Immediate Impact Rookies: Jameis Winston

This article will be one of many in a series of 2015 draftees who I think will have an immediate impact in some way, shape or form. Where they are drafted plays a part in this series as well, because chances are that most of the first two rounds of rookies will have an immediate impact on their teams. That doesn't mean I'm going to automatically put them on my list, as there is a lot that will factor into my analysis of these players. A few components that factor into my decision will be there skill level, the situation the player is drafted into, the amount of playing time I think they will get, etc. I hope to explain myself well enough for each player I analyze that my opinion isn't completely batshit crazy. Enjoy!

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Jameis Winston

Onto the most talked about rookie since... Well since Johnny Manziel. So it was only a year earlier. Well either way, I like to think that Winston's hype is more driven by his play, and actual quarterback traits. Winston being in an 'Immediate Impact Rookies' article seems fairly redundant. He was the first overall pick and went to a quarterback needy team. It's a no-brainer. Well even if this article doesn't need a brain, it's going to get one!

The knock that I (along with most football analysts) have against him is his decision making. He too often throws a ball he flat out shouldn't throw. Other than that and a slightly long release, I haven't seen much to dislike about the young QB out of Florida State. He has an arm that can make every single throw on the field, he has an incredible football I.Q. and he has solid accuracy to go along with it. My favourite trait about Winston, is he isn't afraid of anything on the field. If Winston throws a pick to Richard Sherman, and the next play he thinks the best throw on the field is right back at Sherman, he'll challenge him again. He trusts his wide receivers, and more importantly he trusts himself to always make every throw. Also he is very rarely shaken, which is huge for a quarterback of his stature. I do believe that Winston was the most talented player in this years draft, and I think he has all of the ideal traits every team looks for in a franchise QB.

The biggest reason he is on this list isn't for his talent, because that is well documented in the NFL media circle. The main reason why he is on this list is because I love the situation he is in with the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay has three huge, very talented pass catchers for Winston to throw too. Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson and Austin Seferian-Jenkins should help smooth over Winston's transition to the NFL. Evans especially, as he could be the top receiver in the NFL next season and it would not shock me one bit. With Mike Glennon as his QB, Mike Evans put up 1,051 receiving yards with 12 touchdowns. Winston is the perfect QB for Evans, as he will throw him 50/50 balls and not be intimidated by any defensive back covering Evans. Since Evans has arguably the strongest hands in the NFL, and absolutely dominates 50/50 balls, Winston will thrive when throwing him the ball. Oh yeah, and ASJ is 6'6 to go along with the 6'5 Vincent Jackson and 6'5 Mike Evans. So they should have quite the potent red zone offense.

I'm not going to completely ignore the negatives, as the Bucs offensive line is a big question mark on paper. They are relying heavily on two rookies, which might not go over well. Donovon Smith is slotted in at left tackle, and Ali Marpet should be their right guard. The rest of the offensive line is solid, but these two rookies can't falter under pressure and need to step up. The good thing is that Winston isn't known for crumbling under pressure. He has good pocket presence, and is deceptively mobile, so he doesn't need an elite offensive line to play at a high level (obviously it would help though). The run game the Bucs have is interesting. It's not bad, it's not great, but they have quite a few guys that could make an impact. Between Doug Martin, Charles Sims, Bobby Rainey and Mike James, I expect somebody to step up and be a solid running back for Winston.

I like what the Bucs did to help Winston. They believe that he can be their franchise quarterback, and they drafted to support that sentiment. This will be a transition year for Tampa Bay, and they probably won't be all that competitive, but I'm a strong believer in Winston and I think he'll have a great rookie season that proves he can be their franchise quarterback.

Offseason Outlook 2015: Atlanta Falcons

My bold prediction is that the Atlanta Falcons will win the NFC South. If you want to read the article and argue with me, awesome! If you want to just read my prediction and argue with me, less awesome, but I'm still up for it! Here we go...

