What Are Your Top Offseason Targets Now That Bryce Young Is Showing Promise?

[Saca312]

 

 

With the season nearing its end and the playoffs slipping out of reach—even in a division as weak as ours—the silver lining lies in the Panthers’ recent competitive performances. While the team started the season as one of the league’s worst, they now appear to be trending upward in both competitiveness and potential. Bryce Young has shown steady improvement, doing just enough to suggest that we no longer need to panic about replacing him in a draft class with underwhelming quarterback prospects.

That said, I still believe bringing some contenders at quarterback—someone like Drew Lock or Justin Fields—would provide healthy competition for Bryce Young and push him to keep improving. While we can seemingly move forward with Bryce as our QB1, this offseason must focus on addressing glaring roster holes to better support his development and make the team more competitive overall.

Here are the top priorities I’d focus on if I were running the Panthers:

1. Run Defense

The Panthers’ run defense has been a glaring weakness all season. While the pass rush has shown recent improvement, the inability to stop the run remains a major issue. Whether the problem stems from defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s scheme or a lack of size and strength along the defensive line, this area needs significant upgrades. We need to bring in bigger, more physical players in the trenches or tweak the scheme to better defend against the run. If we want to stop being gashed on the ground every week, this must be addressed as a top priority.

2. Field-Stretching Wide Receiver

The wide receiver room is crying out for a true deep threat. We have promising pieces like Leggette, who is a big-bodied target, and intriguing options like Coker and others, but none of them are speedy enough to truly stretch the field and force defenses to respect the deep ball.

Granted, Young's arm originally made the deep ball a moot point, but we still need good separaters and field stretchers.

After trading Johnson to the Ravens and cutting ties with Mingo after his bust of a season, it’s clear this room needs an overhaul. The Panthers should target a speedy, dynamic wide receiver who can create space and open up the offense, either through free agency or the draft. A true field stretcher would do wonders for Bryce Young’s development and help the offense take a step forward.

3. CB2

The cornerback position 2 desperately needs an upgrade. Dane Jackson, unfortunately, has not lived up to any positive expectations and has been a significant liability in the secondary. The lack of reliable depth behind Jaycee Horn is painfully obvious. Adding a competent CB2 through free agency or the draft should be a priority to shore up the secondary and improve coverage against the league’s more dynamic offenses.

Am I missing anything? If you have any specific players in mind, whether free agents or draft prospects, voice your thoughts below.

 

 

[thunderraiden]

We need a WR1 more than a speedy WR. Bryce is throwing balls that good catchers can catch but we have none outside of Thielen and JT and JT is injured.

[*FreeFua*]

Tee Higgins and Luther Burden or Isaiah Bond

[45catfan]

Edge, CB2, DT  WR and S.

[chknwing]

we have players on defense but they are on IR.  If we had Shaq and Brown, this is a different defense

[Aussie Tank]

We sniffed around Chase Young last year so I could see us going down that road again. I'd like to bring in Slayton or Hollywood Brown. Greenlaw from SF would be a nice addition.

We need to get our Mike Evans in this draft go get TMac in the first 

[L-TownCat]

A:  all focus should be the front 7.  Run defense and pass rush.  It’ll make our secondary better as a result.

B: oline depth

C; try to find another WR/TE

D; a ball hawking safety would be nice

in that order.

[PappyMay]

-Upgrade at NT and Safety.

-Mike Jackson is gone so small upgrade there would be nice too.

-David Moore is gone next year and it will be Theilen’s last year so can grab a WR to be #3 guy of future.

-New athletic training staff so we are healthier. 

[ChibCU]

The defense needs more talent, but it’s weird to start this off about run defense and not mention we lost our all-pro DT week 1. 

[cmichd08]

13 minutes ago, Saca312 said:

 

 

With the season nearing its end and the playoffs slipping out of reach—even in a division as weak as ours—the silver lining lies in the Panthers’ recent competitive performances. While the team started the season as one of the league’s worst, they now appear to be trending upward in both competitiveness and potential. Bryce Young has shown steady improvement, doing just enough to suggest that we no longer need to panic about replacing him in a draft class with underwhelming quarterback prospects.

That said, I still believe bringing some contenders at quarterback—someone like Drew Lock or Justin Fields—would provide healthy competition for Bryce Young and push him to keep improving. While we can seemingly move forward with Bryce as our QB1, this offseason must focus on addressing glaring roster holes to better support his development and make the team more competitive overall.

Here are the top priorities I’d focus on if I were running the Panthers:

1. Run Defense

The Panthers’ run defense has been a glaring weakness all season. While the pass rush has shown recent improvement, the inability to stop the run remains a major issue. Whether the problem stems from defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s scheme or a lack of size and strength along the defensive line, this area needs significant upgrades. We need to bring in bigger, more physical players in the trenches or tweak the scheme to better defend against the run. If we want to stop being gashed on the ground every week, this must be addressed as a top priority.

2. Field-Stretching Wide Receiver

The wide receiver room is crying out for a true deep threat. We have promising pieces like Leggette, who is a big-bodied target, and intriguing options like Coker and others, but none of them are speedy enough to truly stretch the field and force defenses to respect the deep ball.

Granted, Young's arm originally made the deep ball a moot point, but we still need good separaters and field stretchers.

After trading Johnson to the Ravens and cutting ties with Mingo after his bust of a season, it’s clear this room needs an overhaul. The Panthers should target a speedy, dynamic wide receiver who can create space and open up the offense, either through free agency or the draft. A true field stretcher would do wonders for Bryce Young’s development and help the offense take a step forward.

3. CB2

The cornerback position 2 desperately needs an upgrade. Dane Jackson, unfortunately, has not lived up to any positive expectations and has been a significant liability in the secondary. The lack of reliable depth behind Jaycee Horn is painfully obvious. Adding a competent CB2 through free agency or the draft should be a priority to shore up the secondary and improve coverage against the league’s more dynamic offenses.

Am I missing anything? If you have any specific players in mind, whether free agents or draft prospects, voice your thoughts below.

 

 

Getting Brown back next year will be a huge lift. With a #5 Pick we should be able to get a good DT or Edge Rusher in the next draft.

[outlaw4]

18 minutes ago, ChibCU said:

The defense needs more talent, but it’s weird to start this off about run defense and not mention we lost our all-pro DT week 1. 

If our run defense completely collapses because you lose one single player, then that is a huge problem. 

Need bodies on defense, especially up front. Need speedy shifty targets on offense but history has shown you don't need to use high draft picks to get them. 

[CamWhoaaCam]

In FA go after some defensive talent. Doesn't matter what position we can improve at any position on defense.

 

Draft Tmac with our 1st and go all defense the rest of the draft.

 

[pdub0702]

1) DT

2) Edge

3) CB 

any of these 3 positions in no particular order. Just BPA on defense for at least the first 3 picks 

[Shocker]

#1 WR then defense especially front 7

Edited December 2, 2024 by Shocker