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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Anthony Rizzuti

Panthers great Thomas Davis says 2021 team is more talented than 2015’s

Thomas Davis was apart, and a huge part at that, of the greatest Carolina Panthers team ever assembled. But now, he thinks there’s one even more talented.

While on NFL Network’s “TNF First Look” ahead of the Panthers’ Week 3 matchup with the Houston Texans, the franchise legend put down a bold claim that the current roster in Carolina is more talented than the 2015 one. Yeah, the one that stomped and dabbed all over the league for 17 wins en route to a Super Bowl appearance.

To be fair to Davis, what he’s saying is not your typical knee-jerk, look-at-me-I’m-saying-something-crazy reaction. If we’re talking about strictly talent, that’s a debate that could be had at the moment.

Had he said the 2021 Panthers are better than 2015 Panthers, well, then we’d have a problem. But in terms of the players on a comparative basis, perhaps.

There’s no doubt the current group has some guys. Christian McCaffrey, DJ Moore, Robby Anderson, Taylor Moton, Brian Burns, Derrick Brown, Haason Reddick, Jeremy Chinn, Donte Jackson and Jaycee Horn are all fine talents.

(Shaq Thompson is disqualified, by the way, since he’s been a member of both squads. Sorry, Shaq,)

But, come on. Cam Newton, Jonathan Stewart, Mike Tolbert, Greg Olsen, Ryan Kalil, Andrew Norwell, Trai Turner, Charles Johnson, Kawann Short, Luke Kuechly, Josh Norman. Heck, even something could be said about having Charles Tillman and Jared Allen even though they were at the ends of their careers.

Oh, and what about you, Thomas? We know you’re a great guy and want to see the organization succeed, but don’t sell yourself short either.

And even if he’s not, Panthers fans are probably going to hope that he’s right. Because if there is indeed more talent on this roster, there will be quite a few more wins ahead of them.

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