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Starter – Cam Newton. Backups – Derek Anderson, Joe Webb.

Newton finished with career lows in completions (262), yards (3,127) and touchdowns (18), but he also missed the first two games of his four-year career. He played through ankle, rib and back injuries and with a rebuilt offensive line and receiving corps. 2014 wasn’t a big step forward for Newton, who continued to struggle with inconsistency and issues with his mechanics, but it’s tough to fairly judge his entire body of work. Anderson proved to be a valuable backup, winning both of his spot starts. Those came against the lowly Bucs, but Anderson did what the Panthers needed him to do — not make any major mistakes. Webb had more receptions (1), kickoff returns (2), and special teams tackles (1) than pass attempts (0).

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[accordion_item open=”true” title=”RUNNING BACKS”]Starters – Jonathan Stewart, FB Mike Tolbert. Backups – DeAngelo Williams, Fozzy Whittaker.

Including the postseason, Stewart played 15 games, which equaled the total of his previous two years. He rushed for 809 yards, his most since 2009, and he piled up 486 of those in the final five weeks of the season, the second-most in the NFL during that timeframe. Healthy again, Stewart resurrected his career, while Williams may have finished his. Injuries limited Carolina’s all-time leading rusher to six games and Williams set career lows in attempts (62), yards (219), yards per carry (3.5) and touchdowns (0). Whittaker, who played ahead of Williams in the Wild Card win over Arizona, is a younger and cheaper option going forward. Tolbert missed half the season with a hairline fracture below his knee, but when he returned, he was a key piece that helped the offense run its way to a strong finish.

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[accordion_item open=”true” title=”TIGHT ENDS”]Starter – Greg Olsen. Backups – Ed Dickson, Brandon Williams. Injured reserve – Richie Brockel.

Olsen set franchise records for the third straight year, smashing career highs in receptions (84) and receiving yards (1,008). The only quibble — and it’s not necessarily his fault — is the first-time Pro Bowler scored five of his six touchdowns in the first six weeks of the season. Dickson was a disappointment for much of his first year in Carolina, setting career lows in receptions (10) and receiving yards (115). His numbers suffered when he and Williams had to play a hybrid TE/FB role while Tolbert was out, and Dickson did become a bigger part of the passing game late in the year. An ankle injury sent Brockel to injured reserve after Week 4, and he could be a special teams ace in 2015.

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[accordion_item open=”true” title=”WIDE RECEIVERS”]Starters – Kelvin Benjamin, Jerricho Cotchery. Backups – Philly Brown, Brenton Bersin. Injured reserve – De’Andre Presley.

Benjamin exceeded everyone’s expectations, including the Panthers. He destroyed franchise rookie records in receptions (73), receiving yards (1,008) and touchdowns (9). His first season would have looked even better if not for a high number of drops and the historically talented rookie wideout class. Cotchery did not have a good postseason, but except for touchdowns, his regular-season numbers were similar to what he put up in 2013. He caught 48 passes for 580 yards and one touchdown, a year after he had a 46/602/10 line in Pittsburgh. Cotchery should be back for a second season in Carolina, but he’s better suited as a No. 3. Brown was given a bigger role after the Panthers released veteran Jason Avant after Week 11. Brown, an undrafted rookie, finished with 21 receptions for 296 yards and two touchdowns, but his biggest asset was as the Panthers’ only speed threat. Charlotte native Bersin was a nice story, but he was on the field for too many important passing situations through the second half of the season. A late-season concussion ended Presley’s year. He has intriguing quickness, but it may be tough for him to get on the 53-man roster in 2015.

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[accordion_item open=”true” title=”OFFENSIVE LINEMEN”]Starters – LT Byron Bell, LG Andrew Norwell, C Ryan Kalil, RG Trai Turner, RT Mike Remmers. Backups – T David Foucault, G Chris Scott, G Amini Silatolu, G Fernando Velasco, C Brian Folkerts. Injured reserve – T Nate Chandler, T Garry Williams, T Kevin Hughes, G Edmund Kugbila, C Kevin Matthews.

