Which Carolina Panthers players find their jobs in jeopardy after the team's embarrassing preseason shutout loss against the New York Jets?
There will be some harsh words said in team meetings this week as the Carolina Panthers reflect on their 27-0 thrashing by the New York Jets in Preseason Week 1. Whether this was a case of players believing their own hype or the coaching staff's scheme restrictions making things difficult, Frank Reich's men came crashing down to earth in front of their home fans at Bank of America Stadium.
This needs a positive response. The Panthers aren't too bothered about results at this stage as they gear up to make sure everything is in position for their Week 1 opener against the Atlanta Falcons, but it's also important to remember that performances like this cannot be tolerated to avoid further complications when things matter more.
Carolina's coaching staff knows there is a fine line at this time of year. But for the players, it's a case of working hard to cement their roster hopes or risk being shown the door.
With that in mind, here are four Panthers players whose jobs are in jeopardy after Preseason Week 1 against the Jets.
Michael Jordan - Carolina Panthers OL
Just how many more chances Michael Jordan will get remains to be seen. The Carolina Panthers brought back the interior offensive lineman for depth purposes after the 2023 NFL Draft, but he did nothing to suggest a roster spot was attainable after a disappointing performance against the New York Jets.
Jordan was hesitant, didn't seem to recognize his assignments, and became completely overawed by the occasion. This just wasn't good enough from the player's perspective and the former Ohio State star now has his work cut out altering perceptions.
It isn't the first time Jordan's flattered to deceive since joining the Panthers. Any further slip-ups at the New York Giants on Friday evening could see the end of his time in Carolina.
Cam Erving - Carolina Panthers OL
As you probably guessed, the Carolina Panthers offensive line was not at the races for the large majority of their shutout loss to the New York Jets. Robert Saleh's squad has the benefit of a ridiculously deep defensive front, who generated pressure at will to make life extremely difficult to gain yards.
Bryce Young and Matt Corral were under constant duress. Whether it was the first team or the backups, nobody aside from perhaps starting left guard Brady Christensen can look back on their performance fondly.
There wasn't much to write home about where Cam Erving is concerned. The backup lineman was lackluster at best and made his feelings known after the game via the team's website.
"We had to keep it real with each other; the s--- wasn't good enough. Top to bottom, it doesn't matter if it was preseason, regular season, or offseason. The s--- was not good enough at any level, from any position, myself included, especially myself. All we can do is come back, try to regroup, and f---ing fix it. We know we did not play to our standard. So all that needed to be said was that s---'s not good enough. It's not about who's in it or who's called it; it just needed to be said and was said. We saw what happened. Preseason or regular season, that's not acceptable. That's the only message we got across to each other, we cannot allow that to happen, ones, twos, threes, fours, it doesn't matter who's on the field, we can't let that happen."Cam Erving via Panthers.com
Erving is another that cannot be trusted. He evolved into a decent backup and mentor last season without seeing the field much, but one only has to look at his production overall to see what problems could emerge if he's thrust into the spotlight.
If Erving cannot raise his game over the next fortnight, the Panthers could find a more dependable option despite his leadership presence within the locker room.
Yetur Gross-Matos - Carolina Panthers OLB
Saturday's game against the New York Jets was a familiar tale for Yetur Gross-Matos. The former second-round selection had some decent moments when it came to setting the edge against the run, but his pass-rushing production was non-existent during 27 defensive reps.
This was more or less how things went for Gross-Matos throughout 2022. The Carolina Panthers placed a significant amount of faith in the Penn State product and he failed to deliver, with a rotational role the best he can hope for this time around following the recent arrival of Justin Houston.
The Panthers are clearly unwilling to give up on Gross-Matos, but other young edge players are definitely shining throughout camp and during Preseason Week 1. Amare Barno, D.J. Johnson, Kobe Jones, and Eku Leota have flashed more than the fourth-year-pro, which could give those in power a tough decision when the time for final cuts arrives.
One would expect the Panthers to deploy Gross-Matos prominently once again at the New York Giants. But if he cannot buck his ideas up quickly, then others might supplant him from the depth chart entirely.
Cutting a second-rounder would be a tough call. However, sentiment should go out of the window and this coaching staff wasn't around when the Panthers selected Gross-Matos at No. 38 overall, in any case.
Gross-Matos is rapidly approaching the last chance saloon territory. What comes next will tell us plenty about the player's resolve.
Matt Corral - Carolina Panthers QB
Matt Corral could have been forgiven for feeling a little emotional when he stepped onto the field in Preseason Week 1 against the New York Jets. The quarterback's been away from the gridiron for almost a year after suffering a serious foot fracture, so there was bound to be some rust attached to his production against one of the better young defenses around.
Corral wasn't helped by his offensive line and got sacked four times. When he did have time to go through his progressions, there was a lot to like about the signal-caller's release and velocity more often than not.
Still, it was a disappointing performance overall and Corral knows more will be needed moving forward. This means the Carolina Panthers still don't truly know what they have in the former Ole Miss star, leaving his career in limbo heading into this Friday's encounter at the New York Giants.
The 2022 third-round selection will get the majority of reps under center over the next fortnight before the Panthers come to a formal conclusion. If Corral can improve gradually, it might be enough to secure his spot on the 53-man roster when it's all said and done.
If not, then the Panthers have a big call to make. One that could see Corral traded for minimal compensation or even released entirely depending on how things play out.
Everyone is rooting hard for Corral after a luckless start to his pro career. But again, sentiment won't become a factor in this new regime's decision-making process.