Did the Carolina Panthers give up on OL David Moore too soon?

Did the Carolina Panthers give up on undrafted free-agent David Moore too soon after waiving him before Sunday’s practice?

The Carolina Panthers made a surprising move to many before practice Day 10 of training camp on Sunday by waiving undrafted free-agent offensive lineman David Moore. Many thought the player was a lively outsider to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, but the organization opted to go in a different direction and bring in reinforcements on the defensive side of the football instead.

This was a blow to Moore, who was looking to carve out a role for himself after failing to hear his name called during the 2021 NFL Draft. The Grambling State product impressed Carolina’s coaching staff at the Senior Bowl and was quickly snapped up once the formal selection process came to a conclusion.

The main problem Moore had during the evaluation process was his length. He is relatively short for an interior lineman and this could be a significant problem against bigger, more imposing defensive tackles at the next level.

General manager Scott Fitterer is churning out the bottom end of the roster plenty. The Panthers want to get a good look at a lot of players before coming to some final decisions ahead of their Week 1 clash against the New York Jets, but it was a shock to see Moore not at least given an opportunity to show what he could do in preseason games.

Of course, this is all part of the ruthless NFL business.

Moore must now wait to see if he’s picked up off the waiver wire and given an opportunity elsewhere, which should happen considering how coveted he was in undrafted free agency.

Did the Carolina Panthers jump the gun with David Moore’s release?

Whether the Panthers gave up on Moore too soon is up for debate. There are some obvious and grave concerns surrounding their protection in front of quarterback Sam Darnold this season, which lessens the chances of them taking a development project through onto their 53-man roster.

Carolina has also worked with Moore for a considerable period of time now. They coached him at the Senior Bowl in Alabama and he’s also been around for rookie minicamp, mandatory and voluntary OTAs as well as the first two weeks of training camp.

The coaching staff saw enough to suggest Moore was not a good fit. Even though the decision to part ways with the player was met with disappointment from the team’s fanbase who wanted the rookie to get a fair shot.

It’s not the end of the world for Moore. Providing he puts this experience to good use when the next chance coming his way.

Just when or where that will take place is uncertain. It’s just a waiting game for the player right now as the Panthers focus their attention on getting the offensive line formula correct before competitive action begins.

If the Panthers aren’t convinced by their current options, then bringing in players who don’t quite make the cut elsewhere is a smart avenue to go down.

As for Moore, he’ll have gained a tremendous amount from his initial NFL experience in Carolina. But his current predicament only lessens the prospect of the player ever becoming a productive starter one day.