The Franchise guy Panthers 2025 deep dive overview

[Seltzer]

Im glad we're starting low.

It's nonsensical to put us at 28 IMHO based on objective things IMHO (I think 21-24) is far more appropriate but whatever.

Washington was at the bottom last year FWIW. 

In 2003, Sports Illustrated said our best chance to win the division was to transfer to the ACC.

In 2015, everyone wrote us off as a team that snuck into the playoffs with a losing record in 2014 and lost our best WR in TC (Kelvin Benjamin).

All these videos are fodder for conversation, but this prediction has no more validity than saying the Panthers are making the SB bc we're starting the season against the Jaguars again.

If Bryce plays like he did down the stretch we will end up the season just fine.

This roster is much better than it has been the last 2 seasons.

No one knows who any season will ultimately end up, but this team is finally being built in the right way, and the idea that this roster can't compete this year is as insane as being it was when we were gaslit in 2023 that we were a rookie QB from winning the division with that roster.

 

[Seltzer]

Im glad we're starting low.

It's nonsensical to put us at 28 IMHO based on objective things IMHO (I think 21-24) is far more appropriate but whatever.

Washington was at the bottom last year FWIW. 

In 2003, Sports Illustrated said our best chance to win the division was to transfer to the ACC.

In 2015, everyone wrote us off as a team that snuck into the playoffs with a losing record in 2014 and lost our best WR in TC (Kelvin Benjamin).

All these videos are fodder for conversation, but this prediction has no more validity than saying the Panthers are making the SB bc we're starting the season against the Jaguars again.

If Bryce plays like he did down the stretch we will end up the season just fine.

This roster is much better than it has been the last 2 seasons.

No one knows who any season will ultimately end up, but this team is finally being built in the right way, and the idea that this roster can't compete this year is as insane as being it was when we were gaslit in 2023 that we were a rookie QB from winning the division with that roster.

 

[micnificent28]

I'm not sure his idea of us being 28th at the start of the season isn't wrong. It's hard to project who we are based off the fact all the rookies we are depending on to contribute but know nothing about. we don't know what derrick brown looks like week 1.. hunter renfrow t-mac,legette, and our tight ends. we are going to have two new starting safeties no matter what.

I think it's hard to know just which way the dial can swing on this roster.

[mav1234]

Tbh I don't know how the other bottom feeders upgraded their rosters to say for sure but 28 feels low, unless you think that stretch end of season was smoke and mirrors.

We do need some young guys to step up, but we also just need some injuries to return to form (pretty expected) and FA acquisitions to play to their level last year (pretty reasonable) and at least on D we will be massively improved...

[TLGPanthersFan]

17 hours ago, micnificent28 said:

I'm not sure his idea of us being 28th at the start of the season isn't wrong. It's hard to project who we are based off the fact all the rookies we are depending on to contribute but know nothing about. we don't know what derrick brown looks like week 1.. hunter renfrow t-mac,legette, and our tight ends. we are going to have two new starting safeties no matter what.

I think it's hard to know just which way the dial can swing on this roster.

This teams is the biggest question mark I have seen in a long time. Could make for a fun season…or pain. 

[WUnderhill]

1 hour ago, mav1234 said:

Tbh I don't know how the other bottom feeders upgraded their rosters to say for sure but 28 feels low, unless you think that stretch end of season was smoke and mirrors.

We do need some young guys to step up, but we also just need some injuries to return to form (pretty expected) and FA acquisitions to play to their level last year (pretty reasonable) and at least on D we will be massively improved...

Just thinking about the teams that drafted ahead of us…the Raiders improved a lot by adding Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty, it’s probably reasonable to expect a big jump from them so I can see that one. But I think he also has the Giants ranked ahead of us? That one doesn’t make much sense to me. I don’t feel like the Jags got a lot better either but seems like every year with Trevor Lawrence they get projected as a playoff team preseason and it doesn’t come to fruition. The Patriots? Don’t get that one and he even has us as an underdog to them I think in week 4. That’s crazy to me. And then there’s teams that finished with better records but downward trajectories like the Colts, Cards, Dolphins. I’m ready to pull this guy’s fan card lol.

[shaqattaq]

On 6/15/2025 at 8:20 AM, MHS831 said:

I am bullish on this team.  I think they win 3 of their first 4 and get confident.  The get the fans behind them.  From there, they win 6 of the remaining 13.  If they stay injury free, they have an outside shot at the NFC south. 

I see us winning 9-10 games, which very well be enough to clench the division.

