5 Carolina Panthers players who desperately need to develop in 2022
By Dean Jones
Sam Franklin – Carolina Panthers S
Considering there were little to no expectations on Sam Franklin’s shoulders when he joined the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2020, he deserves credit for fighting his way onto the roster and becoming part of the defensive rotation over the last two seasons.
His previous relationship with head coach Matt Rhule from their time together at Temple certainly helped. But the safety had to work exceptionally hard to make his NFL dream a reality.
Franklin more than held his own as a rookie when given the opportunity. His contribution to special teams also left plenty of reasons to be encouraged.
However, things didn’t quite go according to plan for Franklin in Year 2. The defensive back saw his reps diminish from 27 to 15 percent and he became exposed in coverage more often than not.
This didn’t go unnoticed by opposing teams, who targeted Franklin as a weak link. This came with a number of errors throughout the campaign and unless substantial adjustments are made, then he could find himself on the outside looking in at some stage during the preparation period.
Rhule gives players he’s familiar with a little more rope than others. One only has to look at how long Tahir Whitehead remained in the lineup last season to see that.
However, there is no doubt Franklin has to improve significantly to make the 53-man roster with expected reinforcements on the way.