Though Panthers owner Jerry Richardson opted not to part ways with head coach John Fox or G.M. Marty Hurney, Richardson says that the team’s offseason could have some surprises.

“There are going to be changes,” he told the media on Wednesday.   “I don’t know if you can put them in the category of surprises.  It’s not going to be a ho-hum offseason, it looks like.”

Richardson says that he told Fox and Hurney on November 30 that there wouldn’t be change as to their positions. 

“I said, ‘Just to put your mind at ease, it seems grim now, but the sky is not falling.’  And if you have a job, if you don’t have problems and issues, then you don’t have a real job.  We have jobs, and we have problems and issues.”

But Richardson’s words surely won’t remove Fox or Hurney from the hot seat, at least not in perception.  Especially since Richardson talked openly about emulating the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With former Steelers coach Bill Cowher living in North Carolina and with Cowher poised to round up guys like Kevin Colbert and/or Omar Khan if/when Cowher decides to get back into the game, Richardson could pretty easily (but not cheaply) bring the Steeler way to Charlotte.

On the field, the Panthers need to decide what to do with left tackle Jordan Gross, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.  Also, the cap number of suddenly underachieving defensive end Julius Peppers requires an adjustment to his deal.

Offensively, the team needs to upgrade the passing game, specifically by getting a receiver to take some of the focus off of Steve Smith.  There are signs that Smith is getting increasingly frustrated, and they need to find a way to unleash him.