4 position battles to watch during Panthers OTAs in 2021
By Dean Jones
Which position battles are worth keeping a close eye on when the Carolina Panthers take the field for OTAs in 2021?
The Carolina Panthers are ramping up their offseason schedule this week ahead of the 2021 season. After another busy period of activity during free agency and the NFL Draft, the roster will be put through their paces during organized team activities from May 24-25, with another day scheduled for May 27 later this week.
This is something that took place in a virtual format last summer due to COVID-19. So getting all the new players and college prospects familiarized with one another should be far easier this time around both for the Panthers and other teams across the league.
It’s an important time of year in terms of preparation, something head coach Matt Rhule will be keen to take advantage of as he looks for further improvement in Year 2 of his stewardship. Carolina made some big recruitment calls that centered on the Sam Darnold trade and sending Teddy Bridgewater to the Denver Broncos, leaving the head coach with plenty at stake after getting a pass for his first-year record.
There’s nothing to suggest the Panthers cannot make a better go of things this time around. Young, talented players already on the roster should all come on providing they’ve worked hard away from the team and if the recent arrivals acclimatize and buy into what Rhule and his staff are trying to implement, then an opportunity is there for them to achieve a winning record for the first time since 2017.
Plenty of places both in the starting lineup and on the roster will be up for grabs before Carolina’s Week 1 clash against the New York Jets. Here are four positions to keep an eye on during the first official period of OTAs.