4 Panthers players who could be demoted in Week 6 at LA Rams
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers players could be demoted under interim head coach Steve Wilks for their Week 6 game at the Los Angeles Rams?
A new era dawns for the Carolina Panthers in Week 6 after team owner David Tepper fired head coach Matt Rhule following their demoralizing loss against the San Francisco 49ers at Bank of America Stadium. This had been coming for some time, but whether interim Steve Wilks can galvanize a talented group of players in such a short space of time is debatable.
Carolina faces a daunting trip to the Los Angeles Rams to kick off Wilks’ tenure. The defending Super Bowl champions are not playing good football right now, but any team led by Sean McVay cannot be underestimated and especially given the Panthers’ recent run of results.
Perhaps Wilks’ presence will provide enough inspiration for the team to be more competitive. There might also be some notable personnel changes in the immediate aftermath of Rhule’s dismissal.
With that in mind, here are four Panthers players who could be demoted in Week 6 at the Rams.
Player No. 1
Shi Smith – Carolina Panthers WR
Things haven’t gone according to plan on offense for the Carolina Panthers this season. Although Ben McAdoo remains in his position, Steve Wilks is likely to have more of a say on how things are run and personnel usage despite being known as a defensive-minded coach.
Someone like Shi Smith could suffer as a result. This would depend on the health of recently acquired Laviska Shenault Jr., but it wouldn’t be a shock to see Terrace Marshall Jr. more involved in slot duties at the expense of the former sixth-round selection.