The Carolina Panthers struggled heavily this past season under rookie quarterback Bryce Young, finishing with the worst record in all of football. And it seems like new Panthers wideout Diontae Johnson realizes that the development of Young is perhaps the quickest way to turn things around.
Young had moments of solid play this past season but largely struggled on what was a pretty poor Panthers offensive unit overall.
His rookie numbers were pretty below average in comparison to his peers, throwing for 2,877 yards with 11 passing touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Perhaps the most concerning part of his game was his completion percentage, which ranked dead last of any player to start over half of their team’s games this past season.
The question here is whether this is an issue with the Panthers receiving corps. Or is it more of an issue with Young?
We may find our answer to this question next season, as the Panthers brought in Diontae Johnson to give Young another receiving threat to throw to.
Johnson spoke about his role on his new team on Tuesday, saying that his top goal is to “make Bryce Young better”.
“He’s accurate, smart,” Johnson said of Young via ESPN. “That’s what I’ve seen from watching his tape. A great player. Can make plays. Can make any throw on the field. I’m here to make him better, help him grow.”
Johnson is seemingly a player that can certainly aid Young’s development. He has long been one of the more underrated receivers in all of football, frequently recording over 80 receptions in a season.
Is Johnson alone going to make Young a potential Pro Bowl-type player? Probably not, but he is a reliable receiving threat who can certainly play a part in improving from his rookie campaign.
There is still plenty of work that the Panthers need to do in terms of their roster to turn the organization into a winning one. But Johnson’s impact should at least help matters.
[ESPN]
