The 2023 season was a major disappointment for the Carolina Panthers, mainly due to the offense’s inability to take over games. The team had just selected former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he was expected to come in and turn the team’s fortunes around right away.
Unfortunately, that was not the case, as Young and the Panthers offense struggled mightily in his first season. This offseason, the primary focus has been on improving the situation around Young so he can deliver a return on that draft selection. They’ve brought in a number of pieces at the skill positions to give Young more weapons to throw to, and to take the pressure off Young with an improved running game.
The improvements haven’t been limited to just the skill positions, though. They’ve also revamped the offensive line, bringing in two interior offensive linemen to help give Young more protection upfront. Young took 62 sacks last season as a rookie, and the Panthers can’t afford a repeat performance in 2024.
However, those two signings – Robert Hunt from the Miami Dolphins and Damien Lewis from the Seattle Seahawks – have recently come under some fire. Bleacher Report NFL analyst Ryan Fowler recently released his NFL’s All-Overpaid team, and both new guards for the Panthers make this dubious list.
Fowler chose one player for each of the positions, and one honorable mention. When it comes to the interior offensive line, Hunt is the one who ultimately got the nod, with Lewis receiving an honorable mention nod. Fowler points to the massive amount in guarantees Hunt received in his contract, as well as the overall scope of it, to “earn” the title here.
The Panthers gave the former Dolphins guard a five-year deal worth $100 million, making him only the second guard in NFL history to get a contract of $100 million or more. What’s more, the Panthers gave Hunt a whopping $63 million in guarantees. That type of money is typically reserved for All-Pro caliber players, and Hunt has yet to make it to his first Pro Bowl, let alone be named to an All-Pro team.
Opposite him, the Panthers gave Lewis a deal that is significantly less than Hunt’s, but still a hefty deal in its own right. Lewis agreed to a four-year deal with the team worth $53 million. The idea for the Panthers was to improve the middle of their offensive line to keep Young upright this season, but Lewis may not have been the right guy for that job. In four seasons in the NFL, Lewis has allowed 97 quarterback pressures, and has been called for 25 penalties.
All told, the Panthers committed more than $150 million to the interior of their offensive line this season to keep their franchise quarterback protected. We’ll have to wait and see if it was money well spent, but there’s significant skepticism from some, to say the least.