4 practice squad players who could be on the team by Week 4
By Dean Jones
Austin Larkin – Carolina Panthers DE
One of the more surprising elements during the Carolina Panthers’ Week 1 clash was their lack of pressure from their defensive front. Quarterback Derek Carr gets the ball out of his hands quicker than most. But the pass-rushers across the front seven had no answer to the formidable Las Vegas protection.
Defensive coordinator Phil Snow will be tasked with altering their scheme somewhat to get his playmakers at the line of scrimmage in position to succeed. There is still plenty of talent to ensure this is simply a blip and some early season rust. However, if things continue in this manner over the next few weeks then it might be time for some fresh blood.
Austin Larkin has had a colorful career, to put it mildly. His time in college started at Notre Dame and ended at Purdue via a brief stint at the City College of San Francisco. But his attempts to make an NFL roster for a consistent period have been thwarted during his career so far.
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Larkin was a late addition to Carolina’s training camp and his energy was evident from the off. This caught the eye of the coaching staff enough to earn a practice squad place and bigger things could be in the player’s future if things do not improve quickly with the Panthers’ current pass-rushing options.