Offense

Is Matt Ryan elite? Elite is so subjective, but what's not subjective is that Matt Ryan is a very good quarterback. He has lifted the play of his entire offense for the better part of a decade and has overcome struggles along the O-line and in the run game too. Matt Ryan is terrific under pressure, he gets the ball out quick to minimize his offensive line struggles and he has enough arm strength to make every throw on the field. He is a great quarterback to build around, and even though he's not in the Aaron Rodgers/Tom Brady tier of QB's, he's well entrenched in that second tier. At wide receiver, Julio Jones leads a group in need of some new life. Jones is terrific, and if he stays healthy he could easily be the best wide receiver in the NFL next season. He has all the tools you want in a WR, he has speed, strength off the line, route running ability, explosiveness and he is a terror with the ball in his hands. Opposite him, Roddy White returns for his 10th season, and he is still a reliable 2nd receiver to Julio. He doesn't have the same explosiveness as he used to, but he should be in for another solid season. The Falcons made a very underrated pick in this years draft in 4th rounder Justin Hardy. He should step in immediately and be a huge upgrade for Atlanta in the slot. They should also be running a lot of 3 and 4 wide receiver sets too, because they don't have a lot of talent and depth at tight end. I think Hardy is in for a big year, and he'll help this offense a lot by giving them another reliable option other than Julio and Roddy. The Falcons also have Devin Hester and Leonard Hankerson as depth, but neither receiver should be expected to have much of an impact. At tight end, Atlanta has had trouble replacing Tony Gonzalez since he retired. Levine Toilolo is still the starter, but he had a rough 2014 and isn't that promising of a player anyways. In the backfield, Atlanta is going to roll with two young backs for the 2015 season in Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. Both of these backs have talent, and they could be a good one-two punch with the assumption being that they will split reps. Neither of these backs are heavy hitters, but they are both very fast and can be solid receivers out of the backfield for Ryan. Atlanta has done a lot of retooling across the offensive line over the past couple of seasons. It starts at left tackle where Jake Matthews looks to improve off of a horrid rookie season. I'm a big fan of his, and I think he could be a great LT, but there are a lot of things he has to fix from his inaugural season. At left guard, the Falcons have some decisions to make because they didn't resign Justin Blalock and don't have an obvious choice to take over the position. Sam Baker will be back this year, and he should probably play right tackle, which would then move Ryan Schraeder inside. That would be best case scenario for their O-line, with Jon Asomoah playing right guard and Joe Hawley playing center. This is the best offensive line they can put on the field, yet it still isn't terrific. This is the weak point of their offense, but if Matthews play improves (which I think it will) then it should be passable. This offense was 12th in the NFL in 2014, and I think it will crack the top 10 in 2015. The addition of Kyle Shanahan as the offensive coordinator is huge, and he should bring about better play in a lot of their offensive players. He also has a knack for getting the most out of a team's run game, so expect Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman to put together big seasons too. Matt Ryan hasn't worked with a lot of talent in the past couple years (despite Julio, Roddy has been solid but he's out of his prime now), but this roster has been infused with a lot of young players with high ceilings, and what should figure to be an improved O-line. This is a good offense. Period.

