Bryce wild card. Could be a franchise guy. Could be a bust. An O line that has improved in terms of starters and depth radically and should be a top half of the league unit with upside to be even a top 10 unit. A receiver core that has also upgraded. But still unfortunately is one of the weaker and more unproven units in the league. Upside is there but they have to improve and prove it. Also keep in mind there a ton of stacked receiver cores in the league so that’s why we rank so low. A RB room that with Chubba as a starter is still a weaker unit compared to the league. But has serious upside with brooks once he comes off that ACL injury. Defensively the line is probably one of the most improved units when it comes to run stopping between brown. Robinson. Clowney. Who are all upgrades. And wonnum who’s a side grade from YGM (who missed time). However the pass rush is probably pretty bad. Secondary. It is what it is. A unit with experienced players who are smart. But overall pretty slow outside of horn. Evero will rely on the units IQ because from a physical standpoint whitehead. Troy hill. And Jackson are probably some of the least physical talented secondary starters out there. Nobody is expecting this team to be a playoff team. And though there’s upside you’re probably looking at replacing a bunch of defensive players over the next 2 years.

Pretty much summed it up, well done 👍

Goated reply

Excellent summary, well done. I am a Bears fan, and I think you will do better than expected this year due to Bryce and the O-line and the receiver corps upgrades you described very well. I this will help Bryce to become that franchise guy for you. I watched a lot of your game breakdowns last year as I was rooting for you to do poorly (sorry about that) and I saw that Bryce didn't have a freaking chance. No separation from the receivers combined with bad pass protection. Any hate or ridicule he received was totally unfair in my view. To me he showed toughness, grit, vision and accuracy to make plays when he could. The Oline upgrades and WR upgrades will make a huge difference because Bryce is your biggest lever and you helped him. A lot. I see the Panthers surprising in the division, possibly winning it, as I think Bryce will be the best QB in the division. We will see though. Good luck to you.

Well done. We’ll score 24-27 per but give up 35 per.

Better than last year

This team is in the right direction as far as getting away from last year. Signing decently named players that have had actual lasting impacts(clowney Robinson, Dionte)as compared to miles sanders or Hayden hurst. Went big on O-line. The right principles are there, just a matter of execution at this point..

We've got enough offensive talent to see what Bryce is made of, and enough defensive experience to keep us in games so long as the offense is decent. That's about all we could ask for given where we started at this offseason and how relatively little assets we had in order to improve. We had to get pretty creative to get to this point, but we did it. We're still not great, but our talent level is significantly better than last year. That said, we have probably just 1--maybe 2--guy(s) who are top 10 at their positions in the league, and in the NFL, you gotta have elite talent to get anywhere worthwhile. And that's a big problem when you look at the teams we're facing this year; how many games are we gonna have the talent edge in this year? Be honest with yourself...5? 3?...just 1? We'll win more games than last year (barring serious injuries to several key contributors), but this level of talent could probably get us like 7 wins *max*, any further record improvement is gonna come from coaching boosts and good old-fashioned luck.

To make it short: I’d be surprised if we don’t pick in the top 5 next year. Even if Bryce turns out to be great

