2023 NFL Season: What to expect from the NFC South
By Ryan McCrary
3. Carolina Panthers
2022 Record: 7-10
2023 Projected Win Total: 7.5
Key Additions: Bryce Young, Andy Dalton, Miles Sanders, Adam Thielen, D.J. Chark, Shy Tuttle, Deshawn Williams, Hayden Hurst, and Von Bell
Key Losses: D.J. Moore, Corey Littleton, Matt Ioannidis, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and D’Onta Foreman
The Carolina Panthers had an exciting offseason as they traded for the number one overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which they used to draft Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. They finally swung for the fences to try and get their franchise quarterback.
They did give up D.J. Moore in the trade that landed them Bryce Young, which is a huge loss, but they tried to improve their offense in free agency by signing Adam Thielen, D.J. Chark, Miles Sanders, and Hayden Hurst. None of these guys are stars, but they can all be solid starters next season.
According to the Panthers’ GM, Scott Fitterer, Bryce Young may not start right away, but the team signed Andy Dalton in free agency, who had a solid season with the Saints last season, and he could be fine as the day-one starter in Carolina.
The Panthers did lose some solid players on defense, including linebacker Corey Littleton and defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis. They replaced Ioannidis with Shy Tuttle, but they will miss both players.
The Panthers had a losing season in 2022, and they are projected to finish with about the same record in 2023. This makes sense, as they didn’t make any big move which improves their chances of winning right now. Getting Bryce Young could make them a lot better down the road, but he’s unlikely to move the needle as a rookie.
The big issue with the Panthers is they don’t have much high-level talent on their roster right now. Brian Burns is a great edge rusher, and Jaycee Horn has the chance to be a really good cornerback, but their roster is quite average across the board. It’s possible that they outperform expectations offensively and are able to compete for the NFC South title, but it’s more likely that they finish below .500 and have a high pick in next year’s draft.