What are three glaring needs the Carolina Panthers have heading into the upcoming 2023 campaign following roster cuts?
There is a lot to unpack following roster cuts and waiver wire acquisitions earlier this week. The Carolina Panthers spent the last several days making tough decisions to get their organization where those in power want to be within the 53-man roster they will be rolling with for the foreseeable future.
These are tough times for any player going through this process. It is hard to imagine the mental toll this is having on them and their families and it only reminds us that these are human beings.
This is something many front office and coaching personnel have to keep in mind as well as they continue this process through the week.
Proceeding these moves, the Panthers will be entering the season with areas on their roster that could be quite glaring to the naked eye. While there are some strong positions across the depth chart, others are not in the realm of confidence and steadiness but more uncertainty and questions than ever before.
I have identified three positions that could use reinforcements after the Panthers' recent roster cuts. Something that could be a complication if an injury or two occurs.
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.
Carolina Panthers DL depth
The league-wide issue of offensive line depth is quite the opposite in the case of defensive lineman depth around the country.
The Carolina Panthers currently have five interior defensive linemen on their 53-man roster, including Nick Thurman and LaBryan Ray currently listed on the team's depth chart at nose tackle. In a league with plenty of talent in this position group overall, I have concerns about the potential rotation.
I approve of the franchise's move to stick Raequan Williams and Taylor Stallworth onto the practice squad, meaning they could be added to the active roster at any time. Yet, the depth and rotation could be a lot better than hoping the aforementioned names become the hopes of consistency in that department.
Right now, it seems like the Panthers are rolling with no legitimate nose tackle. I have voiced my thoughts on this matter on X/Twitter. Alas, I would still like to see the team add a true zero-technique to the roster - even if it's for the simple matter of depth.
With the expectation that Carolina's defensive line will be more of a flexible unit with Derrick Brown playing at the zero-technique on occasion, it's understandable in some ways why they are choosing to go on this route. Even so, injuries happen, which means resting hopes on Brown, Shy Tuttle, and DeShawn Willams to stay healthy all 17 games is risky.
I hope general manager Scott Fitterer adds at least another defensive lineman to the roster. Right now, it does not look great and the run defense could be a casualty.
Carolina Panthers CB depth
Another area of concern on the defensive side of the ball is the cornerback depth following Tuesday and Wednesday's moves by the Carolina Panthers.
As someone who was a fan of his film coming out of Washington and this preseason following a tumultuous 2022 campaign, the release of Keith Taylor Jr. was a surprise to me. I thought he showed enough this offseason to earn himself an opportunity to defeat the demons of old.
Instead, he is leaving the franchise entirely to join the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad according to reports. Despite adding Deshawn Jamison off waivers, the cornerback room outside of the top three veterans seems lackluster.
Jaycee Horn, Donte Jackson, and Troy Hill will provide some steadiness as all three will get plenty of playing time throughout the 2023 season. It's a big year for C.J. Henderson to prove his worth, though his tape from last season suggests it could be another bumpy season.
Despite this, I like the improvement he's shown under coaches that actually know what they're doing.
Jamison looks to be a contributor on special teams and I do feel like the team missed out on an opportunity to acquire former South Carolina cornerback Darius Rush or Stanford defensive back Kyu Blu Kelly off the waiver wire, adding more youth and talent to the room to develop.
It is worth keeping a close eye on this area of the defense. Carolina certainly feels top-heavy in some areas at the moment. The core of this roster needs to stay healthy or things could get out of hand in Frank Reich's first season.