7 Carolina Panthers on the roster bubble after 2024 offseason overhaul
By Dean Jones
Cade Mays - Carolina Panthers OL
The Carolina Panthers strengthened their offensive line interior as a matter of urgency when the legal tampering period before free agency began. Dan Morgan moved swiftly to sign Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, who'll become the team's new starting guard tandem in the hope of providing quarterback Bryce Young with cleaner pockets in 2024.
Austin Corbett is moving to the center position, which is a gamble considering his recent injury history. Brady Christensen has been demoted to a jack-of-all-trades backup capable of slotting anywhere along the protection. This investment was an absolute necessity after Young spent most of an underwhelming rookie campaign running for his life.
This means some will be on the outside looking in as a result. Cade Mays falls into this category given the former sixth-round selection hasn't developed into someone to trust when allocated starting reps.
Much will depend on how the likes of Chandler Zavala develop. But it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Panthers end Mays' time with the franchise when the time comes to trim their roster to 53 men before Week 1.
LaBryan Ray - Carolina Panthers DL
Considering little was expected of defensive lineman LaBryan Ray when he joined the Carolina Panthers last year, he was pretty decent when given reps on the rotation under Ejiro Evero. Whether he can carve out a similar role for himself this time around is another matter.
The Panthers signed A'Shawn Robinson in free agency, who promises to form a ferocious run-stopping partnership with Derrick Brown as a 3-4 defensive end. Shy Tuttle will be the starting nose tackle, with Carolina adding a high-upside prospect late in the 2024 NFL Draft when Jaden Crumedy came on board at No. 200 overall.
This raises the stakes for Bryan and others, but it's nothing new to the former Alabama star. He's had to scrap for opportunities throughout his playing career, so this is a challenge he'll be more than ready for.
The same could also be said of Raequan Williams and Nick Thurman thanks to Crumedy's arrival. Watching this dynamic closely throughout the offseason represents an entertaining prospect.