3 players who should have made the Panthers 2020 practice squad

Cam Phillips – WR

Cam Phillips was a late arrival to training camp and it was unlikely he was ever going to make the 53-man roster. The Carolina Panthers were loaded at the wide receiver position despite losing Keith Kirkwood and Omar Bayless to injury. But they eventually opted not to get a closer look at the former XFL star on the practice squad in 2020.

This was a disappointing end to another chance for Phillips, however slight it might have been. The chemistry he developed with Carolina’s backup signal-caller P.J. Walker from their time together with the Houston Roughnecks put him in a good position to showcase what he has to offer. However, time was of the essence and it was something the wideout eventually ran out of.

There is plenty to like about Phillips’ ability. Putting it all together in the NFL is something that has eluded the player so far and no matter how confident he was after leading the XFL in receiving yards before the league disbanded. The NFL is a completely different ball game.

Putting him on the practice squad would have been a smart way to go. The coaching staff didn’t get that much time to run the rule over Phillips in the grand scheme of things. So the player can rightfully feel hard done by as the Panthers decided to keep Ishmael Hyman and Marken Michel instead.