It’s not easy to get to the Super Bowl, much less get back to the Big Game in consecutive years. Now the Carolina Panthers are hoping to duplicate the Seattle Seahawks’ recent path and do them one better.
As NFL fans and historians know, it’s tough getting back to the Super Bowl after making an appearance. Yes, the Seattle Seahawks just turned the trick in 2013 and ’14, winning XLVIII and losing XLIX.
But it’s even tougher to lose the Big Game and then win it the following year. It’s only been done twice in the Super Bowl era and it hasn’t happened since 1972, when the 17-0 Miami Dolphins beat the Washington Redskins Super Bowl VII one season after losing Super Bowl VI (to the Dallas Cowboys).
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In this day and age of free agency and a salary cap, it’s nearly impossible for a club to not only be good but have depth. Credit a team like the Cincinnati Bengals, who have managed this feat primarily through the NFL draft.
When it comes to the Carolina Panthers, the defending NFC champions have used the offseason and a few new faces to dot some I’s and cross some T’s in fortifying the team’s roster.
The latest pickup is cornerback Brandon Boykin, late of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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“Brandon brings a lot of versatility,” said Carolina general manager Dave Gettleman to Max Henson of Panthers.com. “He’s athletic, smart, instinctive, tough, and has quality ball skills. Brandon is a very good piece for our defense and brings solid special teams value as well. We’re excited to add Brandon to our roster.”
After spending his first three NFL years in Philadelphia, the 2012 fourth-round pick from the University of Florida was dealt to Pittsburgh last offseason and played well down the stretch and in the playoffs.
“I’ve watched Carolina and you can’t help but see how successful they’ve been in the defensive backfield with their style of play,” added Boykin. “I knew it would be a really good fit for me.”
Carolina’s secondary is a unit in flux at the moment. Strong safety Roman Harper and veteran backup cornerbacks Cortland Finnegan and Charles Tillman are currently unsigned. All-Pro corner Josh Norman was given the franchise tag but has yet to ink his tender.
Boykin joins safety Trenton Robinson (who played for the Redskins in 2015) as the newest faces to the defensive backfield. He also gives the team a little insurance should Norman become difficult to sign. Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer reports that the standout defender is seeking a deal somewhere in the $16 million a year range.
Gettleman has also spent this offseason fortifying the middle of his football team on both sides of scrimmage. A pair of former Atlanta Falcons, center Gino Gradkowski and defensive tackle Paul Soliai, have joined the team as well. The Panthers have perennial Pro Bowler Ryan Kalil at the pivot but Gradkowksi provides a little insurance.
Elsewhere, head coach Ron Rivera would certainly like to see his team improve on its ability to stop the run – which happens to be Soliai’s forte. Although Carolina ranked fourth in the NFL in rushing defense this past season, they were a bit inconsistent in this regard.
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The Panthers have won the NFC South three straight years and even though it’s only March, they are a very talented club that looks the part of a defending division champion. They will prove to be a difficult assignment for the Falcons, New Orleans Saints and improving Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But it only takes a few key injuries to rob a team of what it does best. As you can tell, these Panthers are taking no chances in 2016.