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Carolina Panthers: 3 questions that still need answers

By Christian Candeloro

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 17: Brian Burns #53 of the Carolina Panthers forces a fumble by Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons during a two-point conversion attempt during the third quarter during their game at Bank of America Stadium on November 17, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 17: Brian Burns #53 of the Carolina Panthers forces a fumble by Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons during a two-point conversion attempt during the third quarter during their game at Bank of America Stadium on November 17, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /
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3. Will the Carolina Panthers defense be improved?

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 17: Brian Burns #53 of the Carolina Panthers forces a fumble by Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons during a two-point conversion attempt during the third quarter during their game at Bank of America Stadium on November 17, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 17: Brian Burns #53 of the Carolina Panthers forces a fumble by Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons during a two-point conversion attempt during the third quarter during their game at Bank of America Stadium on November 17, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

Recent history shows the Panthers have been good at diagnosing their issues and fixing them in a single offseason. The Panthers limped to a 7-9 season in 2018 behind a lackluster defense. The Panthers finished 27th in sacks and 31st in quarterback hits and it was apparent the pass rush was a major issue.

The result was an offseason dedicated to building a fearsome rush, both through free agency and the draft. The Panthers signed Bruce Irvin and Gerald McCoy via free agency and drafted Brian Burns and Christian Miller in hopes of an improvement. The results were impressive. The Panthers finished second in the league with 53 sacks and fifth in the league in quarterback hits.

The 2020 offseason was marked by the need to improve a rush defense that gave up a ridiculous 31 rushing touchdowns last season, the most since the 0-16 Lions in 2008 also gave up 31. Rhule and general manager Marty Hurney wasted no time on trying to fix the problem. The Panthers signed linebacker Tahir Whitehead and defensive tackle Zach Kerr in free agency, before making their marquis acquisition of the offseason, drafting defensive lineman Derrick Brown out of Auburn. Paired with defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos and the other five defensive draft picks the Panthers added, the defense is completely revamped.

But with so many starters subtracted from the defense, is it possible for the Panthers to take a step forward this season? Can an already struggling defense survive losing a potential Hall of Fame linebacker, a top-flight cornerback, and much of their starting defensive line? With Brady, Gronk, Brees, Michael Thomas, and Julio Jones in the division, this unit will need to shape up fast to give the Panthers any sort of a chance.

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