**Bright Spots** **Derrick Brown/D-line:** Mr. Brown will continue dominating and is a dreaded game wrecker across the NFL. He played a large part in keeping us competitive in some games last year and our defense highly ranked despite being on the field all game. There is potential for him to take the crown this season as best DT in the league with our added depth on the D line. Clowney, Robinson, Wonnum, and Chaisson are nice additions and I think this unit will get a better pass rush and improved run stopping than we would have if we kept Burns. **Diontae Johnson/WR:** Johnson has electrifying route running and separation ability. He is the most talented receiver we have had in years and I look forward to seeing him lead this new fangled unit. He has struggled with drops at times, but separation on short routes is what we need. We have enough depth at this position to see some success and look professional out there. Leggett is raw, but could be a number 1 WR in this league for the next 8-10. Our qb should be able to dump it off to him on crossing routes sufficiently enough, so I think we will see a YAC attack early on and hopefully he can grow from there. I am rooting for him and you should too. **Ja'Tavion Sanders/TE:** Sanders was one of my favorite prospects in the draft this year. We stole him in the 4th round and got a much needed upgrade to our bottom of the barrel TE room. He will give our qb another good option with big play potential in the short passing game. Get this man the ball ASAP. Tremble is a fav of mine so rooting for his continued growth as a role player. Yes, Ian Thomas is still on the team. Mercedes Lewis is 40 and going into his 18th NFL season this fall. I expect Ian Thomas will play for the Panthers with similar longevity. We will be given no explanation. Don't ask questions. Just accept it and move on. **Chuba Hubbard/ RB:** Chuuuuba Quietly had 902 yards last year behind one of the most abysmal O-lines in recent memory. He is consistent and has a unique style that continues to baffle would be tacklers and myself. It is not pretty, but he will have a real shot at getting to 1000 yards on the ground this season with Hunt and Lewis grading the road. Brooks is an exciting player, but I do not expect/hope to see him until the second part of the season. He is young and coming off a serious injury so keeping him on the bottom of the deck will be best for us long term. Miles Sanders disgusts me and is a major liability. Looks like Rashaad Penny is on the team now so I expect to see him get some action early in the season, but he cannot be expected to last for long. **Shade** **The qb:** It was unfair to draft this player at all. He is a bust. We will be the butt of every joke until we can move on from this travesty. He may be a brilliant football mind and have fantastic anticipation, but nothing matters (especially the S2 score) when there are no physical tools in the toolbox (arm strength/athleticism/can't go under center). Chad Pennington had more escapability, zip, and downfield throwing ability. We are stuck playing small ball and relying on other athletes to raise his game up to eye level. With our qb we will never be able to stretch the field or challenge professional DBs. I have had strong feelings about this player since 2022. I am a hater and I am still in shock that he was taken #1 overall or drafted at all by any team. My silver lining is maybe this year the reality will become too hard to ignore with the improved roster. **The Center Situation:** I am deeply concerned about relying on Corbett, who has never played the position. When healthy, he has played well to excellent at Guard, but Center is a different animal. Snapping the ball before making contact is hard and it is a big deal to try an make that transition on a professional level. Especially when you are protecting the smallest qb allowed to play in the NFL. There were outstanding Center prospects early and late in the draft that were passed up. Andrew Raym is the UFA behind Corbett. I know nothing about him, but the lack of depth at this critical position is a major role of the dice and like a game of craps we will just have to close our eyes and hope for the best. **Ickey:** I was so excited about this pick when he was drafted in 2022. I was pounding the table into the ground for Ickey. I believe this guy can turn it around an reach his potential as a pass protector. BUT last year was rough. He has a major lunging problem and gets beat quick because of mental errors, whiffing on initial contact, and at times inflexible base. I am holding out hope for another season, but he was a major reason our qb was rightfully getting panicky. Having two quality veteran guards that are maulers especially Hunt (love his work) should give Ickey the ability to focus on the outside lane and give the qb a true pocket. **CB's:** We are counting on Jaycee Horn staying healthy. Our depth is severely limited and we will be playing guys that would be on the practice squad for most teams. Troy Hill played well enough last year and I think there is a good possibility we can add some vets here before the season, but as of now this unit is concerning at best.

Do you believe your opinion of Bryce could shift, or is he still considered a bust in your eyes regardless of the results?

My opinion can change based on the performance of any of player. He has not met the eye test thus far.

Gotcha, that's all I was asking. I know some people can't change their opinion of a player, even if their performance improves.

I agree w you about Bryce and Ick

C- roster, anyone expecting us to win more than 5-6 games is delusional. Losing burns and luvu will be detrimental, defense that was bottom of the lg in sacks, interceptions and takeaways will be even worse. I’m expecting to see Dane Jackson get burnt multiple times

Looking back on the off season and all the moves Luvu is the one that stings the most.

Luvu is the one that hurts right now. But overall LB play is probably the least important position on defense. And we get Shaq back who’s an upgrade. And Jewell who’s a smart technical LB who is just aging. I think burns will hurt the most by the end of the season. It’s just so hard to survive in the league without plus edge play. And just as teams run on us less and pass more against a weaker secondary I think we’ll feel his loss a lot more.

I'll keep it pretty simple... Many people underestimate just how dysfunctional last year was. This roster is significantly better. Our young players have not been put in a position to be fairly evaluated, yet. The odds that Bryce is a bust, IMO, is very low. 2,900 yd and 11 touchdowns as a rookie on that team last year is better than we give him credit for. I anticipate being far more competitive and winning 5-7 games. I think we will be discussing a team moving in the right direction after next season.

