Carolina Panthers: NFC South

2009-10 Record: 8-8 (3rd); vs. NFC South: 4-2; vs. NFC: 8-4

2010-11 Strength of Schedule: 26^th Hardest Schedule - .477 (122-134)

Big Games: Week 1 at New York Giants, Week 3 vs. Cincinnati Bengals, Week 9 vs. New Orleans Saints, Week 11 vs. Baltimore Ravens, Week 16 at Pittsburgh Steelers

Key Additions: CB – Marcus Hudson, DT – Ed Johnson

Key Losses: QB – Jake Delhomme, LB – Na’il Diggs, LB – Landon Johnson, WR – Muhsin Muhammad, DT – Hollis Thomas

Draft Picks: 2^nd Round – QB – Jimmy Clausen; 3^rd Round – WR – Brandon LaFell, WR – Armanti Edwards; 4^th Round – LB – Eric Norwood; 6^th Round – DE – Greg Hardy, WR – David Gettis, DB – Jordan Pugh, QB – Tony Pike; 7^th Round – CB – R.J. Stanford, CB – Robert McClain

2009 Team Leaders:

Passing – Jake Delhomme: 178-for-321, 2,015 yards, 8 TDs

Rushing – Jonathan Stewart: 221 atts, 1,133 yards, 10 TDs

Receiving – Steve Smith: 65 rec, 982 yards, 7 TDs

Scouting via NFL Scouts:
“Matt Moore is unproven. He showed some good things last year, but if the Panthers really loved Moore, they wouldn’t have invested draft picks on Jimmy Clausen and Tony Pike. Defenses are going to continue to gang the line of scrimmage until the Panthers’ passing attack makes them pay. … Let’s face it, Charlie Weis is a fantastic coach, and having been under his tutelage, I’d say Jimmy Clausen is definitely pro-ready. I’m never happy to see who we determine as being a very good potential prospect in this league going to a team in our division. … With Julius Peppers gone, who’s going to pressure the quarterback on this team? Everette Brown was a big disappointment as a rookie. He’s undersized and his technique needs a lot of work. He’s only had one season, but he didn’t show much last year to change my opinion on him.”

Thoughts:
The Panthers won’t be expected to do much given the way they got ride of their team of well-known veterans in the offseason. They will rely on their two running backs (Williams and Stewart) and their defense to win games and hope that their inexperience at quarterback won’t lose games for them (Clausen, Moore and Pike). Although head coach John Fox enters the last year of his contract, he’s good at devising a game plan offensively and defensively. However, Fox just might not have the horses for the playoffs, unless the Panthers find three to four young players who emerge as standouts at just the right time.

Prediction: 7-9 (3^rd)

Cash Scott for Citadel Digital © 2010