2019 NFL Power Rankings: Los Angeles Rams in good shape with free agency underway

22. Carolina Panthers

Even at this point in the offseason, it’s still amazing to think about how the Carolina Panthers managed to miss out on the playoffs, despite an impressive 6-2 start to the regular season.

How bad did things get for the Panthers? The fact that Carolina’s only win for the rest of the season came in a Week 17 contest against the New Orleans Saints when the starters were resting shows how quickly things went downhill for Ron Rivera’s squad.

The good news for Panthers fans is as long as Cam Newton’s shoulder turns out to be alright, this team has a good shot at turning things around in 2019 since it’s tough to ignore how much they looked like a contender during the first two months of action last year.

Plus, after Christian McCaffrey put together an amazing sophomore campaign while helping plenty of fantasy football owners take home a league title, expectations are higher than ever for the Panthers running back heading into his third NFL season.

Assuming McCaffrey stays healthy, his presence alone should help take some of the pressure off Newton once the Carolina quarterback is ready to go since the surgery on his shoulder only seemed to be minor.