3 Carolina Panthers who could be cut before playing a snap in 2023
By Dean Jones
Eric Rowe - Carolina Panthers DB
It hasn't been the most productive off-season in terms of strengthening the secondary. This bears more significance to the cornerback room, which comes into the new campaign with health concerns and consistency issues aplenty.
Jaycee Horn and Donte Jackson suffer more complications on the health front than most. C.J. Henderson and Keith Taylor Jr. didn't look reliable last season, although there remains hope they can develop under proven NFL-caliber coaches led by defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero in 2023.
One arrival that might be able to contribute is Eric Rowe. The versatile defensive back has experience as a nickel cornerback and switched to the backend during his time with the Miami Dolphins without doing enough for an extended stay.
Rowe's flown a little under the radar throughout early off-season workouts. While this isn't the biggest concern, it'll be interesting to see how the Carolina Panthers deploy the former second-round selection when training camp arrives.
There are plenty of young studs snapping at Rowe's heels in pursuit of reps on the defensive rotation. This makes the margin for error incredibly slim for all involved with roster places up for grabs.
If Rowe cannot meet expectations and players such as Jammie Robinson come on much quicker than initially projected, then the Panthers might consider cutting Rowe despite guaranteeing $700,000 of his $1.09 million salary-cap hit according to Over the Cap.