Defense

Dan Quinn. I believe in Dan Quinn, and I will fall on board that ship if it gets to that point. I think he is going to bring out the best in Atlanta's defense, and also turn Desmond Trufant into a superstar (although he already is really awesome). Trufant leads a so-so secondary, but he is a terrific corner. He has the ability to shut down an opposing wide receiver, and he very rarely gets burned too. Opposite him, I believe that rookie Jalen Collins will win the job, and he will be an immediate upgrade at right CB. Collins has size, strength and speed. The triple threat at cornerback. He needs to hone is technique, but he could be the best cornerback from the 2015 draft class. Robert Alford should move inside, and I think he could flourish in a slot cornerback role. At safety, the Falcons have Dezmen Southward and William Moore. With more development from the young Southward, I think both of those players should be solid safeties. At linebacker, this team invested in Vic Beasley and that should pay off in a huge way. Beasley is in a terrific position with the Falcons, he will get immediate playing time, and he has the speed, power and explosiveness to be an impact pass rusher for a team that desperately needs one. They also signed Brooks Reed to help raise their talent level at linebacker. To go along with Brooks, they signed O'Brien Schofield who could be a solid situational pass rusher and he adds depth to the edge group. One more quiet free agent signing they made was signing Adrian Clayborn. He is coming off of an injury riddled 2014, but if he's healthy he can be a solid pass rusher. In the middle, they have Paul Worrilow, Justin Durant and Prince Shembo. They should get decent production out of these players. All of them have their strengths and weaknesses, but if you limit Worrilow in the passing game, and ease Shembo into a bigger role, they could be successful. On the defensive line, the Falcons have surprisingly a lot of depth. They made a couple free agent moves last offseason, and they still have Tyson Jackson and Paul Soliai on the line. Both of those players had rough first seasons with the Falcons, but they should play better in 2015 under Dan Quinn. The Falcons also have last years 2nd round pick Ra'Shede Hageman who could be looking at a starting job this season. He has a high ceiling and could be really dominant if he works on his consistency issues. Another young player to watch with Atlanta is Grady Jarrett, this years 5th round pick. I thought he was a second round talent, and the knock on him is that he's undersized but he has a lot of talent and is quick in shedding blocks. Rounding off the defensive line, Atlanta has veteran Jonathan Babineaux. He has been an anchor for roughly a decade, and should be in for another good season. This defense isn't the most talented in the NFL, but I think they could be a league average defense next season. Dan Quinn is where my faith resides, and I think that he will get more out of this defense than anybody else could. Vic Beasley will play a huge factor in whether this defense is successful or not, but I think he is up to the challenge. If the Falcons front 7 can bring more pressure, which I do believe they will, then this defense can help make Atlanta relevant again.

On paper, I can admit that this team is not as talented as the New Orleans Saints. Why do I think they will win the division then? I think it's a combination of the major philosophical change the Saints are going through on offense, but mostly because of this new coaching staff. My love for Dan Quinn is already well documented, and Kyle Shanahan is a terrific offensive coordinator and a big upgrade too. I'm expecting a Mike Zimmer/Minnesota Vikings situation, except the Falcons already have an amazing QB and a great offense to go along with a transformed defense. I think they had one of the best drafts this past season, and should get some instant playmakers out of it to go along with the established veterans, who will lead the Falcons to their first playoff berth in three years.

Offseason Outlook 2015: New Orleans Saints

Offense

The Saints were not good last season. There are a lot of people that think last season will start the downfall of Drew Brees too. THIS IS NOT THE END OF DREW BREES PEOPLE! He was a lot better than given credit for last season, and for an entire Saints team that struggled, he was once again their best player. Brees did have a subpar season by his standards, but he is still elite, and until he is actually bad, then I'm not going to count him out. Apart from Brees, the Saints made a lot of changes. The most notable one is the trade of Jimmy Graham to the Seahawks. I might be crazy, okay I'm definitely crazy, but I don't think this was as lopsided of a deal as NFL analysts imply it is. Jimmy Graham is an elite tight end. Is he Gronk level elite? No, but he's the second best tight end in the NFL that's for sure. Still, the Saints upgraded their biggest weakness on offense (center) through the trade, and they got a first round pick too. Max Unger is a good center, and when he's fully healthy he can be a great one. He's going to be in the middle of what figures to be a very good offensive line for New Orleans in 2015. At left tackle, Terron Armstead should be the guy moving forward. He had a solid season, although he needs to be more consistent, and he's a young guy that should grow as a player. At left guard, the Saints first 1st round pick should start there for them Andrus Peat has a future as a good starting tackle in the NFL, but the Saints one hole on their O-line is at left guard and he should have an immediate impact and in fact has high upside at the position. At right guard, Jahri Evans returns for his 10th season with NO, and he has been a staple for them his entire career. He is extremely durable (starting all but two games in his 9 year career), and is as reliable as they come at the position. To round out the O-line, at right tackle the Saints have one of the most underrated offensive lineman in Zach Strief. He is incredibly reliable and was the Saints best offensive lineman last season. This strong offensive line will really help the Saints in changing their strategical approach as a team. By the moves they made this offseason, New Orleans seems to be leaning more towards a run-centric offense to preserve Brees' arm. In the backfield, the Saints resigned last years breakout running back, Mark Ingram. They also signed C.J. Spiller who could prove to be a huge signing. Ingram will probably be the lead back, but adding the change of pace Spiller to the mix brings a huge home run threat to go along with Ingram's hard running style. These two could quietly become a great RB tandem, so watch out. At tight end, the Saints have two players that will be key to their offense in 2015 and for entirely different reasons. First, Benjamin Watson is going to be relied upon to be an impactful blocker at the position. He has been an underrated player for years now, but his blocking has opened up a lot of opportunities in the run game, and passing game, for this Saints team in recent years. The other player the Saints will rely on at tight end in 2015 is Josh Hill. Reports say that New Orleans was willing to part with Jimmy Graham because they really believe in the talent of Hill. He won't be a Jimmy Graham, but if he can be a solid red zone option for Brees and occasionally stretch the seems, then he will be huge for this offense. At wide receiver, the Saints are not as deep as they have been in recent years. Marques Colston is getting older, and apart from Brandin Cooks they don't have a lot of talent at the position. Cooks is awesome though. He had an up and down rookie season, but he could quickly become Drew Brees' safety blanket and most reliable target if he isn't already. This offense put up the highest total yards in 2014, and were top 10 in points per game too. They are not doomed by the loss of Jimmy Graham. This is an improved O-line, and they are changing their philosophy on offense too. With the shift to a more run focused offense, this should cut down on the turnovers, and actually help them score more. I think this offense will be a top 7 offense in the NFL next season, and their new approach will work wonders. Brees will also have a terrific season again, and even though I don't think he will throw for 5,000 yards or 40 touchdowns, he will be more efficient then he has been in recent years.

