Carolina Panthers preseason position battles heating up

These Carolina Panthers positions remain up for grabs as preseason play continues.

All 53-man NFL rosters must be finalized prior to the 4:00pm ET deadline on Saturday, August 31 this year. For the Carolina Panthers, that leaves just under two weeks to finish up evaluations and determine which players give you the best opportunity to be successful this season. Needless to say, the two remaining preseason games are critical for those hoping to earn a position.

Game three typically features more starters and those who are already guaranteed a position, further limiting a backups opportunities, but game four will be all about the guys on the bubble. For many teams this revolves around finding players who can contribute on special teams or serve in a depth role but for the Panthers, they have some serious questions to answer.

Three key areas are still without a definite front-runner and you can bet coaches are working overtime in order to decipher practice and game film to see who earns these coveted positions. With a win-now attitude and committed new owner, translating those who reside within the locker room into success on the field will likely determine if coach Ron Rivera continues leading the franchise past this season.

Continue to see which areas remain vacant and who the candidates are to make the cut.