which Carolina Panthers players stand to benefit most from the team's decision to fire head coach Frank Reich after 11 games?

The Frank Reich era ended after just 11 games. Something that was a long time coming after such a disappointing start to the campaign.

Carolina has a ton of work to do this coming offseason, and I don't think many of us have faith that David Tepper won't mess it up. I'd personally expect general manager Scott Fitterer to be out of a job as well, so we'll again see big changes in the coming weeks.

The top priority for this team is to get the situation right around Bryce Young so he can develop. They don't have a first-round pick in 2024 and don't appear like a very appealing destination for a new head coach and pending free agents, so it's complicated.

Removing Reich has some immediate benefits. Here are four players that could thrive over Carolina's remaining games.

Bryce Young - Carolina Panthers QB

The offensive plan that Frank Reich wanted to implement has worked before during his career, but due to the Carolina Panthers' lack of adequate skill players and offensive linemen didn't have the necessary impact in a different environment.

Spread offenses do work in the NFL, but the Panthers just did not have the personnel to make it work. The next head coach is going to have to implement a scheme that not only protects Bryce Young but gives him consistent opportunities for easy completions while progressing within the offense.

A ton of personnel changes need to happen, but it's clear to see how Reich failed Young. I don't think the organization is going to make this same mistake in 2024.

Jonathan Mingo - Carolina Panthers WR

I'm going to cheat a little bit and also assume that wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson is going to be shown the door. For literally every single receiver on the roster, this will help, but Frank Reich not being in the picture is also a huge bonus.

Jonathan Mingo was a very nice college prospect coming out of Ole Miss, which was enough for the Carolina Panthers to make him their second-round pick in 2023. He has looked like a total dud thus far, catching just 28 passes for 286 receiving yards and zero touchdowns from 57 targets, so his catch percentage is below 50%.

With a new coaching staff implementing the correct style of offense for Bryce Young, that'll likely make life much easier for the wide receivers. There's this bonkers play from Mingo that kind of wraps up just how dysfunctional the Panthers have been this year:

If wide receivers in the NFL weren't allowed to get any feet in bounds during a catch, Mingo would have had a nice reception. But this is just insane to me.

The throw from Young is very good. Mingo should have stopped his route instead of assuming he was being led to the sidelines.

Had the wideout been more aware of his surroundings, it would have been an easy completion. This right here from Mingo is all bad coaching.

Ikem Ekwonu - Carolina Panthers OT

Ikem Ekwonu is a much better run blocker than a pass blocker. Frank Reich implemented a spread offense that constantly isolated the left tackle with one one-on-one reps, which he's been losing all season.

Just as a side note, I bet if Ekwonu was playing for the run-first Baltimore Ravens, he'd look like a Pro Bowler.

He was a first-round pick by the Carolina Panthers in 2022 and looked pretty solid as a rookie when Steve Wilks began to gravitate toward the run game more. Fans are wondering if a change in offensive scheme will help him reach his peak, or if a move inside to guard would benefit.

Either way, I think we'll see Ekwonu playing much better in Year 3. He's not got the best length. He's 6-foot-4 with 34-inch arms, so he isn't exactly the ideal size for a tackle. And if you are one to look at Pro Football Focus grades, he's not been great this year either at 65.3.

PFF has him responsible for six sacks and a whopping 13 penalties. You just have to feel for quarterback Bryce Young at this point.

Maybe Ikem Ekwonu isn't a left tackle. That's fine, but something needs to be figured out with him. He was too high of a pick to be a total dud after just two seasons.

Miles Sanders - Carolina Panthers RB

Man, what a miss by the Carolina Panthers. So far, anyway.

The team brought over running back Miles Sanders from the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency. He signed a four-year, $25.4 million deal, rushing for 302 yards on 97 carries this year,.

Sanders averaged five yards per carry during the first four years of his career with the Eagles. In contrast, he's averaging just 3.1 yards per carry in 2023 with the Panthers.

First of all, I don't think that Sanders has all of a sudden fallen off a cliff and hit the inevitable running back wall. I think much of it is due to the scheme that Frank Reich tried to run, and the poor offensive line play that has come from that.

Sanders isn't going anywhere in 2024. His contract doesn't yet allow it.

In the downhill running attack that the Eagles ran for years, Sanders thrived. I'd expect and hope that the next coaching staff in Carolina makes life a bit easier for Bryce Young. That'll come from making the run game a higher priority.

Just look at the Denver Broncos, for example. A huge reason for their recent success has been an obvious effort to prioritize the run more.

Head coach Sean Payton has played to the strengths of his players along the offensive line. The Broncos' offensive line ranks fourth in run-block win rate, according to ESPN. That's what those across the unit do best.

We'll see personnel changes along the offensive line in 2024. We'll also likely see Sanders benefit from being in a more favorable offensive scheme than the disaster this season.