The Carolina Panthers were one of the youngest rosters in the league last year and after getting off to an awful start in 2012, the team closed the season with four straight wins and is poised to improve in 2013.
The focus will be on Cam Newton once again as he starts his third professional season and after having an awful first half of the year, Newton had a strong finish to the season and he will take that momentum into 2013 for the Panthers.
He won Rookie of the Year in 2011 after setting the record for passing yards for a rookie, throwing for 4,051 yards and 21 touchdowns while also adding 706 yards and 14 scores. Last season he still out up great stats, throwing for 3,869 yards and 12 touchdowns with 741 rushing yards and eight scores, but he regressed in completion percentage, falling under 60 percent.
Last season Carolina ranked 16th in passing yards, but were in the top 10 in rushing with nearly 131 yards per game. The defense was mediocre, ranking 13th and 14th in passing and rushing respectively, but played better down the stretch.
After opening the season 1-6, the Panthers went 6-3 the rest of the way, defeating the Atlanta Falcons to start the streak and the New Orleans Saints in Week 17 to end the season.
The Panthers have lots of talent, including Greg Olsen, Brandon LaFell, Steve Smith and DeAngelo Williams, but the success of the team will be on the shoulders of Newton.
Owner Jerry Richardson is trying to help the team succeed all he can, which is one reason why he has asked lawmakers in the state to help pay for an upgrade to the Panthers' home field at Bank of America Stadium.
The team hasn't made significant upgrades in the a few years and on Wednesday Richardson said that he would like $62 million in state aid along with state approval for $144 million in higher local taxes.
Richardson and team President Danny Morrison met with Charlotte Deputy City Manager Ron Kimble and later said that he had no plans to move the team, despite some rumblings in the media. Some have said that the Panthers would be a good franchise to move to California in Los Angeles due to the star power of Newton.
Richardson is the only former player to own a team in the NFL and he has said that he has turned down two buyers of the franchise who possibly wanted to move the team. He has said to lawmakers that he will sell the team before he retires due to tax implications, but that an upgrade would help the franchise in the short and long term.
Morrison said that the 16-year-old stadium needs between $261 million and $297 million in upgrades to be on par with newer venues like MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which was funded in part by the Jets and the Giants.
