Carolina Panthers: Cleaning house a great move for 2018

After an excellent season, the Carolina Panthers are overhauling the team and cleaning house. Unlike many other situations, this is a great move for Carolina in 2018.

No matter how poor or successful a team’s season was, there are always major offseason questions on the front burner. The NFL turns over too much for even the best teams to advance a calendar year unscathed. Let’s continue the team-by-team overview with the Carolina Panthers.

Unlike many contenders who have just a few moves to make to fine tune a roster, it appears as though the Panthers are on the precipice of an overhaul. Carolina was a really good team last year. It may look completely different in 2018.

Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate the Carolina Panthers in today’s NFL Sports Debate.

Todd Salem:

The Panthers have already released veterans Jonathan Stewart, Charles Johnson, and Kurt Coleman. Ryan Kalil and Thomas Davis may be (should be?) next. Not only that, but Andrew Norwell, Star Lotulelei, and Julius Peppers are all free agents. The situation got so dire that head coach Ron Rivera said during the combine that re-signing Graham Gano was high up the priority list, and management could consider slapping the franchise tag on him. They eventually agreed to a new deal, but still!

In defense of paying Gano $17 million over four years to kick, he is the 35th-most accurate kicker in the history of the league. On the other hand, kickers have gotten so good that 18 other active kickers rank ahead of him, including the dumpster fire that is Blair Walsh. Why pay a kicker so much money, Carolina?

Of course, through all that potential turnover, perhaps the biggest issue with the Panthers is what remains. Namely, the team still has no wide receivers and few playmakers. Devin Funchess emerged as the team’s top option, but he is not a player who shifts the zones of a defense. He hauled in fewer than 56 percent of his targets during his breakout season and averaged fewer yards per catch than tight end Ed Dickson.

Christian McCaffrey and Curtis Samuel were supposed to be the hybrid receivers that disrupted all defensive plans. Instead, McCaffrey just looked like a small wide receiver, and Samuel wasn’t a factor as a rookie at all. The two still have plenty of room to grow, but the idea that the pair could alter the course of the team’s offense is probably a pipe dream.

That means Cam Newton needs other help on offense. More than anyone outside of Russell Wilson, Newton has become all of the offense that he runs. The release of Stewart just reinforces this. New offensive coordinator Norv Turner will have his hands full trying to keep Newton un-concussed.

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Lotulelei and Norwell, the latter of which was a first-team All-Pro last year, are certainly key losses if they depart in free agency, but Carolina will need massive reinforcements at the skill positions regardless of what happens in the trenches. In 2015, when Newton won league MVP, Stewart had arguably his best season since his 2009 breakout, Ted Ginn had the best year of his career, and Greg Olsen set career-highs in yards and yards per catch. Those seasons were because of Newton, but Newton also succeeded because of those guys’ seasons.

Who on this current roster (besides a healthy Olsen) is even capable of those heights? I can’t imagine McCaffrey rushing for more than 900 yards or Funchess averaging nearly 17 yards per catch. The roster is getting turned over this offseason, but it shouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.

Dan Salem:

Which Carolina Panthers team will present themselves in 2018? They were great in 2015, well below average in 2016, then above average last season. Much of their upcoming success, or lack thereof, hinges on protecting Cam Newton and securing him another capable wide receiver to work with.

I believe McCaffrey will become an excellent pro player, but he isn’t enough to push this offense over the top. There are names in free agency who can make a huge difference for this football team. Allen Robinson will not be tagged by the Jaguars, opening the door for Carolina to swoop in and pay the man. Jimmy Graham could be a huge asset to the Panther’s offense. Sammy Watkins may come cheap and with a lot to prove, after not getting tagged by the LA Rams. Those are just a few bigger names who catch the football. There’s depth in free agency, so all Carolina must do is cut some checks.

Giving Gano $17 million with $9 million guaranteed seems high, considering so many other needs on offense. Yet he was perfect last season inside the 50 yard line. The Panthers are valuing his ability to put points on the board rather high, so expect a similar trend in their other free agent acquisitions. This means that skill players are coming, while lineman are likely not.

Tennessee Titans: Team Resets a Winning Formula in 2018

This should be welcome news for fans and for Newton. He’s a special player, but can’t score every point by himself. Neither can Gano. My personal favorite acquisition would be Robinson. He has a high ceiling and a proven track record. Despite coming off a lost year due to injury, Robinson had two great seasons prior to that and made the Pro Bowl in one of them. His rookie year wasn’t half bad either in 2014 and he’s young. All of this with Blake Bortles under center. Carolina must move fast.