3 glaring Carolina Panthers needs after roster cuts in 2023

Carolina Panthers OL depth

If we're being honest with ourselves, offensive line depth is an issue almost everywhere in the NFL unless you're the Philadelphia Eagles or the Dallas Cowboys, who are lucky enough to boast starting-caliber players as backups.

However, the Carolina Panthers chose to keep eight offensive linemen on their roster, They added Justin McCray and Deonte Brown to the practice squad while claiming former New Orleans Saints player Calvin Throckmorton off waivers.

In retrospect, having eight offensive linemen isn't a significant ordeal considering that teams elevate two different players each week from the practice squad. In some cases, that means Brown or McCray could be brought up for depth and then placed back the following week.

However, a concern is a concern. And I am certainly wary about this offensive line group outside of the starters.

There is youth behind the starters, which could be viewed as both positive and negative. Yet, some of them are unproven, which is why I have not been publicly open about my dislike for letting Cameron Erving walk.

Am I a fan of Erving's game? No way, but he's a rare veteran backup with flexibility across the line.

That's hard to come by in today's situation with the ongoing league-wide depth issues in this specific position group. While I was not surprised by the release, I still feel that it's important to have a veteran backup with experience no matter how good or bad their tape is.

The hope now is that the young guns can step up in case of injury to any of the starters. If not, Bryce Young's rookie campaign could be rough within the pocket.