4. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers are arguably the NFL team that lost the most sheer talent this offseason. Releasing Cam Newton made sense from a health perspective, but Teddy Bridgewater doesn’t have the same high ceiling at the quarterback position. The loss of Luke Keuchly on defense may impact Carolina even more. He was the brains, heart and soul of that unit during his relatively brief career.
With all that being said, there’s hope on the horizon for the Panthers. Rhule is being given a ton of latitude to tear down the roster and remake it in his image. His project on the offensive side of the ball could be much further along than some experts think.
Bridgewater will certainly give the team an upgrade over what Kyle Allen did in 2019. Christian McCaffrey is still one of the most dynamic running backs in football. D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson could be one of the most underrated receiving duos in the NFL. Carolina’s offense could conceivably gel into a top-10 unit if things break right.
Things on the defensive side of the ball are much less promising. The group gave up a shocking 29.4 points per game a season ago and might be even worse this year. Losing James Bradberry might reduce the secondary from being ordinary to one of the most porous groups in the NFL. If Derrick Brown doesn’t pay big dividends right away the same might be said about the team’s defensive line.
The Panthers are going to treat 2020 as a season-long audition for players who want to be a part of the franchise’s future. Carolina might have some fun games to watch, but they aren’t going to sniff a playoff berth.