5 Carolina Panthers who could lose depth chart position at training camp
By Jason Huber
Jermaine Carter – Carolina Panthers LB
The history of linebackers who’ve played for the Carolina Panthers is a strong one. From Jon Beason to Thomas Davis to Luke Kuechly to Shaq Thompson, the organization has never seemed to find trouble finding dynamic players at the second level.
Just as the guys mentioned did, many of the linebackers had to wait for their playing time and Jermaine Carter is the latest example of a young player waiting for his time to break out.
Last year, in his third season, Carter finally saw more playing time with the retirement of Kuechly. The numbers weren’t eye-popping, but he did have a career-high 46 tackles in 16 games and seven starts.
Carter is expected to be the starter at SAM linebacker with Jeremy Chinn expected to play more safety after playing this position for the large majority of his sensational rookie campaign.
However, the only linebacker spot completely locked up is Shaq Thompson playing at WLB.
New addition Denzel Perryman should be the guy to play in the middle. But his versatility could affect Carter’s starting opportunity if he struggles.
If Carter is unable to prove that he can take that next step forward in training camp that many expect him to do, Perryman, Chinn, and even Hasson Reddick, who can move from the defensive end, are all options to start at linebacker if things go wrong.