I think the statement of “odds of Bryce being a bust is fairly low” is kind absurd tbh after last year. More QBs bust then don’t.

A bust meaning somebody we are looking to replace in the next few seasons. I highly doubt that's the case. Bryce was certainly not perfect last year and has to learn from mistakes but he was also nowhere near the top of the list of issues we had. He showed he can make the throws, read a defense, escape a pocket, anticipate, throw accurately, be a leader, etc. and I think he's going to prove he belongs in the league this season.

I mean I just completely disagree to be honest lol Objectively, he showed more reasons he’d be a bust than not.

I would recommend going back and watching some film breakdowns. Jordan Palmer and JT O'Sullivan's QB School have some great ones on YouTube. I think you'll come away feeling much better about Bryce. If we saw a quarterback missing open receivers, not reading the defense, overthrowing or underthrowing passes... that's one thing. That's not what we saw last year. And the rare game when he had time to throw and a little bit of wide receiver separation, he played much better, like Green Bay and Atlanta. We had zero team speed, the lowest open receiver percentage in the league, no run game, OC changes, a scheme that didn't fit his playing style, and he was the fifth most sacked quarterback ever. Defenses just blitzed, sat on short routes, and didn't respect anything down the field making everything so difficult. No YAC. Under better circumstances I think he's going to be a really good QB.

I saw very little that makes me think Bryce Young is going to be good. I know the team sucked around him but he was staring down receivers, holding the ball too long, and made some really bad passes even when guys were open. Maybe there was just no way to settle in in that environment. Maybe he had shell shock. Hope he turns it around.

I agree with a lot of what has been said in this thread, but I will say that I am terrified about Austin Corbett at center (a position where we have zero depth). Sure: last season when he came back the team seemed to get a spark, and we beat Houston at home by some miracle. But that fizzled quickly, and there is so much tape of Corbett just straight up missing blocks and Bryce paying the price. That being said, Canales is low-key an offensive line whisperer, I feel like. Tampa’s line improved last year, and it impacted the entire offense, obviously. If they had a reliable run game, who knows? Point is, we have a guy with a big injury history playing center for the first time since college as the anchor of our O-Line. There’s zero depth behind him when he goes down, so I feel like we’re potentially building a house of cards on loose sand when we need bedrock. As much as I loved our draft, I thought for sure we’d invest in a center. Anyway: I hope that Corbett has a great season, and I am rooting for him to stay healthy and outplay my expectations! Edit: I will concede that [PFF has him ranked 20th](https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-center-rankings-top-32-2024-nfl-season)(only 2 positions behind Bozeman! Wow), so it’s maybe not as dire as I’ve been feeling… but they don’t know! No one knows. It’s been 7 years since he played center, and he’s never done it in the NFL.

Agree with you on Corbett. They paid Raym (center from Oklahoma) $225k as an UDFA. Cade Mays can also play center and maybe Brady Christensen can too. So we have some depth on the roster but it’s not proven.

QB: Not sure what we have with Bryce yet, will know more after this year. Hopefully he can show he is the guy with better weapons and oline around him Oline: I think we definitely upgraded at guard and I hope that has an impact on Ickey and that he can show he is the franchise LT. Hoping everything works out well with Corbett at C and that we can get a few good years out of him. Stability and improved health as a whole will make it a much better situation. Also, I think we will get a boost just from subtracting Reich and his scheme. I feel good about them as of right now. WR: Getting Diontae is going to make this group so much better simply from the fact that we know he will get open. I think Legette can be a huge playmaker in the offense, used in so many different ways, so hopefully he can come along quickly. Adam is going to be a great safety net/2nd or 3rd option, now that he doesn't have to be the number 1 target. The rest of the group is a bunch of unknowns, hope Mingo can turn into something. I feel a lot better about them than last year, but that is a low bar. RB: I think this may be the deepest position on the roster atp lol Chubba can be a bell cow kind of guy, JB could be a stud once he is fully healthy and up to speed, Miles still has talent and I think he will look better with improved oline play, and Blackshear is a solid ST guy. Feel very good about RB. TE: I think Sanders will make an immediate impact in the pass game, but definitely needs to keep working on his blocking. I'm hoping we can finally see a jump by Tommy in the pass game to go along with his already solid blocking skills. Thomas is who he is. Hoping someone breaks out and is at least a consistent pass catching threat for us. Feel ok about this group. Dline: DB is a stud and the addition of Robinson will hopefully massively improve run defense. Hoping Tuttle and others will be good rotational pieces, but it is a little thin on the line. Hopefully we can stay healthy. Feel ok about this group. Edge: I think Clowney is another piece that really helps out run D and is a solid pass rusher. But I have major concerns about the other guys, mainly due to injury concerns. Not feeling great about this group rn. LB: Shaq is a consistent and important leader out there, so will be good to have him back. But losing Luvu I think is the biggest loss for the defense, even more than Brian. Dude was every where on the field and was the heart of that defense. Hope someone else can step up beside Shaq. I like Wallace's potential and I think Jewel is going to be a solid player in Evero's system again, tho. Feel okay about this group overall. DB: This group's success hinges on Jaycee staying healthy. If he goes down, Dane Jackson is our number 1 at CB and that concerns me a lot lol hopefully we add some depth here. I do like our safeties tho, Woods and Fuller are solid starters. Feel okay overall K: Give me the thiccer kicker!! P: Hekker is a beast LS: JJ is preparing for his 55th season and I for one am excited to see his longevity continue. The true heart and soul of our squad!!

