Carolina Panthers are quietly an interesting NFC team

The Carolina Panthers are the silent team in the NFC.

Talk about the conference with your friends, and the conversation is going to be around whether the Los Angeles Rams can get back to the Super Bowl. It’ll be about if the New Orleans Saints can overcome another crushing playoff defeat, or if Carson Wentz can stay healthy for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Frankly, you’ll likely have to spend some time before you get around to chatting about Cam Newton and Co.

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Yet it’s a worthy topic. The Carolina Panthers were one of the league’s best teams a season ago throughout the first half, going 6-2 and looking like a potential Super Bowl outfit. Then, suddenly, the wheels came off. The Panthers were dominated in Pittsburgh on Thursday Night Football, losing 52-21. The defeat kicked off an absurd nine-game losing streak, ending any hope of reaching the postseason.

However, the Panthers are returning a talented team with a former Most Valuable Player at quarterback. While it is true Newton is coming off a serious offseason shoulder surgery, he appears to be on track for training camp. If that’s the case, the Panthers have one of the better signal-callers in the NFL with some promising weapons around him.

Christian McCaffrey is one of the best all-around threats going, entering his third year out of Stanford. The former Heisman Trophy finalist ran for 1,098 yards on 5,0 yards per carry in 2018, scoring seven touchdowns on the ground. McCaffrey also racked up 107 catches for 867 yards and six scores, showcasing his ability to swing out of the backfield and line up on the perimeter.

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The Carolina Panthers are also expecting big things out of former first-round pick D.J. Moore. The wide receiver caught 55 passes for 788 yards as a rookie and should only improve with a continued chemistry with Newton. Carolina will be relying heavily on Moore, as its second receiver on the depth chart is Jarius Wright. Between Moore, McCaffrey and tight end Greg Olsen, the Panthers have a trio of pass-catchers who can make a difference on any given down.

Defensively, Carolina still has one of the better front sevens in the game. While it’s not the same caliber of group from the 2015 Super Bowl team, the line is fantastic with Gerald McCoy and Kawaan Short on the inside with rookie first-round pick Brian Burns and Bruce Irvin coming off the edges. Behind them stands middle linebacker Luke Kuechly, arguably the game’s best. If the secondary can hold up, the Panthers are rock solid.