The Carolina Panthers are ready to put last season behind them. General manager Marty Hurney, head coach Ron Rivera, and the rest of the front office got aggressive in the offseason. They addressed their most significant weaknesses with some elite prospects and players. As the pieces come together, here are some key questions the Panthers face heading into a promising 2019 season.
Can Greg Little be a solid left tackle from day one?
The Panthers don’t just need a left tackle. They need a good one. Carolina has not had a left tackle allow fewer than 40 pressures since their Super Bowl run in 2015.
Marty Hurney and the Panthers’ front office realized the urgency and need to protect Cam Newton‘s blindside, as they traded up to draft Little in the second round. Little has been called a boom or bust prospect but offers high upside and longevity. The left tackle position has seen inexcusable turnover while Newton has been the starter. The position is now as critical as ever with Newton turning 30 years of age, and needing to avoid hits in the pocket. Much like the ones that led to his shoulder injury last season.
Newton needs and deserves more clean pockets in 2019. With arguably the most talented supporting cast around him, the value of proper protection and clean pockets is even higher. Unsurprisingly, his 2018 numbers show a significant increase when kept clean.
The Carolina #Panthers made their OL a priority this offseason. They signed a top-tier center in Matt Paradis, re-signed Daryl Williams, and used a 2nd-round pick on Greg Little.
Cam Newton completed 73.9 percent of his passes with 22 TDs to 6 INTs when kept clean in 2018. pic.twitter.com/N5xRYXIN2O
— PFF CAR Panthers (@PFF_Panthers) May 11, 2019
With Christian McCaffrey, Curtis Samuel, and DJ Moore, the front office realized the potential this offense has. However, they needed to improve the protection Newton is getting. With offensive talent bursting at the seams, we now have to wait and see if Greg Little can step up and be a critical piece to solidifying a dangerous offense in 2019.
Can Cam Newton stay healthy?
Before the Thursday Night Football debacle in Pittsburgh, Cam Newton’s performances were up there as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He was among the top-eight quarterbacks in passer rating and completion percentage, leading his team to a 6-2 start.
We all know what happened next. A makeshift offensive line broke down, and Newton took hard shots. He would not look the same for the rest of the season. Despite this unfortunate turn of events, there are plenty of promising signs that indicate a healthy Newton can make the Panthers one of the most potent offenses in the NFL in 2019.
Despite the horrendous second half of 2018, the Panthers offense finished 10th in total yards. Newton benefitted from having some of the best playmakers surrounding him that he has had in his career. New offensive coordinator Norv Turner made a concerted effort to allow Newton to get the ball out quicker. He did that by utilizing the receiving abilities of Christian McCaffrey and the speed of Curtis Samuel and DJ Moore.
Cam Newton’s adjusted completion rate jumped to 78.0% this season (69.2% in 2017) with 82.5% of his passes being on target in the red zone (highest rate in the NFL this season)#RunCMC was the primary benefactor with 14 receptions on 16 targets in the red zone with 5 TDs
— PFF CAR Panthers (@PFF_Panthers) January 31, 2019
With the additions of center Matt Paridis and second-round draft pick Greg Little, Cam Newton has a chance to have above-average protection in front of him. Paridis offers a significant upgrade from Ryan Kalil, whose performance suffered as a result of nagging injuries in his last few seasons. Little will be hard pressed not to be an upgrade over last year’s emergency starting left tackle, Chris Clark. In 2018, Clark allowed 41 total pressures in 15 games.
The pass-catching corps is even stronger this season. Curtis Samuel missed the first three games of 2018 and wasn’t a consistent part of the offense until the second half of the season. A now healthy Samuel has been making noise in OTAs and is in line for a breakout season. Behind Samuel and Moore, the Panthers added depth at wideout with Chris Hogan and Aldrick Robinson offering a downfield threat.
Cam Newton has never needed an excess of talent around him to be an elite NFL quarterback. This season, however, the talent is undeniably there. If Newton’s shoulder is 100% and holds up through the season, nothing is stopping Newton from turning the Panthers offense into one of the league’s best.
Will Ron Rivera get a talented defense back to 2015 form?
The Carolina Panthers defense was their biggest weakness last season. The Panthers finished 28th in yards allowed per play. They were tied for 26th in total sacks, averaging just two sacks per game. The weak pass rush made things hard on the secondary, which finished 26th in net yards allowed per pass play, and allowed the 8th-highest passer rating to opposition quarterbacks.
Thankfully, Marty Hurney and the front office scrambled to make significant upgrades in personnel on the defensive front. Ron Rivera now has the talent to get the defense back closer to 2015 form, and frankly, his job depends on it.
The most substantial upgrade made on defense is the pass rush. After finishing 26th in sacks last year, the unit should comfortably improve to be among the top half of the league. With the additions of Brian Burns, Bruce Irvin, Gerald McCoy, and Christian Miller, this defense has the potential to be among the league’s very best.
Rivera’s biggest challenge on defense will be leveraging the talented pass rushing front to make life easier on the secondary. The Panthers still face some question marks at free safety and slot cornerback, with Rashaan Gaulden and Corn Elder being unproven starters. Though the secondary was more complete in 2015, Rivera and former defensive coordinator Sean McDermott were masterful in using the front seven to help the pass defense finish as the second-best unit in the league. Rivera and the defense need to do the same to turn back the clock and be one of the best defenses in the NFL.
Scott Gallimore is a writer for PFN covering the NFC South. You can follow him @GallimorePFN on Twitter.