5 Panthers players who went missing during 2022 training camp
By Dean Jones
Deonte Brown – Carolina Panthers OL
Players can only go so far on potential alone. They have to start proving their worth at some stage that many anticipated Deonte Brown would make this leap during his second offseason with the Carolina Panthers.
The formidable interior offensive lineman seems to have every intangible going. However, putting it together remains a real issue and an anonymous training camp from the former sixth-round pick leaves his status up in the air.
This has been a real disappointment for the player and the Panthers. General manager Scott Fitterer spoke about the hopes surrounding Brown becoming a starter over time, but that appears to be a long way off and there is now a scenario where the Alabama product doesn’t make the 53-man roster at all.
Considering the Panthers passed up the chance to draft Trey Smith in favor of Brown only scrutinizes the lineman further. Carolina strengthened their protection throughout the offseason, so the second-year-pro was always going to be a depth chart piece at best after rarely featuring as a rookie.
Again, much will depend on how Brown performs in the preseason. How the Panthers utilize him will also be telling.