Panthers: Complete preseason position grades
Special Teams: B-
None of the main positions making up the specialist were ever in jeopardy this preseason. Kicker Graham Gano, punter Michael Palardy and long-snapper J.J. Jansen all enjoyed a stress free first few warm-up games to begin the year.
Now that the games count, the pressure for this unit builds as Gano returns from a rebound season and hopefully continues his momentum gained last year. A missed field goal at New Orleans to begin the playoffs remains fresh on the minds of Panthers fans so a few early makes would help to alleviate some doubt.
Palardy punted his way onto the roster after earning the position over veteran Andy Lee at the start of last season. He’s performed well since and helped Carolina win the field position battle on numerous occasions.
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In the return game is where questions abound for the Panthers. Stacked with candidates at both kickoff and punt return – McCaffrey, Barner, Damiere Byrd and Curtis Samuel to name a few – finding two or three who can consistently contribute will be essential for this group’s success.
McCaffrey is an exciting option but adding return responsibilities to his plate may be a bit much for a second-year back expected to increase his offensive workload considerably. Ultimately, Rivera needs to settle on a set return man for every occasion instead of a revolving door of different players.
Overall, an above average preseason showed a lot of promise for 2018, depending on how healthy the roster can stay as the season progresses. An issue for any NFL team, the Panthers have already and seem well prepared to weather any injuries that may arise.
Next. Three Studs from CAR at PIT. dark
Unless it happens to be Newton or in the secondary.