5 fringe Carolina Panthers players who need to show out at Colts
By Dean Jones
Christian Miller – Carolina Panthers DE/OLB
It’s been a long time since the Carolina Panthers had Christian Miller in the lineup. The edge defender opted out of the 2020 campaign due to COVID-19 health concerns, leaving the player looking to carve out a role for himself all over again this summer.
The early signs coming out of camp are promising. Miller has adjusted well to the rigors of contact and if he can continue this during preseason games, then the Alabama product might force his way back onto the rotation at the first time of asking.
There might be some rust initially where Miller is concerned. Again, a game-day situation is far different from drills or even 11-on-11 within a camp setting.
Miller showed some promise as a rookie in 2019, gaining two sacks from just eight percent of the team’s defensive snaps. The former fifth-round pick will be like a new signing for the Panthers if he hits the ground running, although there’s just no way to determine for sure until we see him in action.
It might be worth the Panthers giving Miller all he can handle throughout the preseason. This is a coaching staff who weren’t around when the player was drafted and meaningful reps should also fine-tune his conditioning ahead of the regular season.
Watching how Miller settles and readjusts against the Colts and beyond will tell us plenty about his prospects next season.