Competition is the core component that those in power believe can spearhead the Carolina Panthers to better fortunes moving forward. Good performances will be rewarded. Those who don't meet the new standard won't last long.
That's going to become clearer over training camp. It's the most important and challenging part of Carolina's preparations for the new campaign. There will be risers and fallers, and preseason production will also go a long to determining whether players make the squad or not.
This will be especially evident in the kicking position. Eddy Pineiro is no longer around after an underwhelming 2024 campaign. Journeyman veteran Matthew Wright was signed, and there's also intrigue around Ryan Fitzgerald after the undrafted free agent left a good impression at mandatory minicamp.
Carolina Panthers kicking battle might not be a two-man race this summer
Dave Canales is probably going to take this position battle through to final cuts before Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Panthers team writer Darin Gantt also hinted that the starting kicker next season might not even be on the roster right now.
"The one that might be as important as any will be the kickers, as rookie Ryan Fitzgerald and veteran Matthew Wright compete for the chance to score a lot of points this year. Of course, there's always the possibility the kicker this season isn't even here at the moment (such is the life of kickers outside the consistent top 6-8 guys in the league), so we'll be keeping an eye on that one as well."Darin Gantt
Wright and Fitzgerald will get the first shot. But if Canales and general manager Dan Morgan aren't satisfied with the way things are unfolding, they won't hesitate to shake things up.
As Gantt mentioned, the life of a typical NFL kicker is notoriously precarious. There are a select few whose jobs won't be under any scrutiny, but all it takes is a couple of bad games for the rest to be in jeopardy.
In an ideal world, Fitzgerald will get the nod and he'll perform well enough to be Carolina's long-term option at a position crying out for consistency and stability in equal measure. That's not set in stone, so fans will be watching the kicking battle closely at camp, albeit from afar, with no attendance permitted this year.
Expect the unexpected. And if neither Wright nor Fitzgerald makes a good enough impression, the Panthers will find someone who can.