The 2019 NFL season is just a few weeks away, so Andy Benoit makes a few predictions for each NFL team. Today he considers the Carolina Panthers, who finished 7–9 and tied for second in the NFC South last year.
The passing game remains inconsistent. Cam Newton is an up-and-down passer when fully healthy, and this year he is coming off major surgery on his throwing shoulder. He has a strong arm and is tough in the pocket, but his erratic mechanics and streaky field vision lead to inaccurate passes every week. That’s especially problematic given that tight end Greg Olsen, who is 34 and has missed 16 games over the last two seasons with foot problems, is Newton’s only regular target who is taller than 6'1".