Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers: Improving Offense Must Be Priority In 2017 NFL Draft

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:19 p.m. ET

Fansided, Raphael Garcia/FanSided via NFL Spin Zone

The Carolina Panthers should focus on the offensive side of the ball when on the clock in the 2017 NFL Draft.

The 2017 NFL Draft is a few short days away. Each organization heads into the event with important goals. For the Carolina Panthers, the team has to focus on many different areas. Perhaps the most vital to immediate success is rebuilding their offense to add weapons that can remove some of the pressure from their star quarterback, Cam Newton.

It's clear that the 2016 season was a failure for Newton. Coming off of a Super Bowl appearance and MVP winning season in 2015, his progression came to a screeching halt. Whether it was the under-performing, often-injured offensive line or the numerous violent hits taken, Newton did not perform up to expectations. As with all other team sports, the focus of blame cannot fall onto the shoulders of one person. Instead, the Panthers need to find ways to replenish the offense with additional weapons for next season and the pending future.

The Panthers made a number of important moves to shore up their defense. Re-signing Kawann Short and Mario Addison gives the team a returning duo that can create big play moments. However, the team didn't make any major moves on the offensive side of the ball to match.

In February, the Panthers released long-time fullback, Mike Tolbert, a player who may not be a superstar, but was an important contributing piece to this running game. Jonathan Stewart signed a one-year contract extension. His services are secured for one more year, but there's no clear path for his replacement after this coming season.

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These moves are exactly why expectations are for the Panthers to select a running back with their first pick in the draft. Sitting in the number eight slot, there are two players that sit at the top of their list.

Running backs Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffery leap off the page as two players that could replace Stewart and help lighten the load on Newton. They have both shown the abilities to carry a full load as a tailback, which is something the Panthers have been unable to find since the days of DeAngelo Williams. A consistent player in the tailback position with big-play abilities goes a long way in having an impact for the Panthers both next season and in the seasons to come.

Carolina has a strong receiving core, but there's still a need to replace the loss of Ted Ginn Jr. Now with the New Orleans Saints, Ginn was a threat in both the slot and on the outside, where he was used most frequently.

Don't expect Carolina to use an early pick on a wide receiver, but there are opportunities to find a player in later rounds. Brenton Bersin was the only wide receiver included in off-season transactions, so this has to be a position of concern for the Panthers to address at some point during the NFL Draft.

The draft is an exciting time for players, fans and organizations alike. When the weekend has ended the speculation for the next season will ratchet up ten-fold. Carolina has to address the under-performing offense and find a way to relieve some of the pressure on Cam Newton. Selections at running back and wide receiver are starts to the right steps for the present and the future.