The Carolina Panthers have had themselves one heck of an offseason.
It started with the hire of head coach Frank Reich, who then proceeded to lead the way for the hiring of an all-star coaching staff. Next came the bold jump to take control of the 2023 NFL draft, securing the No. 1 overall pick in a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Bears. Then, they aced free agency—building up the offense for their eventual starting quarterback and finding promising pieces to accommodate their new 3-4 base defense.
So, where have these busy months placed the Panthers in the grand scheme of the NFL landscape? Well, in ESPN’s latest power rankings, they sit at No. 21—up two spots from their previous “way too early” position.
David Newton, who highlights the free-agent signing of safety Vonn Bell, writes:
Not much the Panthers have done this offseason has been under the radar, from hiring Frank Reich as the head coach to trading for the 2023 No. 1 pick. But with all the focus on whether Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud will be the top pick, Carolina added a player in Bell who will allow defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero to move safety Jeremy Chinn back close to the line of scrimmage, where he was — and had his biggest impact — most of his rookie season. That could be huge for a team moving from a 4-3 scheme to the 3-4 because of Chinn’s versatility in terms of covering a tight end, blitzing the quarterback or stopping the run.
Bell was one of a handful of solid additions to this growing Carolina roster, which seems awfully close to contention in the NFC South. In fact, the Panthers sit above each of their divisional foes in these rankings—with the New Orleans Saints at No. 24, the Atlanta Falcons at No. 28 and the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 29.
And now, there’s just one more big piece left to the puzzle—which will be added, believe it or not, in less than 30 days.