4 Panthers players facing a make or break preparation period in 2022

Juston Burris – Carolina Panthers S

The Carolina Panthers have themselves a new partner for stud safety Jeremy Chinn after signing Xavier Woods from the Minnesota Vikings in free agency. This should be a significant upgrade in both production and reliability, which makes this upcoming preparation period a big one for Juston Burris.

There has been nothing too wrong with Burris’ output over his two years with the organization. But he has suffered some struggles in coverage and injuries also prevented the veteran from generating any sort of momentum to further complicate matters.

The Panthers clearly feel like Burris can be a serviceable backup after handing him a one-year extension this offseason. But it’s important that the North Carolina State product carves out a new role for himself if Woods and Chinn start as anticipated.

Burris must prove his worth all over again as a dependable rotational piece while also looking to make a difference on special teams. There is also competition from the likes of Sean Chandler, Myles Hartsfield, Sam Franklin, and Kenny Robinson to factor into the equation.

Fighting for depth chart position is nothing new to Burris during his career. Something that probably gives him the edge over other hopefuls despite the encouraging strides made by Robinson last time around.