Defense

This defense has nowhere to go but up in 2015. They were the 5th worst defense in 2014 after a season in which they were the 4th best defense in 2013. Just based off of them not making a lot of roster changes on defense, there is enough talent for them to succeed. On the defensive line, Cameron Jordan leads a young, improving group. Jordan had an up and down year in 2014 after a really strong 2013, so hopefully he can capture his 2013 form again next season. John Jenkins or Brodrick Bunkley will be the starting nose tackle. Both of those players are average starters, but nothing incredible should be expected out of them. Opposite Jordan, Akiem Hicks is entering his fourth season, and he has proven to be a solid player for them. This linebacker group has gone through some change this offseason. The Saints drafted Stephone Anthony at the end of the first round. He should be a solid player straight out of the gate, but I didn't have him as a great ILB, I think he's an above average player at best. He should still be an upgrade over Curtis Lofton though, and they also traded for Dannell Ellerbe to play alongside Anthony. Ellerbe wasn't great last season, but he has talent and a change of scenery could really benefit him. At the edge rusher position, New Orleans has added depth to a group that just had Junior Galette as a good player last season. This offseason, they signed Anthony Spencer to a prove it deal, and if he reaches his ceiling he could be a game changer for them. He's a great pass rusher, and he could take a lot of pressure off of Galette. The Saints also added Hau'oli Kikaha through the draft, and he should be a key cog in their pass rushing rotation next season. In the secondary, this team is coming off of an atrocious year yet they have a lot of talent. They signed Jairus Byrd in the 2014 offseason, but he didn't play a down for them last season because of injury. Byrd will have a huge impact on a defense that is really missing that ball hawking free safety. Beside Byrd, Kenny Vaccaro is coming off of a bad year, but in 2013 he showed a lot of promise and still has a ton of talent. Vaccaro will definitely have to prove himself in 2015, but I believe he can still do that. At cornerback, the Saints signed Brandon Browner to pair with Keenan Lewis. This should be a big physical duo and an upgrade from 2014, although they still aren't an elite pair. This defense should be solid. Chances are it will fall somewhere in the middle of the 2013 and 2014 ranking, which is enough for Saints fans to be excited about. If this defense is league average, then the Saints have a very good chance to compete as their offense will be very good. The added edge rushers will really help this defense alleviate the pressure off of the secondary, and getting Jairus Byrd back from injury is a huge addition to the team. They had a lot of trouble stopping both the pass and the run, and the additions at ILB and OLB should benefit this team in the near future. I expect a middle of the pack finish, although there is more talent than there 2013 roster so a top 5 finish wouldn't be the most shocking thing in the world either.

