5 under the radar Carolina Panthers players who must excel in 2024
By Dean Jones
The Carolina Panthers are looking to shift some harsh narratives. They are the league's laughing stock currently following their two-win campaign last time out. The franchise looks almost unrecognizable from that which concluded the 2023 regular season, so optimism is growing around their chances for progress in some capacity.
Dan Morgan and Dave Canales restored confidence and the proud culture that made this franchise great once upon a time quickly. The atmosphere within the Panthers is much improved with everyone working together in pursuit of one common goal. That said, their fortunes remain precarious until further notice.
There's a chance for the Panthers to be more competitive, but this must be a collective effort. Their established stars must perform and lead from the front. Those less heralded players need to step up and make more of an impression. Canales genuinely believes everything should come together quickly after that.
With this in mind, here are five under-the-radar Panthers players who must excel during the 2024 season.
Raheem Blackshear - Carolina Panthers RB
Making the team is Raheem Blackshear's biggest challenge. The running back faces a fight in that regard after the Carolina Panthers selected Jonathon Brooks at No. 46 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, there's another way the former undrafted free agent can emerge as a valuable contributor.
The NFL's new kickoff rules favor the return team, there's no getting away from that. Those in the league office want this part of the game to be more exciting while also lowering the risk of injury. Blackshear's previous production coupled with some encouraging elusiveness can be a major asset on special teams next season if he does enough to make the 53-man roster.
Blackshear got a new deal from the Panthers this offseason, which was a supreme vote of confidence amid more widespread changes. That was half the battle - next on the agenda is proving beyond all doubt he can thrive in the return game and potentially carve out a role for himself as a pass-catching option out of the backfield.