Carolina Panthers dubbed one of the 5 most-desperate teams in the NFL this year

James Dator at SB Nation has the Carolina Panthers ranked among his list of the clubs that are the league's most-desperate going into the 2024 NFL season.

Tim Weaver | Aug 27, 2024

May 4, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte FC owner David Tepper before the match at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

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Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers were by far the worst team in the NFL last season, no question. After that dismal 2-15 campaign team owner David Tepper decided to hit the reset button in the front office. He promoted Dan Morgan to be the new general manager, then hired Dave Canales as the team's new head coach, then he spent no small amount of money trying to improve the supporting cast around number one overall pick, quarterback Bryce Young.

If these moves pay off and the Panthers wind up being far better than most projections, then nobody will be in a position to complain. Based on what we've seen from Young during his one preseason drive and the joint practice against the New York Jets, it's not unreasonable to think this group could win seven or eight games this year.

Then again, there's always a chance the bottom could fall out again, as it often has since Tepper bought the team. Heading into the 2024 season, James Dator at SB Nation has named the Panthers one of the five most-desperate teams in the league. He points the finger squarely at Tepper.

"There is quite literally no reason for the Panthers to be in desperation mode — except for their owner. David Tepper is the least-patient man in the NFL, and with a wild card like that in the owner’s box it’s impossible to know what he’ll do from year to year. A slow, patient rebuild with a new offense around Bryce Young and highlighting his abilities could lead to a solid future in Charlotte, but it’s also possible that another horrific season could lead to Tepper demanding more answers, more heads, and more results..."

In addition to the flashes of improvement from Young, there are other signs that this new group could work out. Canales is saying all the right things and appears to know what he's doing, at least from a team culture standpoint. Meanwhile, Morgan deservedly earned high marks for his picks in the 2024 NFL draft, even if his free agent splurges at guard were questionable.

For now, it's all theoretical. We'll begin to find out what this new-look Panthers team is really all about in two weeks when they visit the New Orleans Saints in their first game of the season.