Panthers’ 53-man roster projection, post-training camp edition: Lighter group on offense?
A thunderstorm put an early end to Panthers training camp at Wofford College on Thursday. And despite ending camp one joint practice shy of the original planned schedule, the Carolina crew was able to evaluate quite a bit during its trip to Spartanburg, S.C.
Panthers head coach Frank Reich said Wednesday that he felt the team is where it needs to be heading into the preseason. After making some notable mid-camp additions in linebacker Deion Jones and edge rusher Justin Houston, the team is in much better shape entering the exhibition slate.
With quite a bit of roster maneuvering over the past three weeks — plus 10 solo practices and one joint matchup with the Jets — it’s time for the second of three 53-man roster projections this summer.
Here is our post-camp 53-man roster projection:
Quarterback (3)
Who’s in: Bryce Young, Andy Dalton, Matt Corral
Who’s out: N/A
With the new QB3 rule in place, the Panthers should keep three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. Risking Corral to the waiver wire doesn’t make a ton of sense after the team spent months developing the second-year signal-caller within their system. Unless he completely bombs in the preseason, Corral should stick around.
With Young as the clear starter and Dalton as his trusty veteran backup, Corral will be inactive on game days, barring an injury to Young. Corral is a on a cost-controlled rookie contract for the next three seasons, so he’s a bargain backup at the most important position in sports.
Running back (3)
Who’s in: Miles Sanders, Chuba Hubbard, Raheem Blackshear
Who’s out: Camerun Peoples, Spencer Brown
Based on the way the Panthers have lined up reps over the duration of the summer, it feels like the running back group will be limited to three players with a caveat.
Wideout Laviska Shenault is built like a running back and can be used regularly as a situational rusher, giving the Panthers some wiggle room with their numbers at the position. Sanders will lead the backfield while Hubbard supports him as a change-of-pace back. Blackshear is Reich’s new Nyheim Hines-like gadget weapon.
Wide receiver (5)
Who’s in: Adam Thielen, DJ Chark, Terrace Marshall, Jonathan Mingo, Laviska Shenault
Who’s out: Shi Smith, Josh Vann, Derek Wright, C.J. Saunders, Javon Wims, Gary Jennings
IR: Damiere Byrd
Thielen is likely to be Young’s top target, at least early on, during the quarterback’s rookie season. Chark has exceeded expectations coming off of ankle surgery and he should be the top Z receiver on the depth chart.
UPDATE: Chark lined up at “X” during the preseason opener.
From there, it’s gets interesting. There is logic to starting either Marshall or Mingo (the rookie lined up at Z against the Jets on Saturday) at X this season. The two receivers have ebbed and flowed throughout the summer, with Marshall coming on as of late. The preseason is likely to determine who gets to be the third starter in earnest. Still, Reich seems to want to have a rotation of weapons based on matchups and skill sets, so the “starter” tag might not matter much.
Shenault has greatly exceeded expectations and will be part of this group in some form or facet (or maybe multiple facets). With Byrd sidelined with a “significant” hamstring injury, the Panthers go light at wideout with Blackshear, the running back, handling return duties.
Tight end (3)
Who’s in: Hayden Hurst, Ian Thomas, Tommy Tremble
Who’s out: Stephen Sullivan, Giovanni Ricci
The Panthers want to utilize their tight ends regularly, and that approach has only been further solidified in camp. Hurst will lead the charge as the F tight end in 11 personnel groups. Thomas will be Hurst’s tag team partner in 12 personnel.
Tremble will back up both players, despite having an up-and-down camp. Ricci has special teams upside, but the thought here is that the Panthers will prioritize defensive depth over an extra running back or tight end.
Offensive line (9)
Who’s in: Ickey Ekwonu (LT), Brady Christensen (LG), Bradley Bozeman (C), Cade Mays (RG), Taylor Moton (RT), Chandler Zavala, Cam Erving, Justin McCray, Nash Jensen
Who’s out: Michael Jordan, Sam Tecklenburg, Larnel Coleman, J.D. Direnzo, Ricky Lee, Deonte Brown
PUP: Austin Corbett
If the Panthers are smart, they’ll avoid guaranteeing the salaries of more than two veteran backups on the offensive line. The Panthers can avoid guaranteeing a veteran’s salary by releasing the player during final cuts and bringing him back in Week 2. It’s a clever move from a cap management standpoint because those players aren’t subject to waivers.
In talking about the starting group, Corbett — the top right guard — is seemingly making good progress with his ACL injury, but is likely to start on the injured list. With Corbett staying on the PUP list in this projection, he will miss at least the first four games of the season. Mays has done a nice job this summer in replacing the veteran, while Ekwonu, Christensen, Bozeman and Moton have looked like the steady veteran linemen that they are.
