The 1995 Carolina Panthers season was
the franchise's inaugural season in the
National Football League and the first under
head coachDom Capers. They went 7–9, the best debut year for any expansion franchise since the NFL's inception. The Panthers played their first season's home games at
Clemson University because what would become
Ericsson Stadium was still under construction after a deadline point in 1995 for scheduling Carolina's first set of NFL games.
Offseason
The Panthers were jokingly called "
Buffalo Bills South" because of the large number of former Bills on the roster. Quarterback
Frank Reich, wide receiver
Don Beebe, tight end
Pete Metzelaars and linebacker
Carlton Bailey had played key roles in the Bills' run of four consecutive
Super Bowls earlier in the 1990s and were on the Panthers' inaugural roster. Furthermore, the team's general manager was longtime Bills GM and executive
Bill Polian. (See also the
2001 San Diego Chargers season, in which a similar situation arose when
John Butler brought several former Bills with him to San Diego after being fired.)
Made roster * Made at least one
Pro Bowl during career
Draft trades
^
abThe Panthers traded a first-round selection (
1st overall) to
Cincinnati in exchange for first- and second-round selections (5th and 36th overall).
^The Panthers traded first-, third-, and sixth-round selections (32nd, 65th, and 173rd overall) to
Green Bay in exchange for first- and sixth-round selections (22nd and 191st overall).
^The Panthers traded second-, third-, and fourth-round selections (34th, 98th, and 100th overall) to
San Diego in exchange for a first-round selection (29th overall).
^The Panthers traded a 1996 sixth-round selection to
Kansas City in exchange for a sixth-round selection (191st overall).
The 1995 Carolina Panthers season was
the franchise's inaugural season in the
National Football League and the first under
head coachDom Capers. They went 7–9, the best debut year for any expansion franchise since the NFL's inception. The Panthers played their first season's home games at
Clemson University because what would become
Ericsson Stadium was still under construction after a deadline point in 1995 for scheduling Carolina's first set of NFL games.
Offseason
The Panthers were jokingly called "
Buffalo Bills South" because of the large number of former Bills on the roster. Quarterback
Frank Reich, wide receiver
Don Beebe, tight end
Pete Metzelaars and linebacker
Carlton Bailey had played key roles in the Bills' run of four consecutive
Super Bowls earlier in the 1990s and were on the Panthers' inaugural roster. Furthermore, the team's general manager was longtime Bills GM and executive
Bill Polian. (See also the
2001 San Diego Chargers season, in which a similar situation arose when
John Butler brought several former Bills with him to San Diego after being fired.)
Made roster * Made at least one
Pro Bowl during career
Draft trades
^
abThe Panthers traded a first-round selection (
1st overall) to
Cincinnati in exchange for first- and second-round selections (5th and 36th overall).
^The Panthers traded first-, third-, and sixth-round selections (32nd, 65th, and 173rd overall) to
Green Bay in exchange for first- and sixth-round selections (22nd and 191st overall).
^The Panthers traded second-, third-, and fourth-round selections (34th, 98th, and 100th overall) to
San Diego in exchange for a first-round selection (29th overall).
^The Panthers traded a 1996 sixth-round selection to
Kansas City in exchange for a sixth-round selection (191st overall).