My bolder prediction is that our offense finishes top 10. There, I said it! This is based on Bryce's growth on the back half of last season and that every other group on offense has improved, except o-line which was pretty damned good to start with. Obviously, where Bryce goes...so goes our O.

I also predict that our defense will NOT be bottom 10. That is a big step coming from the bottom of the barrel! DB is back, Wharton and BB3 are legit, mid-tier starters, and we brought in 3 upgrades at OLB. Safety was upgraded and CB basically stayed the same.

[rebelrouser]

The few 2026 mock drafts that i have seen have us picking sixth.  

[MHS831]

27 minutes ago, rebelrouser said:

The few 2026 mock drafts that i have seen have us picking sixth.  

Those bastids.  

[MHS831]

22 hours ago, shaqattaq said:

I see us winning 9-10 games, which very well be enough to clench the division.

My bolder prediction is that our offense finishes top 10. There, I said it! This is based on Bryce's growth on the back half of last season and that every other group on offense has improved, except o-line which was pretty damned good to start with. Obviously, where Bryce goes...so goes our O.

I also predict that our defense will NOT be bottom 10. That is a big step coming from the bottom of the barrel! DB is back, Wharton and BB3 are legit, mid-tier starters, and we brought in 3 upgrades at OLB. Safety was upgraded and CB basically stayed the same.

Disclaimer:  In June, I am usually optimistic.  In October, a policeman with a bullhorn is telling me that I have a lot of life ahead of me and to think about my loved ones as I gaze down upon him from my rooftop. 

 Having said that, I think our offense (down the stretch) was good enough to play KC and Philly tough.  So how many games would this offense have won if they played the entire season like they did in November-January and if they had a better defense?   If you could stretch the last nine games over an entire season and put a solid defense on the other side, I see 5 wins becoming 7 or 8.  Down the stretch, the Panther D surrendered 30 points or more in 5 of the final 7 games and managed to win 2 of those 5.  If they can win 40% of games in which their defense surrenders 30 points or more, then the math indicates, had that been the case all season, the Panthers should have won 6 or 7 games with their defense surrendering 30+ points.  

This season, we are much better at WR (TMac, Renfrow, Horn, and I expect XL to be a lot better).  Bryce is confident and now a leader.    The Achilles' heel of the 2024 defense, the DL, seems to be very solid.  We got back Horn and Jackson on the corners, Smith-Wade is improving better than expected, we signed a stud Safety.  Derrick Brown returns.  While the D is not there yet, it is going to be better.   So if we ended the second half of 2024 playing at a level that should have produced 6-7 wins, better WRs and a better defense could result in 9 wins or more. 

 

 

 

[shaqattaq]

8 minutes ago, MHS831 said:

This season, we are much better at WR (TMac, Renfrow, Horn, and I expect XL to be a lot better). 

I agree with everything you said, but wanted to highlight this because Renfrow seems, so far, to have remained relevant. I had no idea what he would look like after his year away, but this is a huge bonus for $1.2M. I am so excited for preseason!

Also, I think XL gets better simply by  not being our primary WR. Getting that pressure off may help "cure" his dropsies. Not to mention a second year in a NFL system should be good for him and everyone else. 

[CanadianCat]

First off.. man its awesome to have such an in depth review. Also knowing he love's the Panthers makes this a fun listen. 

That said, until we prove it, we deserve this ranking. Bryce Young could be either a top 10 or a bottom 5 QB. Im banking on the former but we need to see it. 

We need a lot of things to go right to make us a competitive team but I think we have those pieces in place... but other teams have also improved...

I cannot wait for the season. I want BY to COOK!!

[WUnderhill]

7 hours ago, CanadianCat said:

First off.. man its awesome to have such an in depth review. Also knowing he love's the Panthers makes this a fun listen. 

That said, until we prove it, we deserve this ranking. Bryce Young could be either a top 10 or a bottom 5 QB. Im banking on the former but we need to see it. 

We need a lot of things to go right to make us a competitive team but I think we have those pieces in place... but other teams have also improved...

I cannot wait for the season. I want BY to COOK!!

I just think the guy erred a little too hard on the not wanting to look like he was favoring a team he likes. Panthers had the 25th best record last year so they already proved better than 28th, albeit only slightly. And this guy loved our draft, had Tmac as one of only 4 blue chip prospects in the draft, and said in this video that we improved or stayed neutral at every single position group, so I just don’t get the ranking. It really doesn’t matter, it’s just confusing. That said, I do enjoy the depth in the video and having 2hrs of in depth panthers content to look at in the offseason. I wish our local media was better.