Few thought the Carolina Panthers would be the lone winless team in the NFL six weeks into the season. It never crossed my mind. Yet here they are. Carolina is 0-6 heading into the bye week this week.
Let me break this fact to you. A team has never made the playoffs after losing the first six games of the season. So let’s get that thought out of the way.
This season isn’t about securing a playoff spot. It’s about showing progress and finding players who may contribute to wins in upcoming seasons.
The Panthers have made it clear that they are going to listen and maybe even make some trade offers in the next few weeks. There have been reports that Jeremy Chinn, Donte Jackson, and Terrace Marshall Jr. are potentially “available” for trade. There is a chance that pass rusher Brian Burns may be offered up. I am hoping this does not take place. Burns should be a part of this rebuild.
Actually, I don’t think there’s any reason to blow the whole roster up. Just because you’re 0-6 doesn’t mean you’re four years away from playing competitive football. In the NFL these days, you’re never as bad or far away as you think, especially when you have an exciting young quarterback in Bryce Young already on the roster.
Personally, I would look at trading away Chinn and/or Marshall Jr. Chinn hasn’t played as big of a role in this defense this season. I read that he’s appeared in just 52% of all defensive snaps. Chinn is also in the final year of his contract. Maybe the Panthers could get a fourth or fifth-round pick for him. Marshall likely just needs a change of scenery.
I still feel Young will be just fine for the Panthers. We’ve seen visible progress every week from Young and the offense finally found some success in the run game,
Upcoming is a favorable schedule. A three-game stretch against Houston, Indianapolis, and Chicago presents an opportunity to not only pick up win No. 1 but perhaps put some wins together. There’s a chance this team can finish off the season strong similar to how last year’s group did.
Remember, last year’s team started out 1-5 before winning four of it’s last six games to finish 7-10.
