Panthers News: Frank Reich, Bryce Young, James Campen and biggest hole
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers biggest remaining hole
Even though it's been a decent spell of recruitment for the Carolina Panthers, one or two positional groups are in desperate need of assistance. Given the timeframe, these might not arrive until the coaching staff gets a good look at their current roster when business picks up later this summer.
The Panthers have enough salary-cap space to make additions if the right opportunities come along. According to Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders via ESPN, the team's biggest remaining hole centers on the cornerback position.
"[Jaycee] Horn and fellow starter Donte Jackson have missed 31 of a possible 68 games these past two seasons with myriad injuries. And the Panthers demonstrated their thin cornerback depth chart last year when holdover backups Keith Taylor Jr. and CJ Henderson allowed 12.3 and 9.0 yards per target, worst and 15th-worst among cornerbacks with 30 or more covered targets, respectively. The depth is better if we count Jeremy Chinn as the nickelback, but if Chinn is covering the slot, it creates a depth problem at the safety position instead."
- Aaron Schatz, Football Outsiders/ESPN
This is a drum I've been banging for a while. Yet for some reason, the Panthers have yet to address their cornerback options with the right sort of urgency.
Perhaps they feel confident in their current options. But based on the production outside of Jaycee Horn in 2022, it's a gamble of epic proportions if no signings arrive before Week 1.