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Best-case scenario: Things start to click (or continue to click) for their young players. This year has been all about culture-building, and that's been a success under Matt Rhule. The Panthers have been fun and competitive, even if their overall record doesn't reflect that. They're not making the playoffs, but the most important thing is seeing improvement from guys like Jeremy Chinn (who's been terrific), Derrick Brown and Yetur Gross-Matos. This doesn't look like a long rebuild to me. Carolina has a chance to compete for a playoff spot in 2021.

They come off their bye playing the final four games to get better for the future. There is a lot to like going forward.

In his first year as Carolina's QB1, Teddy Bridgewater could set franchise marks for completion rate (70.2%) and passer rating (96.3), though latter figure still a few points off Cam Newton's 2015 MVP standard (99.4).

Person with most at stake: QB Teddy Bridgewater

If he really is the "franchise quarterback" that OC Joe Brady called him, Bridgewater needs to prove he can win big games. Otherwise, with a top-10 pick, at minimum, Carolina likely will be in position to draft a franchise QB in the first round to continue its youth movement. The team can't move on from Bridgewater in 2021 based on the way his contract is structured; there would be $27 million in dead money. But if you spend a top-10 pick on a QB, the handwriting is on the wall for 2022. -- David Newton

The Panthers hit their Week 13 bye short on wins, but still feeling like an organization that is laying the foundation for a better tomorrow. A key pillar on defense is unquestionably safety Jeremy Chinn, who last week was named Defensive Rookie of the Month, the second consecutive month he's earned that honor. That should all but lock up Defensive Rookie of the Year honors for the second-round pick, who has recorded 87 total tackles, an interception, five passes defensed, a forced fumble and two fumble returns for touchdowns. Those two scores came on successive plays from scrimmage in Week 12's one-point loss to the Vikings. He plays a different position, but the Panthers have found a playmaking successor to Luke Kuechly on their defense.