Now that the Panthers traded for Baker Mayfield, can Carolina contend in the NFC? Walterfootball.com moved Carolina from 21 in their power rankings to 14 stating that “[f]ortunately for the Panthers, they obtained a new quarterback this summer, trading for Baker Mayfield. This makes them a contender in the NFC;”.
Lets take a look at what Carolina did in the offseason to improve their roster, and see if they can make an improvement for the 2022 season.
Can the Offense Compete?
There were major upgrades on the Panthers offensive line and one player who will benefit is Christian McCaffery who is coming back from injury. This will undoubtedly help upgrade from the Panthers poor offensive performance in 2021. According to pff.com the Panthers offensive line ranked 31st, only ahead of the Miami Dolphins. But with the addition of sixth overall pick OT Ikem Ekwonu in the 2022 NFL Draft, he will hopefully bring the Panthers the consistency they needed at the position since Pro Bowler LT Jordan Gross retired back in 2014. This along with the addition of center Bradley Bozeman, and Super Bowl Champion guard Austin Corbett is indeed a vast improvement to the Panthers 2021 line.
Another benefit from a much improved offensive line is better protection for whoever takes snaps under center. Last year Sam Darnold was sacked 35 times and he played in only twelve games, and all together the offensive line allowed 52 sacks. It is hard to make plays when your QB is on the ground or on the run. Darnold and our other QBs felt alot of pressure which led to 21 interceptions on the year which is the worst in the league. With the new and improved offensive line, and potential upgrade in QB Baker Mayfield, look to see a much better year for the Panthers Offense.
What about Defense?
Last year the Panthers boasted the number two defense only behind the Buffalo Bills. Thats not too bad but the Panthers lost some key contributors in DE/OLB Haason Reddick, CB Stephon Gilmore, starting LB Jermaine Carter, and starting DT Morgan Fox.
But while it looks like the Panthers lost some major pieces, Carolina picked up DE Matt Loannidis, resigned LB Frankie Luvu , resigned CB Donte Jackson, and signed S Xavier Woods. They also get last years first round CB Jaycee Horn back from injury after showing that he can be a number one corner in the league. When looking at the changes it looks like the Panthers defense will be alright, with Haason Reddick as the one major blow. Look for young players like third year player Yetur Gross-Matos to step up and fill that void across Panthers star DE Brian Burns.
Will the Panthers contend in the NFC and make the Playoffs?
If the Panthers offense can prove to be at least a top 15 offense, and they pair that with a top 5 defense I believe the Panthers will snap their playoff drought and at least secure a wildcard spot in 2022. A lot of this will depend on who will take snaps under center. Can Baker Mayfield learn a new playbook in time for his revenge game vs Cleveland in week one? Can Mayfield return to a performance like his 2020 season? If he can, Mayfield will not only revive his career but also take the Panthers to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.