Austin Corbett - Carolina Panthers OL
This may come as a little bit of a surprise, but it’s hard to ignore the concerning injury history of Austin Corbett during his time with the Carolina Panthers. After starting 17 games in his first season with the team, he suffered an ACL injury in the season finale. That was the start of a torrid run of bad luck on the health front.
In the two seasons that followed, the former Nevada man has played just nine games, suffering season-ending knee and bicep injuries in back-to-back years. With this injury history and Corbett heading toward 30 years old, it was somewhat surprising when the Panthers re-signed him to a one-year deal this offseason.
Corbett has been more than reliable, but it’s difficult to ignore the fact that he has essentially had a season-ending injury for three seasons in a row. The Panthers have options at the center position, with both Cade Mays and Brady Christensen returning this offseason.
Even if Corbett isn’t named a starter, he provides valuable depth across the offensive line's interior. The key point for him will be remaining healthy.
If the Panthers see a recurrence of the complications that have plagued the player over the past couple of seasons, Dan Morgan may decide to end Corbett's time with the franchise before his contract expires.
Shy Tuttle - Carolina Panthers DL
It’s not to feel sorry for Shy Tuttle at times. Since being signed by the Panthers ahead of the 2023 season, he has consistently been asked to fulfill a role he is not capable of.
Despite defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero operating a base 3-4 scheme, which would require the Panthers to have a traditional nose tackle on the roster, they decided to deploy Tuttle in that role. The phrase square peg in a round hole comes to mind. It was little surprise to see the former Tennessee star struggle immensely.
According to Pro Football Focus, Tuttle had a putrid 42.7 grade for the 2024 season, which was 108th out of 118 qualifying defensive linemen. While there is some sympathy with the player, his performances have been way below typical standards.
Thankfully for Panthers fans, Tuttle should be a rotational piece moving forward. The Panthers have two legitimate nose tackles on the roster in Cam Jackson and Bobby Brown III. The return of Pro Bowler Derrick Brown and the free agency signing of Tershawn Wharton will also limit his involvement.
Tuttle took a pay cut to likely prevent his release, but this doesn’t mean the player is a lock for the roster. He is moving further down the rotation, and if someone like Jaden Crumedy impresses during training camp, he could be looking for a new home come August.