ESPN's Doug Kezirian Says Panthers 'Could Compete for the League's Worst Record'

Apparently not everyone is high on the new-look Panthers.

Despite firing the head coach and running through three different starting quarterbacks, the Carolina Panthers scratched and clawed their way to a second-place finish in the NFC South last season with a 7-10 record.

Over the last couple of months, the front office has done a lot of work to improve the roster, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. From the free agent signings of RB Miles Sanders, WR Adam Thielen, WR DJ Chark, and TE Hayden Hurst to the selections of QB Bryce Young, WR Jonathan Mingo, and OL Chandler Zavala, it's a vastly improved unit.

Even with a rookie quarterback set to become the starter, the Panthers may have the best chance to win the NFC South in 2023. And that's not just the feeling locally here in the Carolinas, it's become a national opinion as well. 

However, not everyone is riding high on the Panthers' hype train. ESPN's Doug Kezirian doesn't even see Carolina eclipsing its win total from a year ago. 

"Under 7.5 wins. I am a Frank Reich believer, but what else is there to like? I think Carolina downgrades at quarterback with an undersized Bryce Young. Even in a weak division, the Panthers could compete for the league's worst record."

A downgrade at quarterback? From PJ Walker and Sam Darnold? Well, uh, that's quite the take. 

I'm not a gambling expert such as Kezirian, but I have Carolina winning ten games. In addition to an incredibly weak division, the Panthers also have games against the Texans, Colts, Bears, and Titans. It's a very favorable schedule. Sure, they may finish 8-9 or 9-8 but 7-10 or worse just doesn't seem possible unless there's a laundry list of injuries.

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