Bell took a lot of heat from Panthers fans, and while he wasn’t as bad as many assumed, he wasn’t good. A couple injuries hampered him midway through the season, but Carolina has to find a better option at left tackle. Norwell, an undrafted rookie, was a pleasant surprise in his 10 starts. He, Turner and Kalil give the Panthers a solid base in the middle going into next season. Remmers settled in as an emergency option in Week 13. He had a few impressive starts, but teams started to figure him out. Remmers and Chandler, who underwent knee surgery in November, could battle at right tackle in training camp. The Panthers had hope for Silatolu and Kugbila heading into this year, and neither panned out. Foucault remains a project, and it’s still hard to believe he started a game after the line was devastated with injuries. Williams is a nice backup when healthy, but the Panthers can’t depend on him to be healthy anymore.

[gap size=”10px”][accordion_item open=”true” title=”DEFENSIVE LINEMEN”]Starters – DLE Charles Johnson, DLT Kawann Short, DRT Star Lotulelei, DRE Wes Horton. Backups – DE Mario Addison, DE Kony Ealy, DE Frank Alexander, DT Colin Cole, DT Dwan Edwards, DT Kyle Love.

The loss of DE Greg Hardy to the Commissioners’ Exempt List allowed offenses to pay extra attention to Johnson. After a slow start, he racked up 8.5 sacks in his last 12 games. A rotation of Horton, Addison and Ealy tried to replace Hardy, but none threatened offensive lines like the 2013 Pro Bowler. Ealy came on late in the year, tallying a sack in each of the Panthers’ final three regular-season games. Alexander, who was suspended for 14 games after twice violating the league’s substance abuse policy, only appeared in Week 17. Short and Lotulelei each dealt with injuries during their sophomore seasons, but the middle of Carolina’s defensive line is in good hands for years to come. Pending free agents Cole and Edwards may not be back in 2015, which is why the Panthers signed Love in mid-December.

[gap size=”10px”][accordion_item open=”true” title=”LINEBACKERS”]Starters – WLB Thomas Davis, MLB Luke Kuechly, SLB Adarius Glanton. Backups – A.J. Klein, Ben Jacobs, Kevin Reddick. Injured reserve – Chase Blackburn.

Davis took a small step back from 2013, when he should have made the Pro Bowl. But he and Kuechly continued to form arguably the best linebacking duo in the league. Kuechly led the NFL in tackles for the second time in his three seasons, and he improved in coverage, finishing with a career-best 12 passes defensed. Glanton, an undrafted rookie, started the final four games, including the playoffs. He and Klein could make Blackburn expendable this offseason, unless the Panthers want to make him a special teams ace.

[gap size=”10px”][accordion_item open=”true” title=”DEFENSIVE BACKS”]Starters – LCB Bené Benwikere, RCB Josh Norman, SS Roman Harper, FS Tre Boston. Backups – CB Melvin White, CB James Dockery, CB Carrington Byndom, S Colin Jones, S Thomas DeCoud, S Robert Lester.

After finishing his first two season in the coaches’ doghouse, Norman emerged as the Panthers’ best CB. His talent finally matched his confidence level as he shut down WRs like Atlanta’s Julio Jones and Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans during Carolina’s playoff push. Benwikere and Boston added much-needed speed to the secondary late in the year, and they will each head into 2015 with starting roles. Benwikere could be better suited at nickel, but he proved he could play on the outside as well. Harper was not good for the first half of the season, but he provided a good veteran presence and finished strong. Jones is listed as a backup, but he was essentially a starter at nickel for the second half of the year. White lost his job a couple times, and DeCoud lost his in Week 13.

[gap size=”10px”][accordion_item open=”true” title=”SPECIAL TEAMS”]K Graham Gano, P Brad Nortman, KOR Fozzy Whittaker, PR Brenton Bersin, LS J.J. Jansen.

Gano, who failed on just three field goal attempts in 2013, missed seven, including the playoffs. His 77.2 touchback percentage led the league for the second straight year. Among full-time punters, Nortman ranked 32nd in net average (36.5), but that was mostly due to the Panthers’ leaky coverage unit. Whittaker and Bersin never provided a spark for the return teams, and Bersin was especially shaky in the postseason. Jansen was solid yet again.

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