There is nothing more any Carolina Panthers player can do to improve their chances of an extended stay beyond the campaign. Head coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan have seen all they need before trimming down the fat, and some tough decisions are upcoming in key position groups.
Carolina concluded its preseason slate with a defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Going 0-3 leading into the campaign isn't ideal, but Canales is renowned for treating this stage of preparations with extreme caution. And it represented one final opportunity for those on the fringes to leave a positive mark.
Players who didn't suit up for the contest, aside from those dealing with injury issues, will make the squad. Not everyone who competed on Thursday night will go through, although several will be brought back onto the practice squad. Morgan is an aggressive roster builder, so don't be surprised if trades or waiver wire pickups occur in the coming days before the cut-down deadline.
Before that, here's how the 53-man roster could shake out in our final prediction.
Carolina Panthers 53-man roster prediction after final preseason game
Carolina Panthers offensive roster
Quarterback (2): Bryce Young, Andy Dalton.
Running Back (3): Chuba Hubbard, Rico Dowdle, Trevor Etienne.
Wide Receiver (7): Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette, Adam Thielen, Jalen Coker, Hunter Renfrow, Jimmy Horn Jr., Brycen Tremayne.
Tight End (3): Tommy Tremble, Ja'Tavion Sanders, Mitchell Evans.
Offensive Line (9): Taylor Moton, Robert Hunt, Austin Corbett, Damien Lewis, Ikem Ekwonu, Cade Mays, Brady Christensen, Yosh Nijman, Chandler Zavala.
The biggest conundrum Morgan needs to solve is how many wide receivers to take through. There is a huge surplus, and the front-office leader recently hinted that his preference is for six pass-catchers. That means the Panthers are going to release (or potentially trade) some good players.
Sixth-round rookie Jimmy Horn Jr. started the offseason superbly. He's tailed off since, and the fact that he was playing well into the final preseason game doesn't exactly bode well for his chances. The same goes for Hunter Renfrow, but both make the squad at the expense of veteran David Moore.
However, there is no telling for sure how this is going to go. And there's also the rampant speculation linking Adam Thielen with a trade to the Minnesota Vikings to factor into the equation.
Carolina Panthers defensive roster
Defensive Line (7): Derrick Brown, Bobby Brown III, Tershawn Wharton, A'Shawn Robinson, Shy Tuttle, Cam Jackson, Jaden Crumedy.
Outside linebacker (5): D.J. Wonnum, Patrick Jones II, Nic Scourton, Princely Umanmielen, Thomas Incoom. D.J. Johnson (IR)
Linebacker (5): Christian Rozeboom, Trevin Wallace, Jacoby Windmon, Jon Rhattigan, Claudin Cherelus.
Cornerback (5): Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson Sr., Chau Smith-Wade, Corey Thornton, Shemar Bartholomew.
Safety (4): Tre'von Moehrig, Demani Richardson, Lathan Ransom, Nick Scott.
Morgan will probably add to the team's defensive options at some stage before Week 1. The front-office leader prioritized the defensive unit this offseason, but it still looks a little light in key areas.
Keeping the spine healthy all season will be critical. The talent level between the franchise cornerstones and depth pieces drops significantly. That's only going to cause complications if some of Carolina's top guys get hurt at any stage.
It doesn't seem like there will be too many surprises here. But anyone who makes the roster should still be nervously looking over their shoulders with the waiver wire looming large.
Carolina Panthers special teams roster
- Place Kicker: Ryan Fitzgerald
- Punter: Sam Martn
Long-Snapper: J.J. Jansen
Again, it wouldn't be a complete shock to see the Panthers get another kicker from the veteran pool. But for now, undrafted rookie Ryan Fitzgerald did just enough to beat out veteran Matthew Wright. His strong performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers should be enough to make the team initially. How long that lasts is the big question.
The other two special teams spots have been locked in for a long time.