Carolina Panthers: 10 Much-Needed Changes This Offseason
The Carolina Panthers had high hopes at the beginning of the season. They felt they had the talent and enough leadership to at least finish 8-8 or even make a push for the playoffs.
Now the Panthers are 1-8 and many are starting to believe that the team should be considered blessed if it gets one more win.
The team lacks leadership, experience and the explosiveness the team showcased late last season. No one has performed up to their level, and after the Baltimore game this week people will write off the season as the worst in franchise history.
The big question for Panther Nation is: What can be done to extract the talent everyone know resides in this team?
Here are a few suggestions, but let's face it: As soon as the season is over no one knows if there will even be a 2011, let alone know what will happen with the team.
10. Hard To Run an Offense From Your Back
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A key issue with the Panthers offense has been its offensive line. The line is mostly there physically, but mentally I believe they are stuck in the past.
Jordan Gross has not been his Pro Bowl self and it is killing the game plan and our quarterbacks. He was out the end of last season due to a broken leg, and there's a question as to whether it's not completely healed or if he just isn't willing to push it. If the Panthers plan to score points next season, he will need to be ready to go all-out.
Travelle Wharton has actually done a good job at left guard and this seems to be a more natural position. His health will keep him and his quarterbacks on the field.
Ryan Kalil was Pro Bowl center last season and for a guy who wants to be paid next season, he is not playing like it. He looks overmatched at times and is unable to get the leverage needed on defensive tackles to be able to open up the holes needed for the running backs.
Geoff Schwartz has done a nice job as a fill-in, but he would have benefited from having Jeff Otah beside him. He has great size, but he needs to do more whistle drills as he is constantly called for false starts. He will have to work the hardest of the starting linemen to keep the right guard spot, as that is the greatest need on the line.
Otah has been a huge disappointment. His work ethic is questionable and I do not know how a "setback" can keep him out for another season. He will be gone if he doesn't learn to stay healthy and get on the field next season. His presence in the run game has been sorely missed, and the Panthers cannot afford to be without him.
The rest haven't proven their worth this year. Gary Williams will be gone and Mackenzy Bernadeau was better on the left side than on the right.
In the end, the Panthers need depth. I know this might be asking a lot but can we maybe draft an offensive lineman before the sixth round?
Also, it might not be so bad to bring in a veteran lineman. When Keydrick Vincent was here the line was dominant but since he was not kept, the replacements haven't been able to fill the void. The line is so very crucial and this year proves how important their line was last season and how much better it needs to be next season.
9. It's About Time We Get a Big Guy Who Can Catch
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After watching the Bucs game Sunday, I got to thinking how it would be nice if we had a tight end that could be a threat and an actual part of the offense. The Panthers may be the only team in the NFL that does not use tight ends as something other than blockers.
Jeff King is a great guy. He works hard and he is a good blocker, but he is not a pass catcher. He had a couple of drops last game and he just doesn't worry me if I am a defensive coordinator. He has zero big-play ability.
Dante Rosario is the opposite of King. He is fast, has good hands and can go big if given the chance. Unfortunately, he is not the greatest of blockers. It is not hard to guess that if Rosario is in that the Panthers will try and pass the ball. Rosario has talent, but the guy is probably not used the way he should be.
Gary Barnidge is big and strong, has good hands and is not a bad blocker, so where is he? The guy is 6'6" and nowhere to be found. He would be starting if right now in my offense and he would be my first option in the red zone. So why isn't he? How come he never plays? This one may be on Jeff Davidson and his simpleton offense.
I have felt for about five years now that we need a playmaker at tight end. We've passed on Mercedes Lewis, Greg Olsen and Jared Cook. Two of those three look like Pro Bowlers this season.
If we don't sign a veteran then maybe we should draft one before the fifth round. It would be great if Jimmy Clausen had a big, reliable target to throw to next season.
8. Someone for the Quarterback to Throw to Would Be Nice
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Let's face it, our receiving corp sucks. This may be the least productive group in franchise history. There's a reason why opposing defenses put eight or nine in the box. They double-team Steve Smith, maybe put one guy on the second receiver and shut them down. Or they just leave all the receivers alone as they won't catch it if the ball gets to them.
Steve Smith used to be the greatest receiver in the NFL. Now, he has become the "other" Steve Smith. He has lost the fire that had made him so great. It also does not help that he has not had a reliable quarterback and is having his worst season as a receiver. I hope he does not get traded, but he does not deserve to be on such a pathetic team.
