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• No. 2 cornerback: Thought to be a two-man race between incumbent Captain Munnerlyn and Brandon Hogan until rookie Josh Norman elbowed his way into the conversation with a strong minicamp. Norman, a fifth-rounder out of Coastal Carolina, plays and speaks with confidence – so much so that he managed to get under Steve Smith’s skin.
• Free safety: Sherrod Martin made it through the offseason without missing any tackles. Of course, there was no full contact at OTAs or minicamp. Martin must improve his tackling and decision-making. Otherwise, Haruki Nakamura, Ed Reed’s backup in Baltimore, will get a shot to start.
• No. 2 tight end: Gary Barnidge caught nearly everything thrown to him in Spartanburg last year. Then he broke his ankle. With Barnidge healthy and blocking specialist Ben Hartsock still in the mix, the Panthers did not re-sign Jeremy Shockey. But the unsigned Shockey is waiting in the wings in Miami if the Panthers need him.
• Right tackle: This is Byron Bell’s job to lose, even if the Jeff Otah trade with the Jets falls through. The Panthers saw enough from the undrafted Bell last year – and not enough from Otah during the offseason – to send the oft-injured Otah to New York for a conditional, seventh-round pick. Otah has a week to pass his physical; Bell has a month or so to hold off Garry Williams and Bruce Campbell.
• Kicker: Carolina signed Olindo Mare to a four-year, $12 million deal last summer and parted ways with original Panther John Kasay. Mare was solid on kickoffs, but missed two field goals that cost the Panthers wins. Justin Medlock has toiled in obscurity in Canada, but he has a strong left leg.
--Joseph Person
