Panthers Season Preview

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Starter
The new season is about to be underway and today we will look at the new Panthers team. We've already taken a look at their off-season moves so today we will focus on the starting lineup and what we expect for the upcoming season.

On offense this team is still led by Cam Newton. The 8 year vet really needs to show that he is a premier QB in the league. He has all the physical tools he just needs to make better decisions. He thinks his arm strength can make up for bad decisions and that gets him into trouble. Which is evident with his 17 INTS last season. But last year was still his best season as a pro. He finished with 4,194 yards, 26 TDS, and 66% completions. He did lose some of his favorite target (Olsen, Funchess) to free agency. But we expect a. If uptick in productivity from 2nd year WR Christian Kirk. The Panthers are also hoping TE Josh Hill can fill the void left by Olsen.

The running game will still feature Leonard Fournette. And with the departure of Artis-Payne, Duke Johnson JR will be the primary change of pace back. But the downfall of this team in the past has been the offensive line. The coaching staff is working hard with the new pieces that were brought in, and the hope is that they can gel and move this team forward.

Defensively not much has changed for Carolina. The main man Luke Kuechly is still the captain of the D and it's best defensive player. The team leader in sacks last season is back, in Jacquies Smith. The Panthers brought in another premier DE in William Gholston in hopes of creating more pass rush this year. The back end of this defense is identical to last year. It would be nice to see the defense revert back to 2 season ago when they averaged over 2 turnovers a game. But only time will tell. And this team has been on a streak of being out of the playoffs. And that's why Chuck Pagano is now the head man. We will see if he can make the difference and get this team into the playoffs.
 
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