Carolina Panthers: 5 Key Off-Season Moves That Led To Super Bowl 50
By Erik Lambert
There is a reason fans love watching the NFL off-season. Perhaps more than any other sport, certain moves by certain teams can have unforeseen but critical impacts on the whether or not their team reaches the Super Bowl. This holds true for the Carolina Panthers as much as any other. So what were the five key moves made by GM Dave Gettleman and his front office that got them to this moment?
Signed Kurt Coleman
What a pickup this turned out to be. Nobody thought much of it when the Panthers scooped up safety Kurt Coleman on a relatively cheap free agent deal. He was coming off a solid year in Kansas City but most chalked that up to playing on a really talented Chiefs defense. How did he respond to that idea? By turning in his first Pro Bowl season with seven interceptions including one for a touchdown, 88 tackles and a sack. Josh Norman gets all the hype, but having Coleman on the back end has done wonders for that defense.
Signed Ted Ginn Jr.
When Kelvin Benjamin went down with a torn ACL during the off-season, everybody felt that was the end of the Panthers offense. He was their lone reliable option at wide receiver. The one hope was that a mix of veterans could somehow compensate for the loss. Among them was the re-acquired Ted Ginn Jr. He’d played for Carolina in 2013, gone to Arizona in 2014 and then returned. Nobody expected anything out of him. What they got was a career year. Ginn put up 44 catches for 739 yards and 10 touchdowns while also posting 277 yards on 27 punt returns.
Signed Michael Oher
Expectations weren’t for Michael Oher to become the lynchpin of the Panthers offensive line when they signed him. All they wanted was somebody with experience they could depend on. Oher was plugged in at left tackle, a position he has barely played most of his career. While his run blocking left plenty to be desired, he emerged as a surprisingly competent pass protector. Just four of the times Cam Newton was sacked in 2015 were because of Oher. The MVP hasn’t been touched by pass rushers coming from that direction since the playoffs began.
Drafting Shaq Thompson
Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis rightfully got most of the attention at linebacker for the Panthers this season, but one cannot discount the contributions made by 1st round draft pick Shaq Thompson. He found ways early on in the year to get noticed and has gotten more and more playing time as things have gone on. He has 51 tackles and a sack to his credit while also boasting two pass deflections and not allowing a touchdown in 34 throws directed at him.
Drafting Devin Funchess
Ginn wasn’t the only receiver to step up in the wake of the Benjamin injury. The Panthers gave up a considerable amount in order to trade up for Michigan wide receiver Devin Funchess in the draft. Though he wasn’t the focal point of the offense, the rookie was active in several games and made some huge plays down the stretch. Five of the six touchdowns he has caught were in the second half of the season to go along with 506 yards. Maybe not Amari Cooper-level production but still vital to the success of that Panthers offense.