Brandon LaFell is coming on as the second receiver. He has had trouble eclipsing the 50-yard mark, though, and his hands need vast improvement if he doesn't want to be the next Dwayne Jarrett. He has the size to be the next Moose, but he needs to start playing like he's in the NFL.
David Gettis has been a big surprise this year, as most believed he would not even make it to the regular season. He has shown speed and big-play ability, but he also has catching issues. Also, he has been nonexistent since his monster game against the 49ers. He can be a big part of the future but it wouldn't hurt if he stepped his game up.
David Clowney and Devin Thomas, why are you here? There is a reason Clowney was released by the Jets; he's bad. He cannot play at this level. As for Thomas, why did he sign with a team if he was just going to be injured the whole time? These two rejects are proving that their best chances of playing are in the UFL, not the NFL.
After further review, I have determined that we need a veteran receiver. Moose would be great...oh wait we said goodbye to him. We could have gotten Santonio Holmes or Housh, but no. We could have gotten Mike Williams, but no. We need a veteran that knows how to play and can take pressure off of Smith.
My suggestion is we draft A.J. Green. The guy is a beast with sticky fingers. He could easily be the next Larry Fitzgerald, and he is a Bulldog.
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7. It Might be Time to Start Plugging Up the Holes on the Defense
4 of 10There will be no picture for this slide as I could not tell you who is even on the roster at defensive tackle.
The two guys the Panthers traded for—Louis Leonard and Tank Tyler—are no longer with the team as they both underperformed. Our third-round pick from a few years ago, Corey Irvin, is gone in because he was barely a college lineman, let alone an NFL lineman. To top it off, we didn't draft one tackle in what would've been the deepest tackle draft this decade.
Our defensive tackles have done a decent job, but Shaun Rogers can run through the holes opened in our defensive line. They are too small and just cannot man-handle the interior linemen.
This hurts because the great defensive lines in John Fox's earlier years looked like they ate whole animals for breakfast. If the lineman was under 320 pounds than he didn't even make the team.
Let's look at the lineman from our good years. Kris Jenkins weighed in at about 350 on a bad day. Buckner weighed in at about 310-320. Kemo was 350. All these men were beasts and run-stuffers, and they helped the Panthers defense consistently rank at the top of the league in fewest rushing yards allowed.
The Panthers need a FAT man, plain and simple. They need a man-child that has his own gravitational pull. We need someone that fits in three time zones at once. This player will have to be drafted, though, as there is not much in the way of veterans. It does not matter where he comes from, though, as long as he can stop the run.
6. There Has To Be a Veteran Quarterback Somewhere
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I know Jake Delhomme was thrown a parade when he was released due to his horrible play, but there was so much he could have done as a backup.
The Panthers lack a veteran quarterback and because of that, our young guys have to rely on a coach whose best products are Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson.
Delhomme could have taught Clausen not to be afraid to go deep. He could have taught him how to connect with Steve Smith. Most of all, he could have taught him how to play with fire.
Until two seasons ago, I would have taken Delhomme over anyone else in the fourth quarter. Delhomme has more heart and belief in his team that the team fed off him. He lit a fire under the whole team and he was the comeback master.
Clausen looks like he needs to be told how to play with fire. I want to see his arrogance and fire, so his team can feed off it. He needs to be able to lead that final drive to win the game. He had his chance against New Orleans and he couldn't get the job done. He only seems to play well when the game is already decided.
The Panthers need a veteran. The Panthers need Delhomme, but he would need to play for free as the Panthers paid him $12 million for doing nothing this season.
5. Take a Size 15 and Kick Jeff Davidson Out of Here
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My main reason for why our offense is bad is our offensive coordinator, Jeff Davidson.
He was an offensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns (again, we take bad coaches from bad teams and think it will work). He has a play-calling style that looks like it was learned in a coaching class: "Run on first down, run on second down, pass on third down, then punt."
How about a little creativity? How about more play-action? How about using a tight end in the passing game? And heaven forbid we actually try and score a touchdown.
Our next offensive coordinator will need a few things if he wants to keep his job.
