5 difficult riddles the Carolina Panthers must solve at 2024 camp
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers cornerback dynamic
It won't take long for things to unravel at the cornerback position if shutdown presence Jaycee Horn goes down with another injury. The Carolina Panthers are banking heavily on the former first-round pick finally putting a consistent run of games together. Anything less comes with severe consequences attached.
The Panthers aren't blessed with the greatest corner depth. Dan Morgan is high on free-agent signing Dane Jackson's chances of emerging into a productive starter. Troy Hill should be a dependable slot option despite his advancing years. Carolina also needs one of its younger defensive backs to show dramatic progress to alleviate concerns.
Forming the cornerback dynamic is imperative for the Panthers over camp. If another arrival is needed, Morgan shouldn't hesitate. Whether that's Stephon Gilmore or not remains to be seen, but Carolina must add another dependable player in coverage if they aren't 100 percent convinced in the options available.
The likes of rookie Chau Smith-Wade, D'Shawn Jamison, and Dicaprio Bootle will get a legitimate shot to prove their worth. They'll thrive in an ideal world. However, there's just no telling for sure.
Carolina Panthers kicking battle
There are several position battles worth keeping a close eye on when camp commences. The kicking clash between established veteran Eddy Pineiro and undrafted free agent Harrison Mevis is among the most important.
Pineiro opted to skip the voluntary offseason program and participated in drills once over Carolina's mandatory minicamp. This gave Mevis the opportunity he was looking for. The former Missouri star took full advantage.
Mevis was accurate and displayed his booming leg strength to full effect. Pineiro won't be rolling over in pursuit of seeing out the final year of his deal. But looking at how things have unfolded so far, it's a situation that could go either way.
The Panthers will be watching this pivotal position battle closely. They can ill afford the kicking game struggling throughout Dave Canales' first season as head coach. Moving forward with an inexperienced rookie is a gamble, but Pineiro's inconsistent production last season doesn't exactly inspire confidence either.
Carolina needs to solve this riddle effectively to avoid any unnecessary complications. May the best man win.