Bryce is thr biggest question mark. We will know what we have with him by mid-December one way or the other. Oline should be the strongest position group of the team. The Safey group is above average. Every other position group as a whole is below average. This could change for the RBs, if Brooks comes back productive from injury this season. We're a 5 to 6 win team based on our roster.

Better than last year. Not good enough to justify more than 5 wins

You can’t since this team hasn’t had a real coach or GM in forever. Just gotta cheer for the guys while they learn from the best young offensive and defensive minds in the game now

All depends on the coach and Bryce

Nobody here that I would buy a jersey for, that's all I gotta say

I think we’re okay and will end up about even at the end of the season. Assuming we don’t get major injuries. Then we’ll move on from Bryce next season. I know very little about most things so I’m probably wrong.

It’s bad.

best roster ever by far, like a landslide. cutest qb ever. sexy ass coach. we're the best at everything

**QB:** **=** Bryce and Andy returning this year, so the group is equal to me. I see the argument behind it being improved as Bryce is coming in with a year of experience under his belt as opposed to being a fresh-faced rookie. **RB:** **+** The team is bringing back last year's RB room, but they've added to the group via the draft as well as free agency. The Panthers moved up to select Jonathan Brooks in the second round which made him the first RB taken in this year's draft. Former Seahawk Rashaad Penny has followed Dave Canales out east and is expected to compete with Miles Sanders and Rahim Blackshear for RB3 and potentially RB4 if the team opts to carry that many going into the season. **WR: +** The unit underperformed last season to say the least, and while only three additions were made the WR group should perform much better as a whole. Diontae Johnson coming is going to immediately push those average separation numbers that were notoriously low last season in the opposite direction for the Panthers. Xavier Legette was also drafted, adding another speedster besides Ihmir Smith-Marsette to the lineup. Finally, David Moore was also brought in due to his speed and familiarity with Canales' offense and Jalen Coker was an intriguing UDFA brought in with decent size and excellent hands. It's hard to not have expectations that the room is improved. Thielen will hopefully not have to worry about being the #1 WR and we'll also see how Mingo has approached his first full NFL offseason. **TE: =** Hayden Hurst was another FA dud last season that unfortunately also suffered a concussion bad enough that memory loss was involved. He follows DJ Chark out to LA where they'll catch passes from Justin Herbert. In his place comes Ja'Tavion Sanders, arguably one of the top value picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. Sanders has potential elite receiving TE qualities, but his blocking is a notable weakness. I want to say that the position is better now, but it's really difficult when it's essentially the same group but with a rookie instead of another vet. With a ll of that said, I'm a big Tommy Tremble fan and expect him to have a breakout season! **OL: +** It's hard to not be better when a team is on it's eighth starting LG and ninth starting RG to end the season. $100M went into plugging both of those holes while Austin Corbett is expected to kick inside further to play center. I'm especially high on Robert Hunt. He is a man beast that is also experienced in the zone scheme the team is expected to run. That's another key here... having players that fit the scheme. With the upcoming commitment to the run expect some highlights of Icky absolutely decleating dudes. **ST: =** They're keeping the band together! Though the Thiccer Kicker has also created a fun competition for the team's specialists. There's a part of me that wants to say that this unit is improved if XL is returning kicks under the new rules.

