Dave Canales tipped to finally end concerning Carolina Panthers' trend

The Carolina Panthers placed a significant amount of faith in Dave Canales. After experiments with a college coach and an experienced retread down on his luck blew up in team owner David Tepper's face, the billionaire opted for a shift in course. One that can hopefully be the springboard behind better fortunes for this long-suffering fanbase moving forward.

Canales is young, hungry to prove himself, and has the progressive thinking needed to get more from his players. The bar isn't high for immediate growth after a two-win campaign, but the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator is taking things one day at a time and never getting too ahead of himself.

This is having a positive impact on the roster. Canales knows when he needs to be stern with his players. He's also transparent and approachable enough to earn trust quickly. It'll take much more, but this combination has gone down a storm during his critical early transition.

Analyst gives Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales his seal of appproval

When discussing the Panthers' outlook in 2024, Adam Rank from NFL.com was a big fan of the decision to hire Canales. Something he believes will improve Bryce Young's production levels and is a refreshing change of pace for a team being dragged through the mud since Tepper bought the franchise from Jerry Richardson.

"I loved the decision to bring in [Dave] Canales. The [Carolina] Panthers have scuffled along and their coaching hires since Ron Rivera’s dismissal have not worked out -- Matt Rhule was 11-27 and Frank Reich finished 1-10 before being let go midway through last season. Canales provides a fresh approach. The work he did with Geno Smith in Seattle and Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay should give those nervous about Bryce Young, who struggled mightily as a rookie, a shot of confidence. And let’s not forget Canales’ best move might have been retaining defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero."

- Adam Rank, NFL.com

Canales needs time. This was always going to be a long-term plan to get the Panthers out of rock bottom status and back into potential playoff contention. The head coach thinks it will happen quicker than most envisage. But tempering expectations initially would be wise after being sold dreams with no substance previously.

The Panthers have no pressure on their shoulders next season. Most anticipate another losing record and perhaps even securing the No. 1 overall selection for the second straight year. Canales has bigger goals in mind and the improvements to personnel - especially on the offensive side of the football - can provide a more stable foundation to put his strategies into action.

Some analysts think this gig came too soon for Canales. However, it's about time the Panthers got ahead of an appointment rather than starting from behind. Hopefully, his injection of enthusiasm and unrivaled positivity have the desired effect.

Even if it doesn't right away, panicking is not an option. Stay the course with Canales and good things will happen. If Tepper returns to his reactionary, impulsive acts, it'll set the Panthers back even further.

That cannot happen if the hedge fund manager wants to start winning back the fans. It's that simple.