The Carolina Panthers may have made it to the post-season and even won a playoff game, but last season was not what you would call a smashing success. The team finished the regular season just 7-8-1 and mustered their mighty playoff victory against the Ryan Lindley-led Arizona Cardinals.
But what about their four-game winning streak to close out the regular season?
Great question. What about it? Those final four victories came against teams with a combined 2014 winning percentage of .344. Two of those W's came against Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel. The Panthers are the first in line to tell you that they need to improve this offseason and not rely on schedule and injury luck to usher them into the playoffs.
That's why the team is reportedly focused on upgrading the offense to help out quarterback Cam Newton.
Newton missed two games last season due to injuries and was merely okay when he did play. In fact, he set career lows in several categories: completion percentage (58.5), passing yards (3,127), passing touchdowns (18), rushing yards (539), YPC (5.2) and rushing touchdowns (5). However, critics should remember that he did that behind an offensive line without Jordan Gross and Travelle Wharton and was throwing to a pass catching corps that had failed to adequately replace Steve Smith, Brandon LaFell and Ted Ginn Jr.
Expect the Panthers to invest a first-round pick into the tackle position - Pittsburgh's T.J. Clemmings and Miami's Ereck Flowers have been mentioned as possibilities - while looking to free agency to upgrade at wide receiver.
"Kelvin Benjamin was a revelation in his rookie season, but the club could use another weapon opposite him," Dallas Robinson of ProFootballRumors.com wrote. "Luckily, the free agent market for WRs is flush with options. Jeremy Maclin might be a little out of the Panthers' price range, but Torrey Smith could be a viable target. Moving a little further down the list, Michael Crabtree could be signed with the hopes of a bounce-back season, or perhaps Denarius Moore tries to restart his career in Carolina."
Whichever route the Panthers decide to go - and with nearly $20 million in salary cap space, they could go a lot of different directions - expect Carolina's offense to look very different in 2015. The team believes in Newton's ability.
Now it's time to back that belief up and give him some help.
