Some people believe the Panthers are going to finish the 2020 season with the worst record in the NFL. While that would set them up to pick a new franchise quarterback in next year’s draft, losing the most games in the league is generally something teams try to avoid. If they’re not interested in tanking, this group is going to need several key players to perform.
Guys who were already on the roster last year who will need to carry a heavy load in 2020 include Christian McCaffrey, Matt Paradis, Ian Thomas, Shaq Thompson and Donte Jackson. We’re already familiar with those players and their expectations, though.
Here are six new players who are under pressure to perform this year.
QB Teddy Bridgewater
Bridgewater has the biggest shoes to fill, at least as far as this franchise is concerned. He doesn’t have the same arm talent or the mobility that Cam Newton does, so it wouldn’t be fair to expect the same things from him as we would from a healthy Newton. What Bridgewater should be judged on his how effectively and aggressively he runs offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s scheme. Dumping off to McCaffrey and throwing simple slants to D.J. Moore over and over isn’t going to get it done. He needs to take advantage of the speed of Curtis Samuel and Robby Anderson and test opponents deep more often than he has in his career up until this point. If Bridgewater elevates his game and becomes more than a check-down artist, he’ll have a chance to be the long-term QB1 and not just a bridge option.
LT Russell Okung
Perhaps the worst move the Panthers made this offseason was trading Trai Turner to the Chargers for Russell Okung, a lineman who is five years older and had significant injury issues last season. A lot is riding on how well Okung plays at left tackle, which has been a revolving door ever since Jordan Gross retired after 2013. Okung has always been a respectable pass blocker. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed zero sacks on 143 pass blocking snaps last year. Bridgewater will need that trend to continue if Carolina’s offense is going to have any chance of getting off the ground.
WR Robby Anderson
It’s more than a little ironic that the day Cam Newton was released the team finally paid up at wide receiver, signing Robby Anderson to a two-year, $20 million contract. Anderson has flashed superb potential at different times of his career and is one of the league’s top deep threats. He has a tendency to run hot and cold, though. Last season, Anderson smoked the Raiders, Bengals and Dolphins Weeks 11-13 for a total of 18 catches and 304 yards. Down the stretch he was contained, though. Anderson managed just nine catches and 116 yards the last three games. Carolina will need him to produce more consistently.
DT Derrick Brown
First-round picks are always under pressure to make a difference right away, especially those taken in the top 10. Selecting a defensive tackle that early is not a good use of draft capital, though. While we can’t blame Derrick Brown for that, he’ll still be expected to step up in a significant way. We know that Brown is going to be a great run stopper in the NFL. However, in order to live up to being picked that early, Brown will have to shed concerns about his athleticism and his ability as a pass rusher. The Panthers need him to draw attention and double teams away from Kawann Short and Brian Burns if their pass rush is going to continue to be a strength.
CB Troy Pride Jr.
General manager Marty Hurney waited until the fourth round to pick a cornerback in this year’s draft, which is a gamble considering how needy they were at this position going in. Notre Dame’s Troy Pride Jr. will perhaps be under more pressure than any other defensive player this season. Most likely he’ll be expected to start in James Bradberry’s old spot outside opposite Donte Jackson. Pride’s quickness and scrappiness in man coverage will help him adjust to life in the NFL. However, his lack of wingspan and suspect tackling could be a problem when he matches up against stars like Michael Thomas, Mike Evans and Julio Jones.
DB Jeremy Chinn
Outside cornerback was far from the Panthers’ only need in the secondary, though. They also needed a replacement for Eric Reid at strong safety and somebody to take Javien Elliott’s place in the slot. By trading up for Jeremy Chinn at the end of round two, they may have been hoping to fill both holes with the same pick. Chinn’s obscene size and athletic testing should enable him to shut down most slot receivers at this level. He may be a better fit at safety next to Tre Boston, though. The challenge for Chinn will be improving his man coverage skills, especially with Rob Gronkowski arriving in the NFC South.
