Prior to this month's draft, 1SBD's Mark Hogan takes an in-depth look into each team's current projected starters and identifies strengths and lingering team needs after the first waves of free agency.
Player stats collected from Pro Football Reference. Base salary information per Over The Cap.
TAKEAWAYS
PROS
- The wide receiver corps isn't made up of show stoppers but boasts a good balance of speed, size and hand talent. Put alongside Greg Olsen and Christian McCaffrey and the team has some nice skill positions players in place. Chris Hogan was recently and likely jumps ahead Jurius Wright on the depth chart as WR3 -- despite the two having almost identical receiving numbers since entering the league in 2012.
CONS
- An aging Panthers defensive line is being paid as one of the league's top units but isn't getting the total sacks you might expect to compliment it. Bruce Irvin was added this off-season but he seems to just fill the hole left from Juluis Peppers' retirement. That's not the kind of activity that's going to help improve last year's sixth-worse sack defense. (The defense gave up 15th fewest yards but 14th most points.)
- The Panthers resigned safety Eric Reid this off-season and could be thankful now as they see the depth behind him. Rashaan Gaulden was drafted in the third round last year and will likely get an opportunity to start his first game later this year. Whether he has the talent to succeed in coverage is still unknown after last season. Fellow safety Da'Norris Searcy didn't see the field too much in 2018 so clearly isn't the answer now.
- Is it time to start planning for life without Cam Newton at quarterback? The signal caller clearly wasn't himself last season, raising questions over whether he has taken too much contact in his career. After Newton's second shoulder surgery in two years recently, perhaps the Panthers need to prepare to move forward without Newton -- if even for just a year like Andrew Luck and the Colts. Drafting a potential QB of the future isn't out of the question.
Projected Starters
NOTE:
NAME, Draft Round.Overall Pick (TEAM, year). Starts/Games Played. Age. Cap Hit 2019
QB has an additional 'total yards, number of attempts (yards per attempt)' figure.
RB, WR and TE have an additional ‘total yards / number of touches (yards per touch)’ statistic
Age as of Sunday September 8, 2019 (Week 1)
QUARTERBACK
CAM NEWTON, 1.01 (CAR, 2011). 122/123. 28,469 yards/ 3,891 attempts. (7.3 y/a). 30-years-old. $23,200,000
RUNNING BACK
CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY, 1.08 (CAR, 2017). 26/32. 3,051 yards/ 523 touches (5.8). 23-years-old. $4,702,174
WIDE RECEIVER
TORREY SMITH, 2.58 (BAL, 2011). 106/119. 5,186 yards/ 327 touches (15.9). 30-years-old. $5,000,000
DJ MOORE, 1.24 (CAR, 2018). 10/16. 960 yards/ 68 touches (14.1). 22-years-old. $2,538,935
CHRIS HOGAN, undrafted (BUF, 2011). 34/88. 2,640 yards/ 201 touches (13.1). 31-years-old. $1,450,000
Average: 113th overall pick. 150 starts/ 223 games played (67.3%). 8,786 yards/ 596 touches (14.7). 27.7-years-old. Total cap hit: $9.0M
TIGHT END
GREG OLSEN, 1.31 (CHI, 2007). 148/174. 7,847 yards/ 666 touches (11.8). 34-years-old. $6,662,500
OFFENSIVE LINE
TAYLOR MOTON, 2.64 (CAR, 2017). 16/32. 25-years-old. $1,134,041
GREG VAN ROTEN, undrafted (GB, 2012). 16/36. 29-years-old. $1,080,000
MATT PARADIS, 6.207 (DEN, 2014). 57/57. 29-years-old. $3,862,500
TRAI TURNER, 3.92 (CAR, 2014). 67/71. 26-years-old. $8,797,000
DARYL WILLIAMS, 4.102 (CAR, 2015). 29/40. 27-years-old. $5,296,875
Average: 144th overall pick. 185 starts/ 236 games played (78.4%). 27.2-years-old. Total cap hit: $20.2M
DEFENSIVE LINE
BRUCE IRVIN, 1.15 (SEA, 2012). 78/106. 31-years-old. $4,000,000
DONTARI POE, 1.11 (KC, 2012). 108/110. 29-years-old. $9,333,333
KAWANN SHORT, 2.44 (CAR, 2013). 71/94. 30-years-old. $17,000,000
MARIO ADDISON, undrafted (CHI, 2011). 36/111. 32-years-old. $10,666,668
Average: 82nd overall pick. 293 starts/ 421 games played (69.6%). 30.5-years-old. Total cap hit: $40.1M
LINEBACKERS
SHAQ THOMPSON, 1.25 (CAR, 2015). 47/56. 25-years-old. $9,232,000
LUKE KUECHLY, 1.09 (CAR, 2012). 102/102. 28-years-old. $17,200,059
ANTWIONE WILLIAMS, 5.169 (DET, 2016). 3/14. 26-years-old. $570,000
Average: 68th overall pick. 152 starts/ 172 games played (88.4%). 26.3-years-old. Total cap hit: $27.0M
CORNERBACK
DONTE JACKSON, 2.55 (CAR, 2018). 16/16. 23-years-old. $1,093,756
JAMES BRADBERRY, 2.62 (CAR, 2016). 45/45. 26-years-old. $1,260,266
Average: 59th overall pick. 61 starts/ 61 games played (100%). 24.5-years-old. Total cap hit: $2.4M
SAFETY
ERIC REID, 1.18 (SF, 2013). 82/83. 27-years-old. $4,406,250
RASHAAN GAULDEN, 3.85 (CAR, 2018). 0/15. 24-years-old. $837,164
Average: 52nd overall pick. 82 starts/ 98 games played (83.7%). 25.5-years-old. Total cap hit: $5.2M
Comments