These 5 NFL teams had the worst offseasons in 2019

1. Carolina Panthers

Halfway through this past season, the Carolina Panthers owned a 6-2 record and looked well on their way to doing something that the team had never done – post a second consecutive winning season. But 2018 spiraled out of control and only a Week 17 win over a Saints’ team resting many players for the postseason prevented Ron Rivera’s club from closing the year with eight straight setbacks.

The Panthers played the final two games of ’18 minus quarterback Cam Newton. In January he had shoulder surgery and is on the road to recovery. “I’m feeling great now,” said the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 2015 in a recent interview (courtesy of David Newton of ESPN). “I feel like I do have full strength right now. But me telling the doctor, that is different than, you know, whatever the clearance process may be.”

That’s all well and good. But what about the rest of the team. Outside linebacker Thomas Davis was not brought back and signed with the Los Angeles Chargers. Center Ryan Kalil and defensive end Julius Peppers announced their retirements. And wide receiver Devin Funchess signed on with the Indianapolis Colts. To offset those losses, the club added veterans such as center Matt Paradis, wide receiver Chris Hogan and pass rusher Bruce Irvin.

It seems as if Rivera and general manager Marty Hurney are putting a lot of stock into this year’s draft. The Panthers used a first-round pick on edge presence Brian Burns (Florida State) and added a pair of offensive tackles in Greg Little, T (2-Mississippi) and Dennis Daley (6-South Carolina). But the real wild card could be former University of West Virginia quarterback Will Grier, especially if Newton suffers any kind of setback. All told, it’s a Carolina team that still has a lot of question marks.