Carolina Panthers: The Five Players To Decide the Season

Jan 17, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short (99) celebrates his sack with teammate Star Lotulelei (98) on Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) in the first quarter during the NFC Divisional round playoff game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

The backbone of the Carolina Panthers may be its quarterback and middle linebacker, but its ultimate success will rely on competent play from role players.

Football success for any team, including the Carolina Panthers, is about doing well on the margins. Teams are built around a few superior players and a supporting cast of role players. Team success occurs not just when the stars play great but when role players give more than was expected.

It is easy to think of the Panthers as the team of Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly. However if the Panthers were only that, they would not get very far. Last year was dominated by performances from other players delivering in spots too. Kony Ealy delivered big in the Super Bowl, it just was not enough. Kawann Short delivered big in the trenches. Kurt Coleman attempted to lead the league in interceptions for a while. The two Mikes, Remmers and Oher, kept the majority of teams away from Newton.

So we had fifteen wins worth of Panthers during the regular season due to the success of the stars and the emergence of players that raised their own expectations. So the question becomes, which players on the Panthers roster have the potential to turn a good Panthers year into a great one by delivering a clutch performance?

Obviously the team stars are off limits here. No Ryan Kalil, Kelvin Benjamin, Thomas Davis, Jonathan Stewart, or Greg Olsen will appear. Those would be too easy.

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