This Saints team has a lot of questions. They have gone through a lot of changes and are coming off of a bad year. With that being said, if they are a top 3 team in the NFL next season, that would not shock me one bit. There is so much talent and history of this team, with this roster, doing great things. Rob Ryan needs to fix this defense. That should be the first priority, and the draft and free agency have been indicators that the Saints are really trying to do just that. I think the signing of Anthony Spencer could be a very impactful one, and I also think that the change in philosophy on offense is for the best. I still think the Saints are going to go through their fair share of struggles, as is what usually happens when making big philosophical changes to a team. I think they will finish second in the NFC South and have a shot at the wild card, but ultimately miss the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

Offseason Outlook 2015: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Offense

I think Jameis Winston is going to be a very good NFL quarterback. Based off of that, I like what the Buccaneers have done this offseason. Winston has all of the tools you want in a franchise quarterback. He has terrific pocket presence, a big arm, and he is one of the smartest quarterbacks to come out of college in a long time. He is questionable in his decision making at times, but he's reminiscent of a Ben Roethlisberger/Eli Manning hybrid. On top of that, both Big Ben and Eli have won Super Bowls, and I believe that Jameis Winston has the talent and poise to eventually win one too. Tampa Bay has put together a talented offense for him too. Mike Evans will be his go to target, and rightfully so. Evans has some of the strongest hands in football, and he has the size and athleticism to be a threat all over the field. He caught 12 touchdowns, and had over a thousand yards last season with Josh McCown and Mike Glennon as his QB's, so he should put up even better numbers this season. Opposite Evans, Vincent Jackson goes into his 4th season with the Bucs, and he should put up better numbers in 2015. He only had 2 touchdowns in 2014, and that number should go up exponentially in 2015. They don't have a lot of wide receiver depth, but they won't necessarily need it if Evans and Jackson stay healthy. At tight end, Austin Seferian-Jenkins will look to expand his role in 2015. He has tons of talent, and is another big and tall weapon for Jameis to throw to. On the offensive line, Donovan Smith was drafted in the second round to protect Winston's blindside. He doesn't have the ideal athleticism for a left tackle, and he would probably make a better right tackle, but he has good bend and plays with solid pad level in pass protection. He is also enormous (6'6/338 lbs) and a mauler in the run game. At left guard, Tampa traded for Logan Mankins last offseason to bring some stability and a veteran presence to the line. He had a very solid season, and even though he is getting older, he's still a reliable guard. At center, Evan Dietrich-Smith has been a solid player ever since they signed him out of Green Bay. Tampa Bay drafted another offensive lineman in the second round in Ali Marpet. He played Division III football in college, but he has a very high ceiling as a guard. Marpet has quick feet, and he's shockingly strong too. It might take him a while to get acclimated to NFL competition, but when he does he should be a very good player. At right tackle, the Bucs have Demar Dotson who put forth a very good season in 2014. There was talk of moving him to left tackle after Tampa Bay released Anthony Collins, but with Smith playing LT he will man the right side again. He is a big, powerful right tackle, and should have another big season. In the backfield, Doug Martin leads a group of solid but unspectacular running backs. Martin has a lot of talent, and could be in for a big season behind better QB play, but as of now he shouldn't be viewed as anything but an average RB. Behind him, Bobby Rainey, Mike James and Charles Sims all will look to get some work. Sims has a high ceiling as a receiving back, and Rainey and James have both shown that they can put in some good work, but again, nothing overly spectacular. This is a very, very young offense. That much should be obvious. With that being said, it should still be better than it's bottom 4 finish in 2014. Jameis is an upgrade over McCown and Glennon, and Mike Evans should be even better in his sophomore season. A bottom 10 finish is still likely for the Bucs offense, but fans should just be wanting their young stars to show enough that the franchise can build around them with confidence. That would be a win for the 2015 Bucs.

