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Carolina Panthers: 5 offseason needs

By John Buhler

Oct 16, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Ted Ginn (19) returns a kickoff in the second quarter of the game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 16, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Ted Ginn (19) returns a kickoff in the second quarter of the game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Carolina Panthers fell back to earth last season. Here are the five areas of focus required for the Panthers to get better this offseason.

After reaching Super Bowl 50 in 2015, the 2016 Carolina Panthers stumbled to 6-10 in 2016. Carolina struggled to win close games early in the season, digging too deep of a hole for the Panthers to crawl out of in the second half.

2017 will be a critical offseason for the Panthers, especially after losing defensive coordinator Sean McDermott to the Buffalo Bills job. Carolina general manager David Gettleman will fortunately have $50,478,149 to work with up against the cap and six picks coming in the 2017 NFL Draft.

The Panthers need to do more than reload this offseason. To some degree, they need to rebuild a few areas of their ball club. Heading into the 2017 NFL offseason, here are the five areas the Panthers should be focused on in team building.

5. Complementary wide receiving options

Despite being really gifted in the trenches, the Panthers haven’t been overly dynamic out on the perimeter since Steve Smith Sr. left Charlotte. While the Panthers do have a promising possession receiver in Kelvin Benjamin, they are about to lose a very important weapon for them on the outside in Ted Ginn Jr.

Ginn is the explosive playmaker quarterback Cam Newton needs to pull off the one or two vertical bombs he’ll need to win a game each Sunday. At minimum, Ginn’s over-the-top speed opens up the middle of the field for Newton to work with in the short-to-medium passing game.

Ginn’s free agency could be crucial for the Panthers. If he leaves, who do the Panthers have as a deep threat? Gettleman has to re-sign him and probably draft a speedy wideout in day to of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Newton has never been the most accurate of passers. Without a vertical threat to create spacing, Newton’s accuracy will be further exploited going forward. Carolina can afford a DeSean Jackson in free agency, but may want to go for a developmental project in the draft to conserve cap space.

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