The NHL’s Florida Panthers and NFL’s Carolina Panthers came into existence around the same time—the teams began play in 1993 and 1995, respectively—but they sit at opposite ends of the success spectrum in 2024.
The hockey Panthers, after Saturday’s Game 1 victory, are three wins away from their first Stanley Cup title. The football Panthers are licking their wounds after a 2–15 season, their worst since going 1–15 in 2001.
However, differences in fortunes have never stopped some sports fans from mistaking the two teams for each other. It happened again Saturday in Los Angeles, when KABC-TV put up a graphic depicting the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Panthers meeting in the Stanley Cup finals.
KABC in Los Angeles was getting viewers ready for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and — Carolina Panthers? pic.twitter.com/asevhg8ZmC
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 9, 2024
Credit to the anchor here for proceeding as if nothing was amiss—gamely avoiding the urge to throw whoever handled the graphic under the bus.
Interestingly, the Oilers’ last trip to the Stanley Cup finals saw them meet the Carolina Hurricanes, to whom they lost the 2006 championship series four games to three.
The conversation around the NFL draft is always about the first few rounds.
Everyone knows about the star quarterbacks and the top players at the forefront of each position group’s depth chart. But each autumn, we learn about the biggest steals of the draft, young players who were selected on Day 3 and immediately became important players for their respective teams.
But who are those guys this time around? Who fits the bill in terms of talent, fit and opportunity?
Here are five players to keep your eyes on as the 2024 season develops.
Will Shipley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
If there’s any position to bet on with late-round choices, it’s running back. And with as much as the Eagles are willing to pound the rock, Shipley is a logical choice.
The fourth-rounder won’t see the majority of carries considering D’Andre Swift is the entrenched starter, but he was a three-year contributor at Clemson, running for 2,748 yards and 31 touchdowns. Look for him to play as a rotational back for Philadelphia.
Brenden Rice, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Rice was one of the draft’s stunning developments, falling to the seventh round before he was finally scooped up by the Chargers. Yet, considering Los Angeles’ receiver room, Rice might have a chance to play a ton of snaps.
The Chargers released Mike Williams and traded Keenan Allen this offseason, replacing them with second-round pick Ladd McConkey and little else. At USC in 2023, Rice caught 45 passes for 791 yards and 12 touchdowns. The son of first-ballot Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, he has ample upside.
Rasheen Ali, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Ali combined for 2,536 rushing yards in his two best seasons.
HELEN COMER/The Daily News Journal / USA
Much like Shipley and the Eagles, we’re talking about a running back with a run-heavy team. Although Derrick Henry, Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell are ahead of the fifth-rounder on the depth chart, the Ravens run enough so Ali could see touches, especially if Henry is managed to an extent.
At Marshall, Ali was extremely productive when healthy. In his two best seasons of 2021 and ’23, Ali combined for 2,536 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns. At 206 pounds, he provides a bit of youth for Baltimore’s backfield.
Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE, Carolina Panthers
There’s no reason to think Sanders won’t see starter-level snaps for the Panthers in 2024. While Tommy Tremble is a veteran ahead of Sanders on the depth chart, he’s long been a backup-level piece.
The fourth-rounder started two years for the Texas Longhorns, catching 99 passes for 1,205 yards and seven touchdowns. At the scouting combine, Sanders ran a 4.69 40-yard dash time at 6'4" and 245 pounds. Expect the rookie to be a security blanket for second-year quarterback Bryce Young.
Javon Baker, WR, New England Patriots
Baker had 108 catches in his two seasons at UCF.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Baker might prove to be one of this draft’s steals. Projected as a Day 2 pick out of Central Florida, the Atlanta native was selected in the fourth round.
At UCF, the 6'1" and 202-pounder was a two-year starter after transferring from Alabama, catching 108 passes for 1,935 yards and 12 touchdowns. In New England, he’s going to have ample opportunity to play alongside fellow rookie Ja’Lynn Polk with No. 3 pick Drake Maye as his quarterback.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might have had the quietest offseason among the teams in the NFC South, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the reigning division champions are on the decline.
The Buccaneers could make it four consecutive division titles after retaining their key in-house free agents, including Mike Evans and Baker Mayfield. But the Atlanta Falcons, who had a fast start to the offseason, could be on the rise with the free-agent addition of Kirk Cousins.
The Falcons were viewed as clear favorites in the NFC South after adding Cousins to an offense that included Bijan Robison, Drake London and Kyle Pitts. But the gap might have closed after they used a first-round pick on quarterback Michael Penix Jr., while their divisional rivals strengthened their respective rosters with top picks that weren’t used on signal-callers.
The New Orleans Saints drafted a quarterback (Spencer Rattler in the fifth round), but used their first-round pick on offensive lineman Taliese Fuaga to help Derek Carr.
The Carolina Panthers also prioritized their offseason to assist quarterback Bryce Young, but they still have a long way to go to catch up to the rest of the pack.
