The Carolina Panthers aren’t a team that ended their season on a 1-7 skid because they missed a couple of opportunities. They were an almost-good team that lost a lot of games due to talent deficiencies. Injuries Stitched Vernon Butler Jersey , age, and a lack of attention from management all played their part in constructing a roster that was good enough to compete against most teams, but bad enough to lose to them as well. Here is a look at the top needs the Panthers need to address on their roster to make sure that 2019 isn’t plagued by the same curse.QuarterbackCam Newton is progressing well, by all accounts, from recent surgery on his throwing shoulder. That is great news for the Panthers because two games without him, and six more with him only being mildly healthy, proved this team is not built to win without number one on the field. The Panthers have to bring in some additional talent to compete for the privilege of being the break-in-case-of-emergency option in the event that Newton’s recovery stalls out. Kyle Allen or Taylor Heinicke might prove to be that option, but the team cannot afford to assume that they will be. There has to be competition to be certain.Offensive tackleThe Panthers dealt with a rough stretch of injuries at the offensive tackle position before the 2018 season even started. Matt Kalil and soon to be free agent Daryl Williams had little to no impact on this season. Even losing Amini Silatolu felt like an actual loss. Kalil will likely be on the roster in 2019, whether or not he has an impact on the season is anybody’s guess. He is perennially back from injury, this year will be no different. Williams is the more intriguing athlete Youth Taylor Moton Jersey , he has neither the contract nor the injury history that weighs down expectations for Kalil. There has been no indication yet as to the Panthers plans for this position in the coming year, but it is unlikely they are going to start the year with Taylor Moton as the only healthy tackle under contract.CenterRyan Kalil has retired after 12 seasons, five Pro Bowls, and two first team All Pro honors. Tyler Larsen, the heir apparent, has been OK in relief of an oft-injured Kalil in the past two seasons and is under contract through 2020. This won’t be the highest priority for the Panthers this year, but don’t be surprised to see them drop a high draft pick if the right guy comes along.Defensive endThe Panthers ranked 27th in the league in 2018 with only 35 sacks. It seems, in hindsight, that relying on a 37 year old defensive lineman to be one of your premiere pass rushers might have been a mistake. Mario Addison is still a good defensive end, but he can’t play by himself. Ron Rivera’s defense requires putting pressure on the quarterback. That starts up front. The Panthers absolutely must invest Stitched Taylor Moton Jersey , in either free agency or the draft, in improving their talent at defensive end if they want to field a defense that looks professional. SafetyEric Reid and Mike Adams combined last year to form a fairly competent pair of safeties. That is remarkable for one guy who didn’t have an off season and another who has probably seen too many. Neither of them are still under contract in 2019 and neither of them are guaranteed to be options for the Panthers in free agency. Reid may be too expensive and Adams is pushing 38. Rashaan Gaulden and Colin Jones can’t be the top two safeties heading into training camp.These are the top needs for the Carolina Panthers running into 2019. There will be a lot of options in both free agency and the draft to address them. The rest of this week on Cat Scratch Reader will be devoted to talking about whether and how the Panthers should use the NFL draft, specifically, to see to these positions. After nailing my previous BYU homer picks of running back Jamaal Williams and linebacker Fred Warner, it’s time to seriously consider linebacker Sione Takitaki."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Keep Sounding PodcastPanthers 2019 NFL DraftCSR Film RoomLinebacker Sione Takitaki would be an ideal mid-round Panthers pick, but then again I’m a homerNew,15commentsAfter nailing my previous BYU homer picks of running back Jamaal Williams and linebacker Fred Warner, it’s time to seriously consider linebacker Sione Takitaki.ESTShareTweetShareShareLinebacker Sione Takitaki would be an ideal mid-round Panthers pick, but then again I’m a homerJeff Swinger-USA TODAY SportsFor the third straight year I get to tap into my BYU bias and spotlight a player from my alma mater who would be a good fit with the Carolina Panthers. Based on my track record it’s about time the Panthers start listening to me. In 2017 I advocated for BYU running back Jamaal Williams who was ultimately drafted in the fourth round (No. 134 overall) by the Green Bay Packers. Through two seasons he has churned out 1,020 rushing yards Youth Curtis Samuel Jersey , 472 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns. Last year I stumped for Brigham Young’s stud linebacker Fred Warner who was drafted in the third round (No. 70 overall) by the San Francisco 49ers. Warner started all 16 games as a rookie in 2018 and racked up 124 tackles in 16 starts. Both Warner and Williams have been great value picks for third- and fourth-round selections. With “BYU value pick” in mind my 2019 Brigham Young University homer selection is linebacker Sione Takitaki. In four seasons in Provo he compiled 241 total tackles (including 119 in 2018), 15.5 sacks, and 33.5 tackles for loss. His strong performance in the East-West Shrine game earned him an invitation to the Senior Bowl. Walter Football ranks Takitaki as the No. 14 inside linebacker and projects him to be a Round 4-6 selection. NFL Draft Scout labels him as a mid-round value. Takitaki performed relatively well at the combine. He finished second among linebackers in the broad jump and seventh in both the bench press and vertical leap. In the running drills he finished right among the middle of the pack. For fun, here’s how Takitaki compares to Luke Kuechly and Shaq Thompson, but keep in mind Luke had a legendary combine performance:Sione Takitaki combine resultsName40BenchVerticalBroad Jump3 Cone20-yd ShuttleName40BenchVerticalBroad Jump3 Cone20-yd ShuttleBy not re-signing Thomas Davis the Panthers are alarmingly thin at linebacker. Outside of Luke and Shaq the Panthers have basically no depth. After being so deep at linebacker for so long, it’s more than concerning to see a former position of strength become one of such potential weakness. If Luke Kuechly suffers another injury, Jared Norris isn’t the answer. The Panthers have several roster holes to fill and linebacker may not be at the top, but if Sione Takitaki is still available in the fifth or sixth round I’d be thrilled with the Panthers investing a pick in him.