**DL: +** I thought that this group was going to be a huge issue for the team last season, but then the offensive line happened. DeShawn Williams has been replaced by A'Shawn Robinson, and Jaden Crumedy was selected with pick #200 to help solidify the line. Both players brought in are known for their prowess in run defense which was an issue last year. **EDGE: ?** The question mark this season, imo. Brian Burns wasn't exactly lighting up stat sheets, but he was an impact on the field that drew double teams. I'd argue that the shift from Burns/YGM to Clowney/Wonnum is not as big as some might think. YGM started to show flashes towards the end of last season, but this group wasn't getting to the QB. If K'Lavon Chaisson can make some plays and DJ Johnson can do more than set the edge, then this group might be the most improved on the defense. **LB: =** Losing Frankie Luvu hurt, but gaining Josey Jewell helped make it a little better. Captain Shaq is also back, which immediately makes the position group better. Deion Jones and Kamu Grugier-Hill fought admirably when on the field last season, but journeyman Tae Davis will hopefully see the field less than both so long as Shaq + Jewell stay healthy. The two rookie LBs that the Panthers drafted could be what pushes this group to be better than last season. Both can make their impacts felt on ST and I expect Trevin Wallace to see the field before Tae Davis (should Davis make the final roster). **CB: =** CJ Henderson and Donte Jackson are out, Dane Johnson and Chau Smith-Wade are in. The biggest question for this group is whether or not Jaycee Horn can play a full season. He's had some tough luck with injuries since coming into the league, but when on the field he is an elite NFL corner. If Jaycee can keep healthy this season that would go a long, long way in helping bring some stability to the CB room. **S: =** I want to say that this group is not as good because of the loss of Jeremy Chinn, but the reality was that he didn't really contribute last season as the staff couldn't seem to find a role for him in the scheme. Von Bell was also released, and now Jordan Fuller is reuniting with Evero. Sam Franklin Jr, a solid ST contributor and back-up safety, was brought back for a year. Jammie Robinson returns one year wiser, and Nick Scott was also brought in. This group potentially go

The roster is 100% better overall than it was last year. Qb - Bryce year 2 in a better system should theoretically be better than rookie Bryce in a bad system. Oline - vastly improved. RB - Brooks will be slow to get fully started but once he does the RBBC with him is definitely better he’s a feature back when healthy. And now the line is improved there’s no way it’s worse than last year. TE - slightly better. I think Tremble and Sanders are going to do really well in Canales system. WRs - upgraded. Dionte is gonna cook, We have more options than just Thielen in the slot now that should theoretically open up more spots for everyone else. Defense D line - probably equal maybe slightly worse Line backers - shaq healthy, Josey familiar with Everos system. I say slightly better Corners - really depends on if Horn can stay healthy. Not having Djack and Anderson should be addition by subtraction. Safety - push. Overall way better on offense. Defense probably takes a step back but the team as a whole takes steps forward.

1-10 how worried are we about Ickey Pass blocking? Can we get him some TE/RB help?

JRodNFLDraft from Twitter here: This is an improved roster but there is still plenty of work to be done. Young has an average group of playmakers by league standards but considering last year’s kerfuffle that’s an improvement. Outside of Clowney I have some legitimate concerns with the pass rush, though I think pass coverage will be disciplined. Run defense personnel has improved as well. This should be a better team next year. If there isn’t at least a 4-win improvement, I’d be genuinely surprised.

Our QB has talent but still waiting to see if he really breaks through OL should be improved but remains to be seen TE room is unimpressive until proven otherwise WR room should be improved but little depth RBs are uninspiring until proven otherwise DEs are old or injured and thin, to a concerning level Interior DL should be a relative strength, though likely more effective against the run CB room is THIN on talent (except Jaycee, he’s excellent) ILB is going to be fine barring significant injury Safety room is actually good, although I doubt any of them are true stars This team won’t be good unless there are several impactful rookies or breakouts, which is hard to bank on 5-12 is my prediction

I believe at the moment we are an elite XFL team, if we hit on all of our offseason moves then we are the Temu 49ers which should be good enough to contend in the NFC south.

Could be worse?

Roster still isn’t good and also isn’t good enough to evaluate if Bryce is a bust or not. This season will definitely be a rebuilding year. Maybe win 4-5 games. Pick a receiver or offensive lineman with the top 10 pick and try and fill some gaps in free agency. 2025 season will tell us about Bryce’s future