5 important observations from Carolina Panthers first preseason game
By Dean Jones
Rough day for Carolina Panthers CB Troy Pride Jr.
It was a tough day for Troy Pride Jr. as the cornerback looks to establish himself as a prominent member of the rotation. Something the Carolina Panthers need from one of their depth pieces over the first two games of the campaign thanks to A.J. Bouye’s suspension.
This was not the performance Pride envisaged. The 2020 fourth-round pick looked sluggish in coverage and ended the contest going off on a cart after giving up two straight completions.
If Pride was forced to miss an extended period of time, it would be nothing short of a disaster to his hopes.
The Notre Dame product has his work cut out not only carving out some sort of role for himself. But there are doubts about whether he’ll make the 53-man roster.
Pride has some exciting athletic traits. There’s no getting away from that.
But the Panthers are far stronger in this area of the field than they were last year.
Carolina has a big upcoming call to make where Pride is concerned after just one season with the franchise.
Hopefully, the leg injury won’t be anything serious and he can try and convince the coaching staff he’s worth keeping around. But there is no disputing the fact Pride now has a sizeable task ahead of him whether he’s healthy or not.