ESPN has released their annual future power rankings. The Panthers are just No. 18 on this year’s list. In his blurb, Louis Riddick correctly identified the team’s biggest worry for 2019 as Cam Newton’s throwing shoulder.
“The question going forward centers around the health of Superman: specifically, Newton’s surgically repaired throwing shoulder. First, will it hold up and not be a problem; second, will he protect himself; finally, will he be even better than 2018 statistically (best season of his career in completion percentage and his second-best career passer rating) and return to his 2015 form and lead this team back to the Super Bowl?”
While it’s never fun to hear your team is projected to have a below-average three-year outlook, Carolina fans shouldn’t get too worked up over this.
First of all, the Eagles were ranked No. 19 in the league by ESPN on this list going into the year that they won the Super Bowl, so it’s not exactly a guaranteed predictor of short-term success.
Second, this roster is built to compete and win this year. The Panthers would not have splurged on Gerald McCoy if it was any different.
Third, there is a strong young nucleus on offense to build on, consisting of Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, Curtis Samuel and Ian Thomas. That skill group should help Newton compete as he transitions toward what will be his third and possibly last contract in the NFL.
Long term, the big concern is the aging defense. Carolina’s core front-seven players (McCoy, Kawann Short, Luke Kuechly, Dontari Poe and Mario Addison) have all appeared in at least 94 regular season games. The Panthers can mitigate some of those concerns by getting strong seasons from first-round pick Brian Burns and Shaq Thompson, but they’ll need to reload eventually if they’re going to stay competitive in the division.
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