How the Carolina Panthers Can Get Back to 2015
It has been a rough few years in Carolina. They haven’t had a winning season since 2017 and haven’t won a playoff game since 2015. The last three seasons have seen a combined record of 15-34. Usually, a stint like that means a team has been accumulating good, young players and is poised to get back into the spotlight. The Panthers have done the exact opposite.
Bringing in Mr. Mayfield
A week ago, the Carolina Panthers traded for Baker Mayfield. If that move seems familiar, it is because Carolina has tried it the last 2 years. After the 2020 season, the Panthers signed Teddy Bridgewater to a 3 year, 63-million-dollar contract instead of drafting a QB with the 7th pick. Yes, I know there weren’t any available at 7, but they could have traded up. Bad decision number 1. A full year later, the Panthers traded for Sam Darnold instead of taking a QB with the 8th pick. Bad decision number 2. Both of those moves netted Carolina 10 wins in 2 seasons and brought us to where we are today.
In our season predictions article, we said the Carolina Panthers will win 5 games (again) this year. If the entire roster stays healthy (highly unlikely), Mayfield might add 2 more wins to that record. That is a big ask though. I still have my money on under 6.5 wins. Either way, if the ceiling is 7 wins, you’re in a terrible spot. So, what should the Panthers do to turn things around? Easy. Tear everything down and restart.
Finally Let Go of McCaffrey
The first phase of this plan involves trading Christian McCaffrey. His value won’t be very high after missing so much time to injury, but there is a way to get him back in the “top RB” conversation. In the first weeks of the season, Carolina needs to gingerly add him back to the offense. No more than 20 touches per game. If he can stay healthy, McCaffrey should be able to show that spark again. Once the spark is added, the Panthers need to ship him off to a playoff contender. They can easily get a 3rd and 4th for him if they pay some of his salary and especially if they send him to a team desperate for a Super Bowl (Buffalo?).
Trade a Fan Favorite
This next move will be tough, but it’s necessary. The Panthers have to trade D.J. Moore. Bad teams can’t afford to pay wide receivers 20 million a year. A great WR is a luxury, not a necessity. With the current WR market (thanks Tyreek Hill), Carolina will get a 1st and a 4th. He is a top 15 WR (especially when Bridgewater and Darnold aren’t throwing to him) and will only be 25 this season. The Panthers shouldn’t have any problem with that ask.
Fire Matt Rhule
First things first in the 2023 offseason, fire Matt Rhule. He has been awful from the start. Terrible decision after terrible decision. He selfishly made moves to get this team into a “win-now” position to protect his job. Ironically, his moves destroyed the team’s chances at winning anything. He has to go.
Have a Smart Draft
Now, assuming the 4 picks Carolina just acquired are all in 2023, they now have 7 total picks. 4 of those being in the first 3 rounds. Even if Baker was still somehow able to carry them to 4-5 wins a trade up is a possibility with the draft capital they now have. Realistically, Baker can’t carry a team with 0 weapons to more than 4 wins, so Carolina’s pick should at least be in the top 3. They can get their QB of the future and bolster their offense and defense with the remaining picks. Since McCaffrey and Moore are no longer on the payroll, they now have at least 20+ million to play with next offseason. Quite a few star offensive lineman are set to hit the market next season (Q. Nelson, O. Brown, J. Conklin). Snatching up one of those guys to pair with their rookie, Ikem Ekwonu, would give them a nice start to a top offensive line. If they look up in June and have a very promising QB, a great rookie WR, a strong offensive line and an average defense this plan will have been a success.
Just Pull the Trigger
Will the Panthers make these moves? Probably not. Should they? Yes. As Matthew Mcconaughy says, “Sometimes you gotta go back, to actually move forward”. McCaffrey and Moore are luxuries they can’t afford. Trade them for picks, finally select a top young QB prospect, bolster the offensive line and add some defensive pieces in the offseason. If that happens, we could be looking at the Panthers come August 2023 as a potential division winner. Brady retired, the Falcons rebuilding and a Jameis Winston led Saints being the competition, leaving the division crown up for grabs.