Carolina Panthers: Roster issues entering Week 1 play

The Carolina Panthers preseason is now over but questions remain.

Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera has only finished preseason play with a single victory once during his career. His first season with rookie quarterback Cam Newton, the Panthers finished 1-3 and eventually 6-10 during the regular season.

While the two records don’t necessarily correlate, typically the four exhibition games prior to Week 1 allows teams a prime opportunity to evaluate their depth and special teams. There’s obviously going to be some mistakes and coordinators rarely open up the playbook, but watching the fundamentals can help give insight into what type of year to expect.

The Panthers finished 2-2 this year with victories over Chicago and Pittsburgh bookending losses to Buffalo and reigning Super Bowl champion, New England. Many starters had their snaps limited and with two games that count taking place within the first five days of the season, it’s entirely understandable, especially when Newton leaves hobbled by an injury in a game that doesn’t matter.

General manager Marty Hurney has done a tremendous job of filling gaps in the roster and adapting to a new defensive scheme but if these moves pan out remains to be seen. Even after months of preparation, Carolina still has some issues entering Week 1 play.