The Carolina Panthers were given plenty to ponder after their recently concluded rookie minicamp. This was the opening stage for first-year hopefuls in pursuit of making their presence felt, but getting off to a strong start was crucial.
That bears special significance to those starting from the bottom. Undrafted free agents have a harder task than anybody. The margin for error is non-existent. Anything less than maximum commitment and encouraging growth comes with grave consequences attached, especially in perceived areas of strength across the roster.
Analyst projects Luke Kandra to push hard for Carolina Panthers roser spot
One analyst believes Luke Kandra can do exactly that. Grant Potter from Last Word on Sports projected the interior offensive lineman to shake up the depth chart if expectations are met over the summer. That will be difficult upon further examination of Carolina's options along the protection, but not impossible by any stretch of the imagination.
"[Luke] Kandra lacks great flexibility, but he has the size and overall athleticism to potentially develop into a starting-caliber player. The Panthers have greatly improved their offensive line over the last few seasons, but there is still room for a player with Kandra’s talent to potentially compete for and win a spot as a backup developmental guard on the roster."Grant Potter
The Panthers retained all their offensive linemen who made a lasting contribution last season. That represents a major boost from a continuity standpoint, but it makes Kandra's life more difficult in pursuit of securing a spot on the 53-man roster.
Ikem Ekwonu, Taylor Moton, Robert Hunt, Damien Lewis, Austin Corbett, Cade Mays, Yosh Nijman, and Brady Christensen are locks to make the squad. The Panthers might decide to keep Chandler Zavala around for depth purposes. This leaves room for perhaps one more, depending on how many those in power decide to take through. That's the size of the task awaiting Kandra in the coming months.
His previous starting experience in college should serve him well. Kandra is technically sound and tested extremely well at Cincinnati's pro day. That was enough for the Panthers to bet on his athletic potential, but becoming stronger and more agile is crucial before confidence in his aspirations increases.
It'll be challenging, there's no getting away from that. At the same time, learning from revered offensive line coach Joe Gilbert and the experienced veterans in Carolina makes this a tremendous landing spot for Kandra.
Even if he doesn't make the roster, securing a place on the practice squad to continue his development wouldn't be a bad consolation prize by any stretch of the imagination. But it'll be interesting to see how Kandra copes with this steep step-up in class.