Zavala, the team’s fourth-round pick, just returned from a hamstring injury and didn’t get to push Christensen at left guard as expected. Erving seems likely to stick around as the swing tackle, while McCray has been a permanent fixture of the second-team offense at center.
Those eight linemen are all likely to stay, but based on the way Jensen has played in camp, he might end up being a star of the preseason. If that turns out to be the case, the Panthers won’t want to risk him to the waiver wire.
Defensive line (6)
Who’s in: Shy Tuttle, Derrick Brown, Marquan McCall, DeShawn Williams, Henry Anderson, Raequan Williams
Who’s out: LaBryan Ray, Nick Thurman, Antwuan Jackson, Taylor Stallworth
PUP: Jalen Redmond
Similar to the offensive line, the defensive line feels pretty much settled outside of the last spot. Tuttle, Brown and McCall make up a strong starting front, while DeShawn Williams and Anderson are a pair of versatile veterans who can blend into the mix with ease.
For the sixth spot, it’s kind of a toss up, so we’ll lean on the side of versatility. Raequan Williams is a good fit for the odd front, and he can move around the line to play most positions within it. Ray, Thurman, Jackson and Stallworth will need to put forth their best efforts to outperform Raequan Williams, who has had an understated but solid camp.
Inside linebacker (5)
Who’s in: Shaq Thompson, Frankie Luvu, Deion Jones, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Chandler Wooten
Who’s out: Brandon Smith, Ace Eley, Bumper Pool
The Panthers signed Jones midway through training camp, and he has looked pretty good in practice. Carolina is now four deep with veteran players at inside linebacker. With Grugier-Hill’s presence on special teams, there stands a chance that the brass decides to go with just that quartet as the entire group.
Thompson and Luvu will be base starters, while Jones should see plenty of action. Grugier-Hill can be a dime linebacker and serve as a backup to Luvu.
Wooten, a special teams ace, makes the team because of his work in the third phase, beating out Smith — a 2022 fourth-round pick — for the final spot on the depth chart.
Outside linebacker (6)
Who’s in: Brian Burns, Justin Houston, Marquis Haynes, Yetur Gross-Matos, DJ Johnson, Eku Leota
Who’s out: Kobe Jones, Jordan Thomas, Amare Barno
Burns and Houston will be the starters following the arrival of the latter toward the end of camp. Houston is in his mid-30s, but he’s coming off a 9.5 sack season and is a proven 3-4 edge rusher. Haynes should still see an uptick in playing time from previous seasons, but this is likely to be a swift rotation opposite Burns.
Johnson, this year’s third-round pick, is going to need time before he hits the field, so keeping six players at the position is a logical move. Gross-Matos still doesn’t look like a good fit for odd fronts, but the Panthers plan to use multiple looks this season, and the staff is doing its best to find a home for the 2020 second-round pick. Leota has flashed throughout the second half of training camp, and he is worth stashing on roster, especially after he has seemingly outperformed Johnson.
Jones is a guy who has also played very well in practice. If the Panthers decide to trade Gross-Matos, Jones would probably be the beneficiary. Still, Jones has been in the league for a couple of years and has yet to really play, so it’s possible that the Panthers risk him to the waiver wire. Barno is in the same spot, though his special team upside might force him onto the roster over Leota and Jones.
Defensive back (10)
Who’s in: Jaycee Horn, Donte Jackson, CJ Henderson, Xavier Woods, Vonn Bell, Jeremy Chinn, Sam Franklin, Jammie Robinson, Stantley Thomas-Oliver, Keith Taylor
Who’s out: Eric Rowe, Greg Mabin, Mac McCain, Herb Miller, Mark Milton, Josh Thomas, Rejzohn Wright
The veterans at this position have been established since March. Horn, Jackson and Henderson will lead the charge at cornerback, while Woods and Bell will lead the secondary at safety. Chinn is serving as the big nickel sub-package player, while Sam Franklin is the team’s top special teams player.
From there, the competition seemed underwhelming on paper. However, over the past few weeks, Taylor has stepped up in a big way. Thomas-Oliver has also drawn praise for his versatility and special teams upside. Lastly, fifth-round pick Jammie Robinson has started to flash a bit down the stretch.
Eric Rowe has had a solid summer, but he feels like a player that the team can bring back after Week 2, similarly to the veteran offensive linemen strategy listed above. Rowe signed in early April, so teams weren’t particularly aggressive with his services in free agency. The Panthers could look at Rowe as a player who is part of their plans but only after Week 1.
Special teams (3)
Who’s in: Eddy Piñeiro (K), Johnny Hekker (P), JJ Jansen (LS)
Who’s out: Matthew Wright
The severity of Piñeiro’s groin injury could change the outlook at kicker. Jansen and Hekker are locked into their spots.
This story was originally published August 11, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
