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- Mar 19, 2019
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The Carolina Panthers may be undergoing a bit of a reset with a new head coach and new starting quarterback heading into the 2020. New left tackle Russell Okung is intent on making sure the reset doesn’t become a full blown rebuild because he doesn’t want to wait to win with the Panthers.
“I’ve made it really clear, I’m not here to just rebuild,” Okung said,” via the team’s website. “I’m here to win, and I’m here to win right now.
“I think, if anything, those that were brought in are just going to make us better, a more talented team.”
Ron Rivera is now in Washington. Cam Newton has been released with Teddy Bridgewater set to become the new starting quarterback. Greg Olsen has been released and moved on to Seattle and Luke Kuechly announced his retirement as the core of the last five-plus years of the Panthers has been upended. However, the Panthers don’t appear to have torn the building down to its foundation this offseason.
Okung was acquired from the Los Angeles Chargers in trade early last month. Bridgewater’s signing gives Carolina a competent successor to Newton and Robby Anderson‘s signing in free agency gives Bridgewater an intriguing target to work with. An extension for Christian McCaffrey was a big step as well.
Of course Okung wants to win now. He’s a 10-year veteran in the league and has appeared in 124 career games for the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and Chargers. He may not have that many seasons left to compete for a deep run into January.
Okung is confident the Panthers situation will give him that chance.
“I’m excited. I can’t wait to see what we’re going to do this year, whenever that starts,” Okung said. “I think they made a great decision going out to get me, and I’m happy with where I am.”