5 fringe Carolina Panthers players who need to show out at Colts
By Dean Jones
Which fringe players on the Carolina Panthers need to showcase their abilities more than most at the Indianapolis Colts in preseason Week 1?
Business is about to pick up for the Carolina Panthers ahead of the preseason Week 1 contest at the Indianapolis Colts. This will be the biggest indicator yet as to which players are capable of making contributions in 2021, with plenty of depth chart positions up for grabs for anybody that impresses over the next few weeks.
Matt Rhule and his staff will be watching what transpires closely. The Panthers have some exciting young talent at their disposal heading into the campaign, although putting it together when it matters most needs to be the next step for this group after an encouraging 2020 season overall.
The starters should see some time at the beginning of the contest. This comes before those with fewer expectations on their shoulders also take the field to hopefully make a big enough impression to push their way into the team’s plans.
With this in mind, here are five fringe Panthers players who need to show out at the Colts on Sunday.
Fringe Player No. 1
Mike Panasiuk – Carolina Panthers OL
One player that seems to be generating some positive momentum during training camp is Mike Panasiuk. He was listed as a defensive tackle coming into the Panthers, but he’s been working primarily with the offensive line throughout the offseason and really caught the eye of late.
Panasiuk still faces a fight on his hands to make the roster. But there could be more openings than most in this area of the depth chart compared to others.
Carolina should give Panasiuk a chance to show what he can do at some stage against the Colts. Whether he can make the most out of these reps is another matter entirely.