The Carolina Panthers will look across the Superdome Sunday and see a New Orleans Saints team preparing for the playoffs for the third consecutive season. Meanwhile, the Panthers will miss the postseason party for the third year in a row. But many of the team's veteran players believe they are not far from contending again. "We were a lot of players away last year,"
said center Ryan Kalil. "This year I think we're really close. And that's exciting." The addition of rookie quarterback Cam Newton, the No. 1 pick, and an innovative offensive scheme have changed the face of the franchise. A year after finishing 2-14 with the league's worst offense, the Panthers (6-9) have tripled their win total and boast the fourth-ranked offense. The Panthers have their quarterback in Newton, who rewrote the rookie passing record in a remarkable season that began with a 422-yard debut at Arizona in Week 1.
After locking up seven of their core players with extensions during a post-lockout, shopping spree last summer, the Panthers only have a couple of key decisions to make with their own free agents. They'll have to try to hold on to offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski, who has been mentioned as a possible head-coaching candidate after guiding the Panthers' offensive turnaround. But veteran offensive tackle Jordan Gross thinks most of the pieces are in place. "I like our team. There's definitely places we can get better at, every position could always use depth,"
Gross said. "But it's nice going into a draft where there's not a glaring weakness that we need to address or into an offseason with free agency (needs).
I think we can get a lot better by picking up some extra players. But it's not like we're in dire straits right now."
A look at four critical issues facing the team this offseason: 1. How well will the injured guys bounce back? Starting in Spartanburg when receiver David Gettis and free-agent defensive tackle Ron Edwards were lost for the season, the Panthers placed a team-record 18 players on injured reserve, which forced them to constantly rework the lineup while hurting their depth. The biggest losses came on defense, where linebackers Jon Beason and Thomas Davis went down during the season's first two weeks. Beason, a three-time Pro Bowler, vows he'll come back stronger from Achilles surgery. The Panthers hope Beason still has the same burst that made him one of the top linebackers in the league. It's hard to imagine Davis being the same player following his third ACL surgery. The Panthers could restructure Davis' deal, which included just one guaranteed year.
Ron Rivera and his staff are eager to see Edwards, who tore his biceps at the first practice of training camp. Rookie defensive tackles Sione Fua and Terrell McClain went on the IR on Dec. 6. "The biggest thing is to get healthy again,"
Rivera said. "There's a list of guys that started for us at one point or another. To me, it bodes well about who we could become. You look at our linebacking corps, you look at the (defensive) line. I think there's seven guys right there. There's a good chance we can get better right off the bat."
Offensively, the Panthers hope shutting down right tackle Jeff Otah in October will allow his knee to fully heal. If Otah returns at full strength, rookie Byron Bell could move to guard. 2.
Jeremy Shockey and other personnel decisions There were concerns about Shockey's durability after three injury-filled seasons in New Orleans. But Shockey missed one game this year - with sore ribs - and has been a force on the field and in the locker room. Shockey, who will turn 32 before next season, wants to stay here and the Panthers want him back, though it will not be a long-term deal. The team's other free agents include only a couple of starters who will not command big contracts. Middle linebacker Dan Connor is interested in going to a team where he can start. The biggest needs are on the defensive side. The Panthers could use another cornerback, defensive tackle and even a linebacker as insurance for Beason and Davis. While people outside the organization are clamoring for a defensive tackle, general manager Marty Hurney says the Panthers will take the best player available with what will be a top-10 pick. "I think having so many injuries on defense in general has led to a situation where we're going to have some depth with experience. But you can always use an outstanding player at any position,"
said Gross, who will be entering his 10th season in 2012. "If there was a lineman that was available when we're drafting that's a can't-miss, you've got to take him - offense or defense. So we can use help there. But I think there's a lot of positions."
3. The Chud situation The biggest hire Rivera made was bringing Chudzinski with him from San Diego. Now the Panthers will do everything they can to keep "Chud"
from being hired away. Chudzinski has caught the attention of NFL decision-makers with his imaginative play calls and his development of Newton in an offense that has taken full advantage of Newton's unique skill set. Chudzinski, 43, has been mentioned as a possible candidate in Jacksonville and Tampa Bay, but the Panthers will do all in their power to block him from going to a division rival.
Losing Chudzinski would be a huge blow to an organization on the upswing. "I've thought about it, but I don't think I'm worried about it,"
Rivera said. "We'll see. You never know until Monday when all this stuff can happen. Then we'll see."
Quarterbacks coach Mike Shula has been mentioned as a leading candidate for Florida's offensive coordinator position. But Shula said last week he had not heard from Florida and was excited about continuing his work with Newton. 4. How will a normal offseason help the Panthers? Given how the Panthers have come on strong late in the season - with wins in four of their past five games - there was a lot of talk last week about whether the lockout hurt them more than a team not breaking in a new quarterback and coaching staff. "You come in Day 1 of training camp and it's, 'Hey, coach, I'm Jon Beason. What's your name and what position do you coach?' "
Beason said of the lost organized team activities and minicamps. Newton's only exposure to his new teammates last summer was at a minicamp organized by Gross and guard Travelle Wharton. But Newton estimated 80 percent of the players who attended did not end up making the team. Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott had plenty of chances to evaluate his young players. McDermott said he's looking forward to getting a longer look at injured veterans such as Edwards and Beason, and tailoring his scheme accordingly. After losing five games by a touchdown or less the first half of the season, Kalil said the key in 2012 will be a fast start. "You saw how we were able to play a lot of these really good defenses early on. For whatever reason, we couldn't finish. But we got that fixed and grew up toward the end of the year,"
Kalil said. "I sometimes wonder if it was a little bit of a hangover from the mentality of years past that somehow carried over. I think it got fixed real fast as far as being a team that can keep its composure because stuff's not always going to go right for you."
Beason said there will be no gradual rebuilding for these Panthers. He expects to win - and win big - next season. "Next year is our year. It's not a building process where (by adding) two, three guys, we'll be right there in a couple of years,"
Beason said. "No next year. I want to say we're going to win the whole thing right now, but we'll hold on to that one. But at least you know where my heart is."
Panthers eligible for free agency TE Jeremy Shockey LB Jordan Senn QB Derek Anderson LB Omar Gaither WR Legedu Naanee LB Dan Connor DE Antwan Applewhite G Geoff Hangartner G Mackenzy Bernadeau LS J.J. Jansen G Geoff Schwartz (restricted) LB Jason Phillips (restricted)
