6 burning questions Carolina Panthers fans are asking ahead of 2024 camp
Carolina Panthers' interest in Stephon Gilmore
Why is Stephon Gilmore not wearing a Carolina Panthers uniform right now? - Blake Q.
That’s a great question, Blake. This has been one of many subjects that have been discussed this offseason amongst Carolina Panthers fans. With the start of training camp on Wednesday, the team's long-suffering support wants answers.
It’s simple: timing and money are two big reasons why Stephon Gilmore is likely holding out from signing anywhere. The veteran All-Pro cornerback will be 34 years old in September. He knows his prime has passed, yet still plays at a quality level, one that could benefit any defense.
Gilmore wants money, likely fully guaranteed. He wants to be a part of a team either close to home (the Panthers) or elsewhere with the chance to compete for a Super Bowl ring.
Are the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers likely to sign him? It seems doubtful. This might be biased, but his next destination should be in Carolina.
He’d be playing with one of the most respected and disciplined defensive coordinators in the NFL, Ejiro Evero. Plus, he’d be comfortably the No. 2 cornerback opposite Jaycee Horn. Gilmore is also just over half an hour from his hometown of Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Gilmore would be a great late off-season addition for a Panthers team looking to triple their win total from last season. Getting the chance to play close to home would be an eye-brow raiser for any player of his caliber. For now, it is a hurry-up-and-wait mode for all parties involved.
Carolina Panthers kicking competition
Is it safe to say we have a new kicker? - Jacob W.
As we kick off training camp, it's unlikely that the Carolina Panthers will decide on their starting kicker by the end of the business week. Yet, it is one of the top storylines this summer as the organization may have a new starting kicker by Week 1, though nothing is a sure thing at the moment.
Eddy Pineiro has been Carolina’s “big” leg for the last two seasons where he has been, percentage-wise, one of the most accurate kickers in the league. Impressive, but not when you take into account what the film shows.
He doesn’t have the strongest leg and anything out of the 40-plus yard range becomes tense, especially late in games. Pineiro made game-winning kicks in Carolina’s two lone wins last season, but both came within chip-shot range.
Pineiro enters the final year of his contract with the Panthers. He hasn’t shown enough to earn a second deal with the organization. That is why the team brought in undrafted free agent Harrison Mevis to add some competition.
During his time with the Missouri Tigers, he showcased one of the strongest legs in the country, including a 60-yard game-winning effort during the season. Mevis would give Dave Canales and special teams coordinator Tracy Smith tons of options from 50-plus yards, but he's got to outperform Pineiro at camp first.
This will be a competition with plenty of eyes on it. Let the best man win.