Carolina Panthers 53-man roster projection: Big decisions to come at kicker, backup QB
Ready or not, here we go. NFL veterans are officially reporting for their first day of training camp Tuesday, which will include an initial COVID-19 test and waiting to enter the football facility. The build-up to the season has officially begun. For the Carolina Panthers, the dramatic changes won’t only be related to the pandemic.
No matter how the team’s roster shakes out this year, its similarities to the 2019 squad will be limited. Competition will exist at every position in some way. With players not scheduled to take part in their first padded practices until Aug. 17, there are still many unknowns with how this team will look. It’s also important to keep in mind that practice squads will be expanded to 16 players, so those who do not make the final 53-man roster will have a better chance of sticking around.
With all of that in mind, The Observer put together an initial look at what the Panthers’ 53-man roster might look like in September based on the current players on the team.
* = rookie
Quarterbacks (3) — Teddy Bridgewater, P.J. Walker, Will Grier
There isn’t much argument here. Bridgewater was signed in the offseason to be the franchise’s starter in wake of Cam Newton’s departure. Walker, who played under Matt Rhule at Temple, was arguably the XFL’s best player before the league suspended operations. And while Grier struggled in his two games last season as a rookie, the former third-rounder is still someone the Panthers will hold on to. The more interesting development to watch will be who wins the backup quarterback job between Walker and Grier.
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Running backs (4) — Christian McCaffrey, Reggie Bonnafon, Alex Armah, Rodney Smith*
This group could end up going in all sorts of directions, after the league’s highest paid running back, of course. Bonnafon seems like a natural choice to make the roster based on his versatility in the passing game. While offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s offense isn’t going to lend itself to a traditional fullback, Armah has been a productive special teams player since his rookie season. The other spot seems most likely to come between Jordan Scarlett and Smith, a rookie from Minnesota. It could go either way, but Smith has plenty of potential after totaling 5,441 career all-purpose yards in college, most in Gophers history. Veteran Mike Davis is also currently on the roster, but the Panthers seem more likely to go with the younger players. They can save $3 million by moving on from Davis.
Wide receivers (6) — D.J. Moore, Curtis Samuel, Robby Anderson, Keith Kirkwood, Seth Roberts, Pharoh Cooper
Moore, Samuel, Anderson and Cooper are almost automatic locks. Cooper was a Pro Bowl return specialist in 2018, and will likely start there for the Panthers. For the final two spots, it could come down to Kirkwood, Roberts and rookie Omar Bayless. Bridgewater’s familiarity playing with Kirkwood in New Orleans and knowledge of Joe Brady’s offense likely gives him an edge. And Roberts is a six-year veteran who has had a mixed career thus far. Bayless, a rookie who had 93 catches for 1,653 yards and seven touchdowns at Arkansas State last year, could be one to watch. But for now, Roberts makes the cut.
TE (3) — Ian Thomas, Chris Manhertz, Cam Sutton*
Thomas is most likely to take over the No. 1 spot, with Greg Olsen now in Seattle, and get a big opportunity to prove himself. But the Panthers lost some depth here when they released veteran Seth DeValve with a non-football injury designation. They could add to the position before the start of the season, but keep an eye on rookie Cam Sutton. Carolina expressed a lot of interest in the former wide receiver during the pre-draft process.
OL (10) — T Russell Okung, G John Miller, C Matt Paradis, G Michael Schofield, T Taylor Moton, OL Dennis Daley, T Greg Little, OL Chris Reed, OL Tyler Larsen, OL Samuel Tecklenburg*
The guard position is still not completely figured out. The Panthers brought in multiple players to compete for the two spots, including veterans Miller and Schofield, and there will be a big competition in training camp. Reed makes the cut as his name has come up multiple times over the course of the offseason from Panthers coaches. Most of the undrafted free agents they signed this offseason overall won’t make the roster. We give the edge to Tecklenburg, who Rhule personally called to see if he would end his retirement from football after playing at Baylor and join the team. Sounds like someone they want to have around.
DL (10) — Brian Burns, Stephen Weatherly, Kawann Short, Derrick Brown*, Yetur Gross-Matos*, Bravvion Roy*, Marquis Haynes, Efe Obada, Christian Miller, Zach Kerr
The Panthers made sure to address the defensive line with its many departures this offseason. Brown and Gross-Matos, who the Panthers picked in the first two rounds of the NFL draft, look good enough to be starters on Day 1. The biggest question marks are Haynes and Miller, who were linebackers in the Panthers’ 3-4 defense last year. In Phil Snow’s 4-3 defense, those two players will primarily play defensive end, but both are young players with potential and versatility, which Rhule acknowledged as a priority. It was a tough pick between Kerr and Chris Smith for a roster spot. But the Panthers need an interior lineman here more than another defensive end.
LB (6) — Tahir Whitehead, Shaq Thompson, Andre Smith, Jermaine Carter, Jordan Kunaszyk, Sam Franklin*
With all the defensive areas that the Panthers addressed in this year’s draft, linebacker was not one of them. Overall they will go with the more veteran players, but it seems likely that at least one of the five undrafted players they brought in will make the roster. An impressive group was brought in overall, and this is another area that could go a number of ways. For now the edge goes to Franklin, who played at Temple under Rhule and has the benefit of familiarity.
CB (4) — Donte Jackon, Eli Apple, Troy Pride Jr.*, Corn Elder
When it comes to the defensive backs, there are some obvious locks. They found the veteran they were looking for in Apple to go alongside Jackson and Pride Jr. Elder makes the cut here to help at nickel potentially due to the Panthers’ lack of depth at cornerback overall. Safety Juston Burris could help at nickel as well.
S (4) — Tre Boston, Jeremy Chinn*, Kenny Robinson Jr.*, Juston Burris
All four of these safeties seem to be locks. Boston started for the Panthers last season. Chinn and Robinson were both drafted by the Panthers for a reason. And Burris had the best season of his career for the Cleveland Browns last year, notching two interceptions and seven pass deflections. Burris and Chinn are also expected to line up in different spots, with Snow even referencing using Chinn as a linebacker this offseason.
Specialists (3) — K Joey Slye, LS J.J. Jansen, P Joseph Charlton
Choosing between Slye and Graham Gano, returning from missing all of last year due to a knee injury, is no easy feat. Slye is certainly not coming off a perfect rookie season — he made 78.1% of field goals and missed four extra-point attempts. But if the two perform relatively equally throughout camp, it makes more sense to go with Slye. Gano has been with the team since 2012, but they would save $3.75 million by cutting him, per Spotrac. Perhaps a trade could be an option if a kicker-needy team emerges. It would not be a surprise to see the Panthers go with Gano, but Slye would be a cheaper, younger option if he performs well in camp.
After Michael Palardy’s season-ending ACL tear, the former South Carolina punter has the opportunity to take over the starting job, although it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Panthers elect to bring in some competition for him.
This story was originally published July 28, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
