Carolina Panthers musings

By CORY SPIERS coryspiers@gmail.com If the Panthers are to take the next step in 2018-19, they'll need more playmakers to do it. After former first round pick Kelvin Benjamin was shipped to Buffalo at the trade deadline this past October, third-year wideout Devin Funchess took off and put together his best career season with 63 catches for 840 yards and eight touchdowns-- all of which were career highs. It was a good season for Funchess. But it's no secret he's not the vertical threat the Panthers need to make Cam Newton flourish under new offensive coordinator Norv Turner. Funchess is a decent route runner, he's big and he's reasonably physical. But he can't take the top off an opposing defense consistently, which is where outside help comes in. Brenton Bersin and Kaelin Clay are both set to hit free agency this spring. With a lot of outside help available through the draft and free agency, I wouldn't expect either one is high on Carolina's p

By Cory Spiers coryspiers@gmail.com Football can be a mighty cruel mistress. There will be no storybook ending for the only owner the Carolina Panthers have known. The Jerry Richardson era ended quietly and somberly, as right outside of the walls of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Saints fans reveled in noise and exuberance Sunday night. And why wouldn't they? The Saints outclassed the Panthers for a third time this season, leading wire to wire in a 31-26 win over their division rivals. The Panthers needed to be perfect to drop the Saints on the road. Instead, they weren't. And will close the season 11-6, with three of those losses coming to New Orleans. In three meetings with the Saints, Carolina was outscored 96-60 and allowed 31 or more points in all three of those contests. In Sunday's playoff finale between the two, the Panthers at least made things interesting late. Still somehow in a game they had no business being in, Carolina got the ball back down five