3 Overrated, 3 Underrated Panthers Heading Into 2020
Carolina has almost an entirely new roster heading into the 2020 season. With that said, there are a lot of uncertainties surrounding some of the personnel. Today, we look at three players who are maybe a tad overhyped and three that don't get enough love. Enjoy!
Overrated
RB Mike Davis - The feeling around the Panthers offense is that Mike Davis will be the team's No. 2 running back. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tabbed the Panthers one, two punch of McCaffrey and Davis as the second best running back duo in the NFL. I'm not so sure that Davis is going to be RB2, let alone RB3. Reggie Bonnafon and Jordan Scarlett are two guys that could end up seeing more playing time than Davis - that is if they can stay healthy. I'm not buying Mike Davis as the team's second best back.
K Graham Gano - The Panthers are in a unique situation as they have two solid kickers in Gano and Joey Slye. Carolina has been in this situation before as they had both Gano and Harrison Butker, but ultimately decided to stick with the veteran Gano. I understand Gano has hit some pretty big kicks in his career, but if the Panthers want to make the right decision, they should learn from their previous mistake and side with Slye.
C Matt Paradis - Upon arrival to Carolina, Matt Paradis was widely viewed as one of the best interior offensive lineman in the NFL. The fact that the Panthers were able to sign him was a steal, but it didn't show in 2019. There's reason to believe that with former teammates Russell Okung and Michael Schofield now on the team that Paradis will find his way again. Unfortunately, that's not how I see this playing out. He played very poorly in 2019 and I believe that was just step one of his regression.
Underrated
LB Shaq Thompson - Although he has earned a lot of respect from not only the fan base, but across the NFL, I don't believe there is a true understanding of how valuable Shaq Thompson really is. Now that Luke Kuechly has retired, Thompson will assume the role as the leader of the defense and will likely respond in the right way. He finished 30th in the league in tackles in 2019 and that's playing sidekick to Kuechly - who was a tackling machine. I fully expect Thompson to eat up more tackles and become one of the better young linebackers in the game.
DE Stephen Weatherly - During the first 17 games (two seasons) of Weatherly's career, he barely sniffed the field. Once the calendar rolled into 2018, he stepped up and has been progressing ever since. The Panthers found themselves a gem in free agency and I firmly believe that we will look back at this signing as such. He has great pass rushing ability and will have an opportunity to come in right away and start.
S Tre Boston - The jury is still out on whether or not the fans like Tre Boston. He hasn't played great in his two stints as a Panther, but he hasn't been horrible either. Boston is a guy that can play either way above or well below his potential. The great thing about Boston is that he is a true gamer. He can line up at multiple different positions on the defense if needed and can play at a high level. If Boston can string together some consistency, he could turn into a really strong piece of the Panthers defense.
Which Panthers do you think are overrated and underrated? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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