Even though the Carolina Panthers have finalized their initial 53-man roster, it's called that for a reason. Other moves are coming, and general manager Dan Morgan should be scouring the waiver wire for potential reinforcements.
And even though the Panthers have taken five tight ends through, there is one intriguing development that should change Morgan's thought process.
In a surprising twist, the Denver Broncos waived Justin Joly. The North Carolina State product is an athletic pass-catcher with the size and explosiveness to create mismatches. This may not go unnoticed by Morgan as he examines the landscape in the coming hours.
Carolina Panthers should be all over Justin Joly after stunning Broncos release
The Panthers stood pat with their tight end options, but that is unlikely to be the case for much longer.
Ja'Tavion Sanders looked like a cut or trade candidate, but he's still on the team. So is Darren Waller, who wasn't far along enough to get preseason involvement. Tommy Tremble and Mitchell Evans were locks, and James Mitchell also got a surprising reprieve. Feleipe Franks is a core special-teams presence, so his place on the squad is all but assured.
If the Panthers can find better, they should. And looking at the physical attributes Joly brings to the table, it may intrigue Morgan enough to put in a claim.
Whether they'd be lucky enough to get Joly in this scenario is the bigger question nobody knows the answer to right now.
This isn't the Matt Rhule era. The Panthers are not No. 1 in the waiver claims process anymore, so they'll need a little bit of luck with any intended waiver target. Joly may not be everyone's top target, but there are enough tight end-needy teams ahead of them in the pecking order to cause concern.
The Panthers might also believe they are set at tight end. Five tight ends is a lot — too many. Joly would further shake up the unit, but Morgan should not think twice if he believes there are roster strengths to be found.
Carolina has options. Joly may be an upgrade, but the numbers game makes this move unlikely. But there is no denying it would help.
Five tight ends can crowd things, and another option would only complicate Morgan's roster construction further. At the same time, Joly has the skill set to force a conversation at the very least.
Whether it becomes something more is another matter.
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