The Carolina Panthers finished the 2022 season strongly under interim head coach Steve Wilks. Now, Frank Reich is taking over as the team’s head coach and they are hoping to carry over that momentum into the 2023 season.
It is easy to sense why there is some optimism in Carolina. How they performed down the stretch was encouraging and the NFC South is wide open after the retirement of Tom Brady. What this division could be decided by is who fills their need at quarterback the most adequately.
The Panthers will once again be in the market for a quarterback after the Baker Mayfield experiment failed miserably last season. In an ideal world, Carolina would have one of the prospects they like fall into their lap at No. 9, but predicting how the 2023 NFL Draft will go is an impossible task.
But, regardless of who is under center for Carolina next season, upgrading the weapons around him is also a necessity. With D’Onta Foreman entering free agency, the team could be in the market for a running back as well.
Carolina is predicted to fill that start spot in a big way, signing free agent Josh Jacobs. Jacobs is coming off the best season of his career with the Las Vegas Raiders, earning an All-Pro and Pro Bowl spot. He rushed for a career-high 1,653 yards and 12 touchdowns. The rushing yards led the league, while his 393 total touches and 2,053 total yardage also topped the NFL.
If Reich’s tenure in Indianapolis is any indication of what is to come in Carolina, they will lean heavily on the run game. That be especially true if a young quarterback is under center. Jonathan Taylor was a star in 2021 before injuries derailed him in 2022 with Reich leading the way for the Indianapolis Colts. Getting that kind of workhorse running back in the fold could be near the top of his to-do list and Jacobs would fit the mold.
Adding Jacobs to this offense would be a nice upgrade. When pairing him with wide receiver D.J. Moore, whoever is under center in 2023 will have top-of-the-line go-to weapons to rely on in every facet of the game.
