Panthers weapons outlook
By: Jake Rajala
The Carolina Panthers don’t have Christian McCaffrey anymore. However, they still have prolific weapons. They carry Tetairoa McMillan, Rico Dowdle, Xavier Legette, and Jalen Coker. McMilan and Dowdle could very well be Pro Bowlers.
McMillan is the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, according to “Vegas Insider”. With Jaxson Dart injured, it makes sense for McMillan to step into being the favorite. McMillan already has 783 yards and five touchdowns. Yes, you read that correctly. He has a 78.8 PFF grade right now.
Rico Dowdle has been one of the biggest surprises this season. He’s unleashed 871 rushing yards, which is seventh in the league in rushing. He also has 233 receiving yards thus far. Dowdle is also 27 years old, so he has a few years left to produce at a high level. He is the best running back since Christian McCaffrey stepped foot in the Panthers locker room. He has a PFF grade of 71 right now. Chuba Hubbard is a fine complement to Dowdle. He has 350 rushing yards this season. He’s quite hard to take down in the open field.
Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker need to step up and cement themselves as prominent weapons across McMillan. Legette has only unleashed 286 yards. That’s not acceptable. In six games, Coker has 150 receiving yards. I will tell you right now: Don’t add either Panthers WR from free agency! Legette was a 2024 first round pick. I believe he will be on the trade block in the offseason.
The Panthers have an explosive offense, led by a rookie and a RB that’s getting paid 2.75 million dollars this season. If the Panthers can actually spend a plethora of money on weapons, they could really go far.
CAR needs more ammunition. They scored 7 points to the Saints and 9 points to the 49ers recently. If they want to not sputter out against pedestrian foes and also beat the likes of the Los Angeles Rams Chicago Bears, they need to load up.
There is still time for the Panthers offense to take steps forward and win their division. After all, the Bucs have taken steps backward. Bryce Young is still quite young, so he should ignite the offense by developing his tools.
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