by Tyler Thompson
At the beginning of the year, the Panthers seemed to be amidst a rebuild, at least 2 years out from a solid run. They were missing a few key pieces, especially at quarterback, but had a young squad with much promise.
After starting out 3-0, the Panthers shifted into a win-now mode. Plans went awry and the Panthers then lost 7 of their next 9 games. Playoffs right now seems impossible and now there are more question marks at more positions than at the start of the rebuild.
Shifting over to a win-now mode and then losing has halted the Panthers rebuild. Their best player, Christian McCaffrey, is on IR and has missed major time in the past 2 years right after signing a huge contract. The Panther’s promising rookie cornerback, Jaycee Horn, is also on IR. The offensive coordinator was just fired. The quarterback, Cam Newton (who is not “back”, by the way) threw for 92 yards, 2 interceptions, and had a rating of 5.8, a truly horrific statline.
So, with all of this, are the Panthers doomed for 5 more years of rebuilding? No. The Panthers can get back on track this offseason. The first step to do this is to trade McCaffrey out along with a few draft picks for Deshaun Watson. Doing this will instantly vault themselves into playoff contention. A few more signings such as a wideout, some depth pieces in the trenches, signing a veteran at running back to help fill CMC’s void, and perhaps a splash signing will get this rebuild back in place.
The Panthers should also not fire Matt Rhule just yet and see how he finishes the year. These moves will definitely get the Panthers back on the right track, and Deshaun Watson might even finish the rebuild. This would allow the Panthers to have a win-now focus next year, and an all-in focus in the following year. Nevertheless, this offseason will be huge for the Panthers.
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