Panthers’ problems can be traced back to a retirement and a rare NFL draft strategy

The Carolina Panthers used the eighth overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft to select offensive tackle Jordan Gross. That selection led to the kind of career that most teams can only dream about. Gross, playing mostly left tackle, started the most games by any player in franchise history (167), made three Pro Bowls and was first-team All-Pro in 2008. Now a member of the Panthers’ Hall of Honor, Gross only started fewer than 15 games in a season once (nine in 2009) during his 11-year NFL career. Since his retirement after the 2013 season, the Panthers have gone through a revolving door at left tac…

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