TCMD - 2023 Team Offseason Overview

[MikeT14]

Black - current
Red - Resign
Blue - FA addition
Green - Draft

Carolina Panthers

Offense

QB - Anthony Richardson (1.4) / Mitch Trubisky / Matt Corral / Jacob Eason / Malik Cunningham (UDFA)

RB - James Robinson / Chuba Hubbard / Raheem Blackshear / DeWayne McBride (5.147) / Spencer Brown

FB - Gio Ricci

WR - DJ Moore / Jamal Agnew / Shi Smith / CJ Saunders / Derek Wright

WR - Terrace Marshall Jr. / Laviska Shenault / Preston Williams / Demario Douglas (7.226)

TE - Kyle Rudolph / Tommy Tremble / Zack Kuntz (4.114) / Stephen Sullivan / Colin Thompson

LT - Ikem Ekwonu / Lamel Coleman

LG - Brady Christensen / Deonte Brown

C - Bradley Bozeman / Cade Mays / Sam Tecklenburg

RG - Austin Corbett / Kyle Fuller / Jaxson Kirkland (6.189)

RT - Taylor Morton / Cam Erving / Dalton Wagner (UDFA)

 

Defense

DE - Brian Burns / Jason Pierre-Paul / Kobe Jones / Habakkuk Baldonado (UDFA)

DT - Derrick Brown / Zacch Pickens (3.90) / Bravvion Roy

DT - Armon Watts / Marquan McCall / Raequan Williams / D.J. Dale (UDFA)

DE - Yetur Gross Matos / Amari Barno / Arron Mosby

WLB - Cory Littleton / Trenton Simpson (2.39) / Kevin Pierre-Louis

MLB - Damien Wilson / Chandler Wooten / Carlton Martial (7.222) / Dax Hollifield (UDFA)

SLB - Frankie Luvu / Brandon Smith / Eric Wilson 

CB - Jaycee Horn / Keith Taylor / Gavin Heslop / Herb Miller

CB - Donte Jackson / CJ Henderson / Josh Norman / Noah Daniels (7.233)

NB - Mike Hughes / Stantley Thomas-Oliver

SS - Xavier Woods / Myles Dorn / Chamarri Conner (6.214)

FS - Jeremy Chinn / Sam Franklin

 

Special Teams

K - Ryan Succop / B.T. Potter (UDFA)

P - Johnny Hekker

LS - JJ Jansen

 

1st Rnd - Pick 4 | Overall: 4 | CAR selects Anthony Richardson - QB ((traded 1.9, 2.58, 2024 2nd))

2nd Rnd - Pick 8 | Overall: 39 | CAR selects Trenton Simpson - LB

3rd Rnd - Pick 27 | Overall: 90 | CAR selects Zacch Pickens - IDL

4th Rnd - Pick 12 | Overall: 114 | CAR selects Zack Kuntz - TE

5th Rnd - Pick 11 | Overall: 147 | CAR selects DeWayne McBride - RB

6th Rnd - Pick 12 | Overall: 189 | CAR selects Jaxson Kirkland - OG

6th Rnd - Pick 37 | Overall: 214 | CAR selects Chamarri Conner - S

7th Rnd - Pick 3 | Overall: 222 | CAR selects Carlton Martial - LB

7th Rnd - Pick 7 | Overall: 226 | CAR selects Demario Douglas - WR

7th Rnd - Pick 14 | Overall: 233 | CAR selects Noah Daniels - CB

UDFA | CAR selects D.J. Dale - DL3T - Alabama

UDFA | CAR selects Habakkuk Baldonado - EDGE - Pitt

UDFA | CAR selects Dax Hollifield - ILB - Virginia Tech

UDFA | CAR selects Dalton Wagner - OT - Arkansas

UDFA | CAR selects B.T. Potter - PK - Clemson

UDFA | CAR selects Malik Cunningham - QB - Louisville

Overall, I am pleased with how my year went with the Panthers. It's a team built for competing in 2024, not 2023 (despite the potentially weaker NFC South). I signed a lot of 1 year deals with guys to mentor and stay competitive while my younger players adjust to the game. I will have a great deal of cap going into 2024 (I think at least $35 million) to make the team stronger and better, and I have almost all of my draft picks less the 2024 2nd rounder I gave up for Richardson. In this scenario, I am actually sticking with the 4-3 because a move to 3-4 would have been too much to maneuver and figure out. 

Starting with the free agents, I tried to make sure first and foremost I kept my core guys home. I had to move on from Shaq Thompson unfortunately, but I was able to retain Bozeman and Erving for my o-line, and Littleton (who will step in for Thompson) and Franklin for depth at safety.

Mitchell Trubisky comes in to be my one year guy to play until AR is ready. I fully expect him not to be, so either Mitch starts all year, or Corral comes in and we can see if he has anything. I signed James Robinson to come in and get some carries for veteran leadership once he's healthy. If not, it was a cheap deal and I can move on. Jamal Agnew is WR depth and our return man. Kyle Rudolph is in for a similar situation as Robinson - veteran experience and depth. Kyle Fuller is depth for the o-line.

On defense, I was able to get Armon Watts to come in and be my starter until Pickens is ready. Pickens needs a year or two so this is perfect. Kevin Pierre-Louis and Eric Wilson were signed and are both probably competing for one spot. Mike Hughes was a solid pickup to play corner.  Jason Pierre-Paul is a rotational DE at this point.

For my draft, the prize is AR. His evaluations are all over the place, with the very low floor and very high ceiling being the options. He has two QBs coaching him though with Reich and McCown. I can't ask for much more than that for a scenario for him. Trenton Simpson in the 2nd is a good pick as he will eventually be my Shaq Thompson. I'm excited to have him. Pickens in the 3rd is a great DT to develop and play alongside DB. Zack Kuntz in the 4th is a big project with tremendous upside. There were plenty of RBs I wanted, but McBride falling to the 5th needed to stop. He can share carries with Hubbard and Blackshear (and Robinson). It's a crowded room, but a good one to have. Kirkland in the 6th is great for me because he was my alternate pick in the 5th. So getting him a round later is fantastic. He will be potentially great line depth. Rounding out my late picks, Conner is potentially good safety and ST depth, Martial was depth for my weak LB core, Douglas is a perfect, young PS candidate to develop, and Daniels can fight for a final CB spot.

As you can see, a lot of my picks revolved around guys that might not play right away, but will practice and develop. Like I said, this is a team to start in 2024, not 2023.