If the Carolina Panthers are going to get back to the Super Bowl they’ll need improvement across the board. These five players will feel the most heat.
The Carolina Panthers have undergone significant changes this offseason but their ultimate goal remains the same. As long as Cam Newton remains in his prime the team will always be striving to win a Super Bowl title. If Ron Rivera’s group is going to enjoy that sort of success, they’re going to need a lot of improvement in some key positions.
On the offensive side of the ball, hopes are high that Norv Turner can rejuvenate the Panthers attack. Specifically, he wants to increase Cam Newton’s completion percentage. That’s a worthwhile goal, but Newton played pretty well in 2017. He needs to improve, but he isn’t one of the five players who have the most work to do.
The first player on this list is the one man who will touch the ball as much as Newton on offense. In fact, he’ll handle it every snap.
5. Matt Kalil
The Panthers center needs to make the last year of his career one of his best. He’s already told the coaching staff about his intentions to retire after this season. The team can’t afford for him to play like someone with one foot out the door.
In many ways, the departure of Andrew Norwell may impact Kalil more than anyone else. Instead of simply calling the protections and holding his own, he’ll need to generate actual push in the run game this season.
More than anything, the Panthers need Kalil to stay healthy in 2018. He’s only played 14 games in the last two seasons. He’ll need to play that many in his final campaign to help Carolina reach a Super Bowl. That may be a tall task, but it’s just the sort of thing that’s necessary to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.