"As the Carolina Panthers prepare to descend on Wofford College Friday, they do so with a very real sense of urgency.

An urgency that can be summed up best in four words: Win now%u2026 or else.

After failing to make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, the general perception is this might be the last dance for general manager Marty Hurney and coach John Fox if the Panthers don%u2019t qualify for the postseason, although, to be fair, owner Jerry Richardson hasn%u2019t come out and said that.

But there is that feeling.

That may be why the Panthers mortgaged a piece of their future back in April when they traded away three draft picks, including their first-round choice in 2009, for a chance tooffensive tackle Jeff Otah from Pitt with 19th overall pick.

Along with running back Jonathan Stewart, the 13th pick, the Panthers have two first-round picks, both of whom will be counted on to upgrade an offense that finished 29th in the league last season.

Fans are also embracing the return of quarterback Jake Delhomme from elbow surgery and team%u2019s noticeable shift back toward a power running game. The team the Panthers will field this weekend is easily better than the one that finished 7-9 last season if for no other reason than Delhomme, their offensive leader, is back.

Outside of the defensive line, where they lost Kris Jenkins and Mike Rucker, the Panthers have gotten better (or at the very least remained the same) at every position. Today, we%u2019ll take a closer look at the biggest upgrades by position this off-season.

1. WIDE RECEIVER: This was one of the team%u2019s biggest weaknesses last year, but now it%u2019s a strength. The Panthers let free agents Drew Carter and Keary Colbert walk and signed Muhsin Muhammad and D.J. Hackett, easily two significant upgrades. In addition, last year%u2019s rookies Dwayne Jarrett and Ryne Robinson are a year older and, hopefully in Jarrett%u2019s case, a year wiser. Unknown Jason Carter has also turned heads in minicamp, but can he do it with pads on?

2. OFFENSIVE LINE: The Panthers revamped their offensive line, adding Otah at right tackle and free agents Toniu Fonoti, Keydrick Vincent and Milford Brown to compete at right guard. All three bring NFL starting experience. The team re-signed Jordan Gross and Travelle Wharton and they will start on the left side. Otah filled the team%u2019s biggest need after Gross moved to left tackle. Questions remain regarding center Ryan Kalil, but Geoff Hangartner provides a solid backup option."