This summer, the Carolina Panthers are getting their first look at the roster they've been constructing since 2024.
While it isn't the prettiest, it is still a substantially better squad than the one trotted out in 2023 when the Panthers finished with a league-worst 2-15 record.
General manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales have committed to and preached the importance of player development since their respective hirings two and a half years ago. But it's also come with a blind spot that can no longer be overlooked.
Carolina Panthers' commitment to player development has its flaws
This admirable philosophy has gotten them in trouble at times. This preseason, some underlying issues have created problems on the Panthers' roster.
Morgan had to build the Panthers' roster almost from scratch after taking charge of the front office. The team had insufficient depth at many positions. However, as the strategy has grown, so has the team's strength.
Each draft class seems deliberate in what Morgan and Canales have wanted to build from within.
This has led to nonverbal preaching of patience as they continue to build the team. But in some instances, that patience has run thin, especially with players from the 2023 and 2024 draft classes.
Interior offensive lineman Chandler Zavala has been the latest player that the Panthers must realize internally is a lost cause. There were peaks and valleys in his development, but lately, the valleys have become deep trenches that can no longer be filled, at least in Carolina.
Zavala's play has hurt the Panthers on the field, whether it was in spot appearances last season or against the Buffalo Bills in their second preseason game. At some point, Morgan and Canales must cut their losses.
This evokes memories of edge rusher D.J. Johnson, whom Carolina's current regime tried to get anything out of before a horrific Week 4 performance against the eventual AFC champion New England Patriots led to his release. The Panthers do not need to be in a similar situation.
Carolina's commitment to developing bottom-roster players has led to overcommitting to players like Zavala, who just isn't taking the necessary steps to earn a roster spot. This has created an issue in which the Panthers have ignored addressing their interior offensive line depth in free agency or the NFL Draft.
Everyone has a cut off point, even players drafted by the Carolina Panthers
It is one of my few critiques of Morgan and Canales in their respective roles.
In fairness, Morgan has done well to supplement the top of Carolina's roster with quality options at key positions such as wide receiver, tight end, offensive tackle, defensive back, and the defensive front.
Even so, the Panthers want to stick with and pursue further growth in the interior, which hurts continuity and stability at guard, underscoring the importance of Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt along the protection in front of quarterback Bryce Young.
With Zavala, it seems as though Canales' last push to find something is trying him out at center alongside Luke Fortner, rookie fifth-rounder Sam Hecht, and Nick Samac.
This tells me they are looking at other options at guard, whether on the roster or elsewhere. That could mean Ja'Tyre Carter, Brady Christensen, Jake Curhan, and Isaia Glass could get extended looks.
Either way, it seems like the Panthers are fighting a losing battle. And for Morgan, he needs to maintain the same ruthless policy with the players drafted by the club when they aren't showing enough.
Nothing else will do.
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