Defense

As weird as it is to say about a bottom ten defense that didn't go through a lot of change in the offseason, there is a lot to like about the 2015 Buccaneers defense. They have two superstars in Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David to build their defense around. They definitely are another draft away from really creating an impact defense, as there are some big holes they need to fill, but they have a solid core of player. On the defensive line, the Bucs have a terrific pair of defensive tackles in Gerald McCoy and Henry Melton. McCoy is one of the best interior penetrators in the NFL, and he dominates guards and centers to a point where you almost feel bad for the opposing O-line. Melton is a very underrated interior pass rusher himself, and he's now further removed from his injury so he could be even better in 2015. At defensive end, Tampa Bay is really thin. I mean really, really thin. George Johnson and Jacquies Smith are slotted as their starters, and both of those players (especially Smith) are underwhelming. At linebacker, as I stated earlier, Tampa has a star in Lavonte David. At middle linebacker, the Bucs are planning to use Bruce Carter (signed out of Dallas). I actually am really intrigued by this move. Carter is a very athletic player, and he has good instincts in the passing game, so don't be surprised if he puts up some big time numbers. As Lovie Smith's strong side "SAM" linebacker, rookie Kwon Alexander will get every chance to win the job. He shouldn't be expected to be an immediate star, but if the 4th round pick out of LSU is solid, then that is a big win for Lovie's Bucs. In the secondary, Tampa has a young group of players that is, for the most part, unproven. Alterraun Verner is solid cornerback, but may be better suited for being the number two guy in a defense. He has very good ball skills, and is very good in a zone coverage scheme, but can struggle when going man-to-man with the opponents number 1 WR. Opposite Verner, Johnathan Banks is coming off of a so-so year. He's okay, but not necessarily the best second CB. At safety, Tampa Bay claimed D.J. Swearinger off waivers from Houston, and they also signed Chris Conte from Chicago. This is an uninspiring duo to have starting for an NFL team. At this point in time, they both just aren't great players, and going into the season, safety is a big hole for the Buccaneers. This is a weird defense in Tampa Bay. They have two gaping positional holes at defensive end and safety. They also have two stars in Lavonte David and Gerald McCoy to go along with quite a few other solid complementary defenders in Melton, Carter, and Verner. The holes on defense are too big for me to predict a top half finish, but they should be just as good as last season (25th) and they should have more hope and promise going into the 2016 season too.

Tampa Bay knows that this won't be the breeziest of years. They are rolling out a rookie QB with a very young offense, and they don't have the elite defense that can smooth over that transition. This year should be about one thing and one thing only for Tampa Bay. Making sure Jameis is the face of the franchise, and doing anything they can to help him become that. I believe that Jameis can be a top QB in the NFL, and Tampa Bay needs to develop him so he can eventually become that. This should be somewhat of a long year for Bucs fans, but not without its fun! How about Jameis Winston and Mike Evans doing bad things to opposing teams for the next decade? That sounds pretty damn good to me.

Offseason Outlook 2015: Carolina Panthers

Offense

After the NFL draft this the first thing I said about the Carolina Panthers was "Are they trying get Cam Newton killed?" and I was serious. I don't have a problem with the actual players Carolina drafted, but what are they doing for their left tackle? Michael Oher is not going to be a smart option there. He doesn't have the foot speed to keep up with fast edge rushers, and it's going to cause a lot of problems for Super Cam. The rest of their O-line isn't awful, it's not good but it's not the worst. Ryan Kalil is a very good center, but every other position is average at best. Left guard is Andrew Norwell, right guard is Trai Turner, and right tackle is Mike Remmers. Trai Turner might be solid next season, but the other two players are replacement level. The biggest issue I have with this O-line comes back to left tackle. I would have expected them to make a hard play for La'el Collins after the draft, but nothing happened. The other position group that worried me was wide receiver, but Carolina has done a solid job over the past couple of years to fix that. Kelvin Benjamin had a terrific rookie season, and he could firmly establish himself as a solid number one wide receiver this season. The Panthers also drafted wide receiver Devin Funchess in the second round. He doesn't have elite athleticism, but he is a huge WR (6'4/232 lbs) and is another good option for Newton. The Panthers have a lot of big and tall pass catchers for Newton, who has been known to overthrow some of his targets throughout his career. Benjamin is 6'5, Funchess is 6'4, and Greg Olsen is 6'6. They are drafting to fit their QB, but they still lack a real speed wideout to stretch the field. Ted Ginn could fill that void, but he doesn't have the route running skills to do so. Philly Brown might be able to develop into that role, but he's still a question mark at this point in time. Also, keep an eye on Jarrett Boykin who had a rough season with the Packers in 2014, but he has talent and could make an impact on this team. At tight end, the Panthers have Greg Olsen, who as I mentioned earlier is a big strong target for Newton. He is one of the most consistent tight ends in football, and is a great pass catcher and blocker too. I am a huge fan of Cam Newton. I think he constantly bears the brunt for Carolina's struggles, but he has had very little to work with in his career. He is the best short yardage QB in the NFL and it's really not close, he's built like a truck, and he has developed exponentially as a passer. In the backfield, Cam has Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert. Stewart was terrific when he was healthy last season, and he made the most out of a struggling O-line. He's very shifty, and surprisingly great at breaking tackles. Tolbert is used as a fullback a lot of the time, which he's great at, but as a runner he's very solid too and can be a great change of pace back from Stewart. This offense is carried by Cam Newton and Greg Olsen. They were just inside the top 20 offenses in the NFL in 2014, and I expect a similar year in 2015 too. Carolina needs to invest in some protection for Newton, because even though he is an enormous, athletic, adonis of a human being, he can't play offensive tackle and quarterback. Wait can he? I'll talk to Ron Rivera and check, but I don't think he can.

