CHARLOTTE, N.C. – I’m going to break the Carolina Panthers weekend mailbag into two parts since there were a lot of questions early in the week about the 2015 schedule and later in the week about the upcoming draft.

First up, the schedule:

@DNewtonespn with losing 4 times to Seattle as well as Rivera being 0-5 off the bye, do we finally beat Seattle this year? #PanthersMailbag - Ben Bowman (@BigBen_55) April 22, 2015

@DNewtonESPN: If you saw my game-by-game prediction, no. The Seahawks are at home and they have a new toy in tight end Jimmy Graham, who always played well against Carolina when he was with the Saints. Seattle's defense might take a slight step backwards, but not enough to lose this one. Then again, who would have thought the Panthers would make the playoffs last season when they were 3-8-1? Anything is possible.

@DNewtonespn #PanthersMailbag dont like the break at weak 5, but I think the schedule is manageable for a 11-5 record this year. Possible?

— Big Q (@Ccqbn) April 22, 2015

@DNewtonESPN: I actually think the Week 5 break is perfect. It comes before a tough stretch against Seattle, Philadelphia, Indianapolis and Green Bay. After a month of training camp and four games, the break will come at a great time to tweak whatever needs tweaking and give players a rest. As for 11-5, it's very manageable. I went with 10-6 simply because I'm not completely sold that Michael Oher is the answer at left tackle. If he is, anywhere from 10-6 to 12-4 seems reasonable barring major injuries because the defense should be strong again.

@DNewtonespn The strength of schedules show the rest of the division have the "easier" ratings. How will that effect us? #PanthersMailbag

— Scotty Parker (@scottyparker25) April 22, 2015

@DNewtonESPN: Shouldn't at all. I don't put a lot into strength of schedule because it's based on what a team did last year. Things change. The entire NFC South has a favorable rating because no team in the division had a winning record last season and everybody plays each other twice. What I consider the most is strength of defense. The Panthers have a big edge there unless the other teams make a huge leap. Defense wins championships.

@DNewtonespn 16-0 and going to the Show #PanthersMailbag

— Donald Utsman✈ #NFB (@dutsman) April 22, 2015

@DNewtonESPN: I see you are a NASCAR fan, too. Think you've inhaled too many car fumes.

@DNewtonespn who on the Panthers will get the Galloping Gobbler award on Thanksgiving? #PanthersMailbag #carolinapanthers

— Justin Raymond (@JayRay19) April 22, 2015

@DNewtonESPN: I'd put my money on Luke Kuechly. You know he's going to make a ton of tackles and there's better than even odds he'll make a big play. It's a holiday, and no player believes every day there's football is a holiday more than Carolina's middle linebacker. I'll go ahead and predict he sacks and intercepts Tony Romo.