One surprise player to make the Panthers roster at every position
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers players could emerge as surprising roster additions at every position when training camp comes to a conclusion?
The time for decisions is drawing ever closer for the Carolina Panthers ahead of the 2021 season. Training camp is now in full swing and we are a little over a week away from the first preseason game, which is arguably the most important time of year for any player thought to be on the roster bubble.
What transpires over the next few weeks will have some pretty big consequences. The Panthers appear to have some spots open, but it’s up to candidates within these positional groups to leave no doubt during practice, scrimmages, and when the time comes to take the field in warmup games.
Carolina has extra expectations on their shoulders this season. Matt Rhule’s period of transition is now over and a more structured preparation period is something else that should benefit his young team considerably before Week 1 against the New York Jets.
Without further ado, here is one player from each position that could be surprising additions to the 53-man roster in 2021.
Quarterback
Will Grier – Carolina Panthers QB
This one doesn’t take much explaining really.
The Carolina Panthers are reportedly contemplating going with two quarterbacks on their roster next season to free up another space for someone else, meaning the competition between Will Grier and P.J. Walker is going to get even tenser with preseason games on the horizon.
Both players will get a ton of reps over the three-game period before the regular season. Carolina would be wise to take three considering the complications that might emerge thanks to the COVID-19 delta variant, but Grier could be the primary backup over Walker if he shows out in warmup contests.
That might be a surprise to some. But we don’t know what Grier is truly capable of just yet.