Here are grades and analysis for how the NFC South teams did this offseason.
Mayfield turned his career around in Tampa Bay, making his first career Pro Bowl.
Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Offseason grade: B
Key additions: C Graham Barton, Edge Chris Braswell, OG Ben Bredeson, Edge Randy Gregory, S Jordan Whitehead
Key subtractions: CB Carlton Davis III, LB Devin White
Analysis: The Buccaneers avoided offseason splash moves and prioritized their core group, one that surprised in 2023 with Mayfield’s resurgence. Tampa Bay should again contend for the NFC South title after retaining Evans, Mayfield and safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who was hit with the franchise tag. Evans and Mayfield gained long-term extensions after helping the Buccaneers advance to the divisional round.
It’s not the flashiest roster, but the Buccaneers have talent throughout and continue to improve the offensive and defensive lines. Tom Brady might be jealous of the offensive line the Buccaneers have built for Mayfield over the past two seasons. Tampa Bay selected Graham Barton, possibly the best center in the draft, to join a group that made strides last season after failing to protect Brady in 2022.
The Buccaneers, however, took a risk handing Mayfield a three-year extension worth up to $115 million after one dynamic season in Tampa Bay. Mayfield, the former top pick of the Cleveland Browns, will also be without Dave Canales, the offensive coordinator who became the Panthers’ coach in the offseason. But the Buccaneers made many savvy moves to ensure Mayfield’s ’23 season wasn’t a fluke.
Key subtractions: RB Cordarrelle Patterson, QB Desmond Ridder, TE Jonnu Smith
Analysis: The Falcons quickly went from being NFC South favorites with Cousins to a team with quarterback concerns following the first-round selection of Penix. Not only did the Falcons create an awkward scenario, they failed to improve the 2024 squad by using their No. 8 pick on a player who might not play for a few seasons. Had the Falcons gone with the best player available, perhaps they would have gotten an A grade for the offseason and be viewed as NFC South favorites for longer than a month.
But the Falcons could still have the best team in the division if Cousins makes a full recovery from the torn Achilles he sustained last season with the Minnesota Vikings. Cousins will get to work with coach Raheem Morris and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, two former Los Angeles Rams assistant coaches who had plenty of success under Sean McVay. With the Falcons having talented skill players, perhaps Cousins and a new coaching staff were the final pieces for Atlanta to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2017. But they might have been viewed as Super Bowl contenders had they drafted one of the top edge rushers in the draft instead of Penix. Maybe Penix gets an opportunity to start a game or two in 2024 to impress and quiet the critics.
New Orleans Saints
Offseason grade: B-
Key additions: OL Taliese Fuaga, LB Willie Gay Jr., CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, QB Spencer Rattler, WR Cedrick Wilson Jr., Edge Chase Young
Key subtractions: S Marcus Maye, OG Andrus Peat, WR Michael Thomas, QB Jameis Winston
Analysis: With a veteran-filled roster, New Orleans balanced the present and the future after saying goodbye to key players and hello to prominent rookies. The Saints are far removed from the days of Drew Brees and Sean Payton, but they neglected the full rebuild route the past three seasons and missed the postseason every year in that span. The organization seems to have finally adjusted after parting with Michael Thomas, Marcus Maye and Andrus Peat. The moves they made provided some cap space flexibility for the Saints, something they haven’t had much of in recent years.
For the most part, the 2024 Saints should have a similar look to last season heading into Year 2 with Carr as the starting quarterback. Carr had mixed results in his first season in New Orleans, but played well in the final month and should have better protection with the arrival of Fuaga, a rugged run blocker who can play tackle and guard. But the Saints might be making a mistake by relying on Trevor Penning and Ryan Ramczyk as the starting tackles again. Penning has struggled since being a 2022 first-round pick and Ramczyk has dealt with injuries. If Carr gets time to operate, he’ll have Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed to hurt defenses downfield.
Young, the No. 2 pick of the 2020 draft, will be on his third team in five seasons.
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
On defense, the team took a chance on Chase Young, who had a rocky 2023 season after being traded by the Commanders to the 49ers. But the move could pay off, with veteran defensive end Cameron Jordan needing help. New Orleans could have a foundational piece in second-round cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry.
Carolina Panthers
Offseason grade: C+
Key additions: RB Jonathon Brooks, Edge K’Lavon Chaisson, Edge Jadeveon Clowney, S Jordan Fuller, OG Robert Hunt, WR Diontae Johnson,LB Josey Jewell, WR Xavier Legette, OG Damien Lewis, Edge D.J. Wonnum
Key subtractions: S Vonn Bell, Edge Brian Burns, S Jeremy Chinn, Edge Yetur Gross-Matos, CB Donte Jackson, LB Frankie Luvu
Analysis: Let’s get the bad out of the way because there have been plenty of offseason positives for the worst team in the NFL last year. The Panthers’ rebuild project took a hit after they elected to trade Brian Burns to the New York Giants for two draft picks, neither in the first round. It’s been well documented that the Panthers had the opportunity to trade Burns in 2022 for multiple first-round picks. With that in mind, it was strange that the Panthers didn’t just keep Burns on the roster to continue building the defense with stud defensive tackle Derrick Brown, who cashed in this offseason with a lucrative contract extension.
