5 young Panthers players who may beat out veterans in camp
By Dean Jones
Sam Franklin – Carolina Panthers S
One of the most surprising elements that emerged from the 2020 season was the encouraging impact made by Sam Franklin. The safety went undrafted before being signed up by his former college coach Matt Rhule and this familiarity enabled the player to hit the ground running and steadily force his way into the team’s plans.
Franklin gave a very good account of himself in the four starts he made as a rookie, leaving plenty of reasons to be encouraged moving forward. The Carolina Panthers are set to move Jeremy Chinn to the backend after a starring campaign at outside linebacker, but whether Juston Burris can prove worthy of being a long-term partner for the Southern Illinois product remains to be seen.
Much will depend on how Franklin develops his game this offseason.
It was a pretty steep learning curve for every rookie player in 2020 due to virtual OTAs, a restricted training camp, and no preseason games to fully adjust. But it didn’t take a genius to figure out that the Panthers think an awful lot of the player and will give him every chance of securing a more substantial role next time around.
Franklin has all the athleticism needed to forge a successful career at the next level. Last season’s experience will have done him the world of good, but what comes next will be equally as important.