Defense

The first round of the 2015 NFL draft wasn't all that shocking to me, except for the Carolina Panthers pick. I knew they like Shaq Thompson, as they had him in for pre-draft visits, but with a linebacker core of Kuechly and Davis, I didn't think they needed to spend another first round pick there. I'm a big fan of Thompson, especially in this defense, he could be a great weak side linebacker. In the middle, the Panthers have a player who I think is the second best defensive player in the NFL, Luke Kuechly (Although the gap from number 1 and 2 is pretty big). Luke is so fun to watch, he has ridiculous lateral quickness, and terrific instincts to go along with great coverage skills and run stuffing skills. Alongside Kuechly and Thompson, Carolina also has Thomas Davis. He might be overshadowed by Luke, but he is elite in his own right. He is a terrific all around player, and is a leader of this defense. Talk to any Panthers fan, they love them some Thomas Davis in Carolina, and rightfully so. On the defensive line, the Panthers linebackers rely on their two star defensive tackles to take on blockers and create interior pressure. Star Lotulelei and Kawaan Short both complement each other so well, as Star is the better run stuffer, and Short is the better pass rusher. Bothe players have well rounded games though, and are big difference makers in this defense. Alongside the defensive tackles, Carolina has a terrific defensive end in Charles Johnson. He has spent his entire career with Carolina, and is one of the most consistent pass rushers in football. Expect roughly 10 sacks out of him in 2015, to go along with a constant motor and a ton of pressures. Opposite Johnson, Kony Ealy will have his chance to take the starting job, and while he is talented, he struggled last season and needs to play better this coming year. The Panthers secondary is the weakest part of their defense, but it's not horrible. Josh Norman and Bene Benwikere were both good cornerbacks last season, and are solid starters to have going into the season. The Panthers also signed Charles Tillman, and if he is healthy, he could be a huge game changer for a team that should be looking to force more turnovers this coming season. At safety, Carolina needs to look for eventual upgrades as Roman Harper and Tre Boston are both solid but unspectacular players. Boston could end up being an above average starter as he's still young, but Harper is on the downswing of his career and needs to be replaced. This defense will be better in 2015. Bank on it. There is too much talent for it not to be a top 16 defense, which it wasn't last season. I am very excited to watch the deadly linebacker trio put in work, and along with their stout defensive line, Panthers fans should feel good about their defense. They should look more like their 2013 defense (2nd best in the NFL) than last years defense.

My quick analysis about the 2015 Carolina Panthers: There is a lot to love about this team, and a lot to hate. In the love column, linebackers, defensive line, and Cam Newton. In the hate column, offensive line, safeties, and the lack of a field stretching wide receiver. With that being said, they still have a very good chance to represent the NFC South in the playoffs. This division is the weakest in football, and they have the best defense out of all four teams. I predict them to just miss the playoffs, as I think they will get beat out by the Atlanta Falcons. They play the Falcons twice in their last 4 weeks, and 4 of their last 5 games are divisional games. Based off of that, the Panthers season will come down to the last five weeks, and if they have a good run to end the season, they will be in a good position to win their division for the third consecutive year.