The Panthers also spent money on the offensive side to assist Young, the 2023 No. 1 pick coming off a rough rookie season. Perhaps no offseason acquisition was more important than the hiring of Canales, the offensive guru who helped reignite the careers of Mayfield and Geno Smith. The Panthers added weapons and protection for Young, including the splash signing of guard Robert Hunt, whom the team might have overpaid for with a monster five-year, $100 million contract. Veteran wideout Adam Thielen won’t have to carry the team like he did last season, with the trade for Diontae Johnson and first-round selection of Xavier Legette. Also, the Panthers improved the poor ground game by using a second-round pick for running back Jonathon Brooks.
Offensively, the Panthers might have done enough this offseason to gain positive results from Young in Year 2. The defense, however, might not be able to replace the production of Burns. Newcomer veterans Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum will need to step up to help Brown and the rest of the defense.
Welcome to the NFL offseason, where receivers get paid lots of money (just ask Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jaylen Waddle and Nico Collins), the NFL continues to push for an 18-game season, the league and NFLPA discuss ways to ruin the offseason calendar and teams continue to go through their OTAs and mandatory minicamps.
So we asked our MMQB staff of NFL experts to answer a series of eight questions. Today, they’re going to weigh in on the general managers who have had the biggest impact this offseason.
Let’s get to their answers as we get closer to the NFL taking a break before July training camps.
Matt Verderame: Dan Morgan, Carolina Panthers
Morgan was aggressive in free agency, improving the roster around his young quarterback. / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Morgan is saddled with the responsibility of trying to resurrect a franchise which went a league-worst 2–15 last season. He’s also charged with trying to placate owner David Tepper.
Yet this offseason seemed like a positive step for the Panthers due to Morgan’s aggressiveness in free agency. Carolina didn’t have its first-round pick, but still added a host of talent including edge rushers D.J. Wonnum and Jadeveon Clowney, linebacker Josey Jewell, receiver Diontae Johnson, guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, corner Dane Jackson and defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson among others.
If second-year quarterback Bryce Young doesn’t improve, none of Morgan’s moves are going to amount to much. But if Young can take a big step under new coach Dave Canales, the Panthers are positioned to be a much tougher out.
Gilberto Manzano: Adam Peters, Washington Commanders
Peters hired Quinn, drafted Daniels and quickly rebuilt the team's roster this offseason by signing several free agents. / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
It has to be Peters for quickly transforming one of the worst rosters in the NFL into one that could compete for the postseason in 2024.
Obviously, it helped that Peters had the No. 2 pick to draft quarterback Jayden Daniels and spark the rebuild in Washington. But Peters managed to form a compelling defense for new coach Dan Quinn. Also, hiring a proven coach such as Quinn was a major get for Peters and a franchise that probably needed an experienced head coach for this new era.
Peters, the former San Francisco 49ers front office executive, spent plenty of money in free agency, but did it wisely to maintain cap space flexibility for the future. He bet on underrated players such as edge rusher Dorance Armstrong and linebacker Frankie Luvu, and he also retooled the offensive line for Daniels.
Conor Orr: Joe Hortiz, Los Angeles Chargers
It used to be that Baltimore Ravens personnel folks didn’t leave the house, even after Eric DeCosta succeeded the great Ozzie Newsome. However, we’ve seen recent success stories such as Joe Douglas in New York, who was a Baltimore and Philadelphia Eagles disciple, nailing both Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson in one draft. Now we have Hortiz, who has been the team’s personnel director since 2019. This is as strong an ideological marriage as any coach and GM tandem I’ve seen this offseason and the Chargers already have a roster that will be fun to play around with and build. Hortiz’s job, to toughen up the place around Justin Herbert, won’t be easy.
Albert Breer: Hortiz
The reason I’m going with Hortiz is something I remember saying to his old boss, DeCosta, about how the Ravens operate—you could explain most of their moves to an 8-year-old. It’s a compliment. It means they operate with a certain level of logic, and Hortiz, and Jim Harbaugh, have done that this offseason.
Where they’ve invested in talent tells that story. Coming into the offseason, they had a messy cap situation with four veteran players—Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack—needing to be dealt with contractually. So what did they do? They leaned into Harbaugh’s line-heavy ethos, reworking the deals for Bosa and Mack, trading Allen and releasing Williams.
From there, they signed two warhorse tailbacks, in J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, who’d need no adaptation to the Harbaugh style of play (having been in it in Baltimore), then doubled down in the draft, selecting Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt over replacing Williams and Allen with a Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze. Then, they turned around and took Ladd McConkey in the second round to address a need at receiver.
Easy to explain, right? So logical, a kid would get it.
