Panthers coach Frank Reich on team's offseason moves: 'We mean business'

By Greg Auman
Published

Whichever quarterback the Carolina Panthers select with the top pick in next month's draft, the challenge awaiting him as a rookie has gotten a little easier in the past week.

For so long, Carolina's offense was best known for its departures, from Cam Newton and Greg Olsen moving on after the 2019 season to the trading last year of Christian McCaffrey and Chosen Anderson. Even the blockbuster deal to move up from No. 9 to No. 1 in the upcoming draft cost the Panthers their top remaining offensive star in receiver DJ Moore, who was dealt to the Bears.

But in the opening week of free agency, Carolina has started to build a new offensive cast of stars to build around that rookie quarterback, signing a trio of talents in Pro Bowl running back Miles Sanders from the Eagles, two-time Pro Bowl receiver Adam Thielen from the Vikings and Bengals tight end Hayden Hurst.

"We mean business," new coach Frank Reich said Monday in discussing the message the Panthers want to send to both their players and their fans. "We're making the steps necessary to continue to improve this team ... It's all about having playmakers."

In a single offseason, the Panthers will have a new offensive-minded coach, a new quarterback, new leading rusher and receiver. Especially considering the relative cap constraints they're operating under, it's an impressive offensive overhaul that could make them a favorite in what could again be a tightly bunched NFC South.

Sanders, 25, had a breakout year in 2022, rushing for career bests with 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 4.9 yards per catch. A key part of the offense that helped the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance, he'll step in for running back D'Onta Foreman, who led the Panthers in rushing last season but was not re-signed, landing a new deal with the Bears.

Thielen, 32, had a prolific nine years in Minnesota, combining with Justin Jefferson as one of the league's best 1-2 combos. Thielen made the Pro Bowl in 2017 and 2018, peaked with 14 touchdown receptions in 2020 and still had 70 catches and six touchdowns last season. A versatile player who can get open out of the slot with initial quickness, Thielen is a reliable target with a 68.8% career catch rate.

Hurst, 29, joins his fourth NFL team in six seasons, having been drafted by the Ravens, traded to the Falcons and signed by the Bengals last season. This past year was his second 50-catch season, and he has totaled 14 touchdown catches in five years.

In addition to senior assistant Jim Caldwell, offensive coordinator Thomas Brown and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown, the Panthers added another layer of mentoring for a rookie in quarterback Andy Dalton, a 13th-year veteran at age 35 who can handle the starting role until the new quarterback is ready to take over.

The Panthers were also able to keep intact their offensive line, a strength in last year's second-half surge, by re-signing center Bradley Bozeman on a reasonable three-year, $18 million contract. Guard Austin Corbett is recovering from a torn ACL, but the Panthers will otherwise have all five starters back from last year's line.

Which quarterback did Carolina trade so much to move up to No. 1 for? The Panthers aren't saying. It could be Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Alabama's Bryce Young or even Florida's fast-rising Anthony Richardson. Reich, who dealt with a parade of veterans at the end of their careers with the Colts, said he's looking forward to the chance to draft and develop a young quarterback.

"It's exciting," he said. "It is something special to draft a guy young and have an opportunity to work with him from the ground up. I'm excited about that process."

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FOX Sports’ RJ Young reacts to the Panthers trading for the No. 1 overall pick and analyzes Carolina's options.

Those prospects would have different levels of readiness. Some see Young's experience with an NFL veteran like Bill O'Brien, the QB's offensive coordinator at Bama, as better preparing him to start immediately, while Richardson's limited work as a starter could mean he isn't ready right away. But Reich said the moves the Panthers have already made will help put that rookie in a position to play, and win, from the start.

"We really feel like we're putting this guy in a good position with some of the pieces that we've signed," Reich said. "Everybody wants a leader. Everybody wants a playmaker. Those are general terms you hear about the quarterback and certainly true of what we're looking for. I feel like we're putting pieces in place where he can walk in and be ready to go."

Reich didn't want to share too much detail with the traits he values most in a quarterback, keeping that aspect private in taking a lesson from ... Col. Harlan Sanders?

"That would be like giving out the proprietary formula for Kentucky Fried Chicken," he said, laughing. "I'm sorry. I don't know why that just came out like that. Not that I want to put my evaluation of quarterbacks on that level. That's what's unique about every club. We all weigh it slightly different. Just excited to dig into these guys."

The Panthers aren't necessarily done adding pieces on offense, as they remain in talks with free agent receiver D.J. Chark, 26, who had a 1,000-yard Pro Bowl season with the Jaguars in 2019 and caught 30 passes for 502 yards and three touchdowns with the Lions last season.

The Panthers have also helped out their defense, adding defensive lineman Shy Tuttle from the Saints and safety Vonn Bell from the Bengals. General manager Scott Fitterer said the team has had a plan to build up the other areas of the team's roster, so that when they find that new quarterback, it's more of a final piece, joining a team already set up for success.

"If you're going to go with a young quarterback, you have to have a running back, you have to have the tight end, you have to have the receivers," Fitterer said. "We feel like we have the offensive line, brought back Bozeman, kind of cemented that starting five. 

"Everything we've done the last couple of years is build a defense, build an offensive line, so when we get to that position, we can drop someone in. We're in that position now. What we wanted to do in free agency is surround that person and then go into the draft."

Greg Auman is FOX Sports’ NFC South reporter, covering the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints. He is in his 10th season covering the Bucs and the NFL full-time, having spent time at the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.  

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