5 Carolina Panthers players on the hot seat entering 2024 season

Austin Corbett - Carolina Panthers C

The Carolina Panthers made some necessary changes to their offensive line throughout a frantic offseason. Dan Morgan couldn't afford to see quarterback Bryce Young go through similar issues in his NFL sophomore year. Despite the limited financial resources available, the general manager secured the services of Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt to become their new ferocious guard tandem.

This should upgrade both spots considerably. Instead of giving Bradley Bozeman another shot at the center position, the Panthers released the popular figure and replaced him with Austin Corbett, who's making a pivotal position switch after spending his career at right guard.

Corbett is confident that everything will go off without a hitch and this gamble is going to reap significant rewards. That might be the case, but the concerns about chemistry must be alleviated as a matter of urgency over the early stages of the campaign.

Considering this is also a contract year for Corbett, it's a high-stakes situation. One that could cause severe complications considering there isn't a genuinely dependable center specialist option aside from undrafted free agent Andrew Raym.

Jaycee Horn - Carolina Panthers CB

Jaycee Horn is an integral part of Carolina's plans for 2024. The cornerback's talent has never been in question. He's one of the league's premier shutdown players when fit and firing on all cylinders. Unfortunately, it's been a fleeting contribution thanks to a series of frustrating injury complications over his three-year stint with the organization.

Nobody is more disappointed than Horn. Every time the former first-round selection starts generating momentum, a spell on the sidelines soon follows. Featuring in six games last season brought his total to 22 over three campaigns. That's not the sort of dependability Carolina's new regime is looking for as part of their ambitious plans for the future.

Horn changed his approach throughout the offseason, which seems to be having the desired effect so far. Fans are eager to see if he can keep this up during the regular season, especially considering the questions surrounding others in the cornerback room heading into the campaign.

The Panthers triggered Horn's fifth-year extension to provide a supreme vote of confidence. But if the South Carolina product wants to secure a lucrative extension, he needs to perform at an elite level and be available. After that, everything should fall into place.