5 reserve/future Panthers players who can contribute in 2021

Chris Orr – Carolina Panthers LB

Another who gets a more prolonged stay with the Carolina Panthers is Chris Orr. The undrafted free-agent linebacker was in and around the organization during the season without ever doing enough to earn a prolonged starting role. But there is a lot to like about the player’s skill set providing he brings his game on sufficiently during the offseason.

Orr appears in three games for the Panthers in 2020, contributing mostly on special teams. Most wrote the prospect off as being undersized despite his standout displays for Wisconsin at the college level, but he’s more than held his own when called upon.

Linebacker is a position in which Carolina needs additional depth. There is a chance the coaching staff moves Jeremy Chinn back to his preferred position of safety in 2021, Jermaine Carter could have some competition on the inside and Shaq Thompson’s lofty pay increase might just see him become a shock salary-cap casualty.

That makes it essential for players like Orr to make their presence felt. He has enough in his locker to stake a claim for the active roster next time around, but there is a lot of work the player needs to do to make the jump from practice squad piece to a reliable contributor on defense.