First, he cannot be afraid to use trick plays and he needs to know when to use them. Let's look at the Browns, for example. Brian Daboll has found a few ways to get creative this season. He's done a halfback pass to his quarterback. He's done a number of Wildcat plays since last season. He even did his own version of the Annexation of Puerto Rico from the Little Giants movie.
Second, the new coordinator will need to know how to get the most out of his tight ends. Look at the top offenses: Dallas, San Diego, Atlanta and New England. They all use their tight ends for something other than blocking. Imagine what our offense could do with a tight end in the offense. Defensive ends would have to check the tight ends at the line instead of firing of and heading directly for the quarterback. Also, tight ends are reliable targets for quarterbacks and are necessary for young quarterbacks.
Lastly, mix up the game plan a little. Use more play-action. Of course, the line needs to block for it to work, but it's still needed. Try using the Mountaineer package. We wasted a second-round pick on Armanti Edwards; we might as well use him. Also, how about some crossing routes that allow for our big receivers to gain more separation?
I don't know who could be the next man for the job, but it would not take much to be better than the one we have.
4. Champions Are Leaders
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A huge thing lacking this year is leadership.
Our defensive line lacks leadership, as there are no veterans for the youngsters to look up to. Julius Peppers was the leader and was too expensive for Jerry Richardson, but paying $12 million to Delhomme so he could leave was okay. Our secondary lacks a leader as Chris Harris was traded for another member of the injured reserve.
On the offense, Gross and Vincent were the leaders, but Vincent's gone and Gross is in Lala Land. Brad Hoover was the leader in the backfield, but we decided to release him with one year left on his contract. Muhsin Muhammad was the leader of the receivers, but we thought he was of no value and did not retain him. Delhomme was still a leader last season and would've been a great one this year. Instead, we are stuck with Clausen, who is just a rookie and does not know yet what it takes to be a leader.
When you look at all the leaders we jettisoned, go figure we would look like lost little kittens.
Champions are leaders, just look at Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. They are everything we are not right now.
3. It Takes Experience to Succeed in Life, and the NFL
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It's hard to get things right the first time, especially in the NFL. This is what Panthers fans need to remember. We have a very, very young team.
We need to give our players time. Clausen will learn how to play in the NFL. He will learn how to utilize Steve Smith. He will learn to not fumble snaps. He already makes smart decisions throwing the ball, as he does not have many interceptions.
Our receivers will learn how to gain position on defenders. They will learn how to come back to the quarterback when he is scrambling. They will eventually catch the ball.
Our secondary will learn how to cover receivers and tight ends. They will learn to not let guys past them, when they are the safeties.
There's a huge learning curve for this team as they lack the leaders required, but they'll come around hopefully.
Another offseason will do that for them.
2. The Panthers Need to Get Healthy
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Besides the Packers and Colts, the Panthers may be the most injury-prone team in the NFL. Unfortunately this has been the franchise's problem since they came into existence.
The Panthers have already lost their starting quarterback, first three running backs, starting right tackle, starting linebacker and a bunch of back-ups.
The Panthers need to come back next season physically healthy. Thomas Davis needs to keep the brace on this time. Our running backs need to follow their blockers so they can stop getting hammered. Otah needs to man up and get that knee going.
When the Panthers have been healthy in their short history, they have been great. When they are injured, they are flat-out bad. Next season, they need to be healthy.
1. The Panthers' Mind Needs to Get Better
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Unfortunately, John Fox will most likely not be a Panther next year. It will be up to the team to put Fox away in a box and move on. They will need to adapt quickly to the new coach's philosophies and style. They must be willing to learn his way and play how he wants them to play. I will miss Fox too, but he will not be able to help anymore.
More importantly, the Panthers front office will need to be smart. They've screwed the team six ways from Sunday and need to atone for their mistakes. They failed with the trades for the defensive tackles. They failed on the Chris Harris trade. They failed miserably on the Armanti Edwards pick. The front office needs to be smarter.
They are going to have the top pick or second pick in the next draft. They need to really break down the team's needs and pick the best available player. They will also need to make every pick count as they were stupid enough to trade away a second-round pick, so every other pick needs to be make up for that lost pick.
Lastly, if a new CBA is agreed to, I don't want to hear anything about not having the cap room to sign people. First, we re-sign our core players. Then, we go out and get free agents, and there will be many. Jerry Richardson had the audacity to raise prices on tickets and now it's his turn to pay the price.
We either go big or say goodbye.
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