Bryce Young‘s rookie season did not go as planned, and the Panthers’ offense struggled mightily in 2023. Dave Canales was brought in as head coach this offseason, and his track record with respect to developing quarterbacks will lead to optimism Young can improve moving forward. 
While Carolina has made a number of moves at the receiver position this offseason, plenty of emphasis was also placed on upgrading the ground game. The Panthers made a pair of lucrative offensive line additions, adding guards Robert Hunt (five years, $100MM) and Damien Lewis (four years, $53MM) in free agency. Despite still having Miles Sanders and Chuba Hubbard in the backfield, a number of other options are now in the fold as well.
The Panthers signed Rashaad Penny not long after the draft, during which they made Jonathon Brooks the first running back to hear his name called. The latter was acquired via a trade up the board aimed at preventing the Giants from landing him, a testament to how highly he was valued by Carolina. Brooks could take on a large role during his rookie year, one in which the run game will be a central element of the Panthers’ overall offense.
“That’s what this draft and this offseason was all about,” Canales confirmed during an appearance on The Season with Peter Schrager (video link). “I feel confident that we’ll be able to have a successful run game, which, for me, opens everything else up. It helps third down, it helps move the ball and give you more opportunities.”
The Panthers ranked 20th in rushing last season, one in which Sanders fell well short of expectations after signing a four-year, $25.4MM pact on the open market. Carolina finished dead last in passing and total offense, though, so a step forward from Young and the team’s revamped skill position group will be needed as Canales takes the reins. The rookie head coach oversaw Tampa Bay’s offense last season, a unit which outperformed expectations through the air but finished last in rushing production.
A strong ground game would help ease the burden on Young as he enters an important Year 2 in the NFL. It would also provide Canales an offensive element he did not have with the Buccaneers in 2023 and as such a means of delivering much-needed improvements on that side of the ball with Carolina. The degree to which this spring’s efforts translate to success in 2024 will go a long way in determining the Panthers’ offensive progress.