4 Carolina Panthers veterans who could lose their jobs to rookie upstarts in 2023
By Dean Jones
D.J. Chark - Carolina Panthers WR
There is a huge amount of confidence in D.J. Chark after the Carolina Panthers convinced the wide receiver to join their ranks in free agency. This is a player Frank Reich's had on his radar for a while and someone the head coach believes can genuinely help the offense make legitimate progress in 2023.
Chark has been recovering from off-season surgery, which restricted his early involvement at OTAs. However, there was a lot to like about his performance levels at open practice on Thursday, which also included a phenomenal grab from a deep Bryce Young pass according to those in attendance.
The former second-round pick is a big body with the speed to match. Chark has traits that represent something a little different from what Carolina already has, so all signs point to a decent campaign from the player en route to a bigger financial commitment in 2024.
However, there is the presence of Jonathan Mingo to consider. The Panthers think a lot of their second-round selection and want to get him prominent targets sooner rather than later, so whether the one-time Ole Miss star does enough to ruffle some veteran feathers remains to be seen.
Mingo's skill set means Chark and others must be on their toes. If they don't produce the goods, then the coaching staff will have no qualms about thrusting the rookie into a starting role at some stage in 2023.