5 winners and losers from the Carolina Panthers preseason loss vs. NY Jets
By Dean Jones
Winner No. 2
Amare Barno - Carolina Panthers OLB
The addition of Justin Houston only crowds the edge rushing room further heading into the new season. This raises the stakes considerably for those lower down the pecking order.
Much will depend on how many edge players the Carolina Panthers take through onto their 53-man roster. But looking at the current state of affairs, some tough cuts are coming for those in power.
One player that has a significant challenge ahead is Amare Barno. The former sixth-round selection flashed during extremely limited involvement as a rookie, but the new coaching staff seems to prefer others as Ejiro Evero transitions his defense to a creative 3-4 base.
Barno is looking to make the Panthers sit up and take notice throughout the preseason. He got off to a good start against the New York Jets, gaining Carolina's only sack and looking especially explosive getting off the block for good measure.
This is a huge confidence boost for Barno, but what comes next is more important. The Panthers need to see consistency from game to game - something he can accomplish by showing out at the New York Giants on Friday evening.
The Virginia Tech product can look back on his contribution in this one with real pride. Not many on the Panthers can say that.