MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER: Left tackle Matt Kalil. He was supposed to be the final piece to the puzzle along the offensive front, but he ended up having trouble putting it all together. Perhaps part of it could be attributed to the absence of his brother, center Ryan Kalil, for chunks of the season because of an injury, so there was disruption along the offensive front. But Matt Kalil didn't seem to find a comfort level for a sustained period of time after arriving as a free agent from the Minnesota Vikings. He had a slow-moving training camp because of ailments and then didn't seem to be in a good groove even though he was a starter for every game.
MOST SURPRISING PLAYER: Tight end Ed Dickson came through in huge ways after the broken foot suffered by Greg Olsen, who missed about two months of the season. Dickson provided some huge production at times. By the time Olsen returned, the Panthers were still trying to find ways to keep Dickson involved, even putting him in a fullback's role. He was in his eighth NFL season and his fourth with the Panthers. Dickson's 2017 production in many ways (including in receiving yards) exceeded the three previous years combined.
