The 2008 edition of the Carolina Panthers should look exciting. The roster was cleaned up, and young receivers were placed to practice with experienced veterans who had passed their prime. The Panthers are playing in a very confusing NFC South division. The Buccaneers play like champions one week and are horrible the next… I’m rooting for the Saints. Julius Peppers is entering a contract year, so expect him to have a monster year, so he will look to get paid later in the season.
KEY ADDITIONS:
1) Jonathan Stewart – The running backs from Oregon will be called upon to replace DeShaun Foster and back up DeAngelo Williams. Stewart will provide a great change of pace and help Jake Delhomme in his return. If Steve Smith can recapture his form from two years ago, this offense could put up points on the board with the best of them.
2) DJ Hackett – Hackett comes over from Seattle where he caught just 32 passes last season. Dwayne Jarrett will have to protect himself from the back if he wants to start in Steve Smith’s side, but with how Jarrett’s rookie year went that should be difficult too. Look for Hackett to have upwards of 50-60 receptions this year.
3) Mushin Muhammed – Muhammed returns to Carolina after a stint in Chicago. Although underperforming in Chicago (which is perhaps more the fault of the quarterbacks), Muhammed looks to have a revived career in Carolina. He will push Jarrett for the third receiver, and will likely play a possession type receiver in the 4 wide set. Don’t expect huge numbers, but look for him to provide consistency and leadership.
4) Landon Johnson – The former Bengals came to Carolina after recording 104 tackles and a sack last season. A motor that consistently runs at 100 mph helps Johnson in his pursuit of the ball carrier. Look for him to start at linebacker of the week, and he could record close to 100 tackles for the second straight year.
KEY DAMAGE:
1) DeShaun Foster – Foster is dying to play in the bay area this season. It will look like a change of pace to Francis Gore, and it could be a third-down in San Francisco. Francis.
2) Drew Carter – Carter was sent packing after underperforming in Carolina. Oakland picked up a receiver, and according to reports he had an amazing offseason. Carter may also look to start next to Javon Walker. This would allow Ronald Curry to move to the slot where his skills are better utilized.
3) Keary Colbert – Colbert was sent packing with Drew Carter after several seasons in Carolina’s offense. He signed with Denver and is hoping to get some playing time in the role of Brandon Marshall. Denver has a strong-armed quarterback in Jay Cutler, and hopefully Cutler can help Keary’s game develop.
4) Justin Hartwig – Starting center last season leaves Carolina for Pittsburgh in the offseason. 7 year player from the Kansas Panthers has provided a solid starter for years, and will look to continue his success in Pittsburgh. Only 28 years old, Hartwig is looking to make the first entry of his career.
5) Dan Morgan – Morgan is headed to New Orleans after many years of leading the Panthers defense. Morgan contemplated retirement this offseason, but still wants to make plays. He’s been plagued by injuries in recent years, and hopefully he’ll be able to stay healthy at a higher level.
Key Weaknesses:
With Jake Delhomme’s health in question, the Panthers enter the 2008 season having serious questions about the most important position on the field. If Delhomme ends up getting hurt again, Matt Moore will be called in to lead this team to victory. The Panthers will need to think long-term and will need to look to recruit a quarterback to add competition to this committee.
Key Strengths:
The Panthers use one of the best receivers in the game in Steve Smith. They picked up the same D.J. Hackett and a young Dwayne Jarrett waiting in the wings. While there have been obvious questions surrounding Jarrett if he can come into his sophomore campaign, the Panthers’ trio will be nice to relieve some of the pressure off Jake Delhomme’s shoulders.
2008 Predictions
They predict the 2008 Panthers will be a tough team. If the team wants to make the playoffs, the best bet is to win the division. With the likely wildcard spots coming from the NFC East and likely the NFC North east would be a challenge. . If Julius Peppers can catch the game on a consistent basis, this team can find a way to challenge the Bucs for the division title.
Here’s how the Panthers’ 2008 schedule looks:
Week / Opponent
1 @San Diego
2 Chicago
3 @Minnesota
4 Atlanta
6 @Tampa Bay
7 New Orleans
8 Arizona
I order 9
10 @Oakland
11 Detroit
12 @Atlanta
13 @Green Bay
15 Denver
16 @New York Giants
17 @ New Orleans
The Panthers play in an amazing division in football. The Bucs, Saints and Panthers can all look like playoff contenders one week, and the Falcons can lose the next. That makes it a little difficult to predict victories. Expect the Panthers to sweep the Falcons, and split the Bucs and Saints games. A 4-2 divisional record is a strong possibility for the 2008 Panthers.
As for the remaining games, victories against Chicago, Atlanta, Kansas City, Arizona and Detroit are possibilities. A final record of 9-7 is possible, and a division is possible. The Saints appear to be slightly ahead of the Panthers in the division, and Carolina could be one year away (and insisting on signing Julius Peppers to a long-term contract) from the playoffs.
