Panthers News: Bryce Young, Eddy Pineiro, Frankie Luvu and D.J. Moore
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers news stories are hitting the headlines as the long weekend of national celebration heads into the rearview mirror?
Good morning. We hope you all enjoyed the 4th of July celebrations, whatever you got up to with your families. Everything is back to normal, which means the focus is slowly going towards what promises to be a training camp full of fascination and excitement for the Carolina Panthers before the 2023 campaign.
Until then, there is more than enough news and speculation to entertain fans. Among the stories causing conversation include Bryce Young's scope to shift the landscape, Frankie Luvu being named among NFL's best linebackers, Eddy Pineiro getting a confidence boost, and how former wideout D.J. Moore's trade to the Chicago Bears is bringing increased expectations.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Carolina Panthers K Eddy Piniero gets a confidence boost
One of the most surprising moves made by the Carolina Panthers throughout the offseason was preferring Eddy Pineiro to Zane Gonzalez at the kicking position. Many thought the injured veteran would resume duties as the No. 1 after missing the 2022 campaign, but those in power and Chris Tabor, in particular, rewarded the stand-in for an outstanding campaign.
It was a debatable move, but the current brain trust earned a level of confidence in their decisions. And besides, Pineiro was pretty lights out aside from that nightmare game at the Atlanta Falcons that snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
Pineiro got a big confidence boost recently when John Breech of CBS Sports placed him at No. 10 among all NFL kickers, highlighting his level of consistency not only last season but over the last few years.
"[Eddy] Pineiro has quietly been one of the most accurate kickers in the NFL over the past two seasons. After going 8 of 8 during a short stint with the Jets in 2021, Pineiro latched on with the Panthers in 2022 and proved that his perfect season wasn't a fluke. Pineiro hit 94.3% of his field goals last season (33 of 35), which was the second-highest conversion rate in the NFL. Over the past two seasons, Pineiro has hit 95.3% of his field goal attempts, which makes him the NFL's most accurate kicker since the start of the 2021 season."
- John Breech, CBS Sports
The life of a kicker is precarious at best. Pineiro won't be taking anything for granted and hopefully, can repay the faith shown in him by Carolina when competitive action resumes.