The Carolina Panthers are all about giving people chances to impress with general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales leading the charge.
Whether they are highly touted draft picks, expensive free agent signings, or those taken a little further down the pecking order, everyone starts with a clean slate. And some clues started to emerge over the team's offseason program.
Those in attendance at Carolina's mandatory minicamp quickly noticed a changing dynamic around Day 3 pick Lathan Ransom. Alex Zietlow from The Charlotte Observer was among those who noted that the rookie safety was getting plenty of work with the first-string defense. That raised more than a few eyebrows among the fan base along the way.
More importantly, Ransom was reportedly not looking out of place whatsoever. The defensive back is getting a crash course in schematic responsibilities and the demands placed on Carolina's secondary within Ejiro Evero's 3-4 system. This will do wonders for his initial development, but one has to ask why an unheralded rookie is being thrown into the fire.
Lathan Ransom's first-team reps points to Carolina Panthers' lack of safety strength
There is a simple explanation. The Panthers don't have enough dependability on the backend.
Signing Tre'von Moehrig to a big-money deal in free agency will help greatly. But unless someone like Ransom or undrafted free agent Demani Richardson takes a positive surge forward, it won't be enough.
Morgan is reportedly looking for another experienced figure before Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars arrives. The Panthers spoke to Justin Simmons' representatives about a potential switch, but nothing concrete materialized. Until someone else comes in, Ransom will continue to stake a claim with the starting lineup.
It's a fascinating storyline to watch if nobody else is signed before camp. Ransom believes he's got the talent to impact the rotation immediately. He's brimming with confidence after helping Ohio State win the college football national championship, but putting too much on his young shoulders too soon comes with obvious risk.
Perhaps slotting him in alongside Moehrig was an early test to see if he could handle the pressure cooker. He's passed the first challenge, but the intensity is going to ramp up considerably at training camp.
Tempering expectations remains the smart approach. Ransom will be a core backup and has the athleticism to become a dangerous asset on special teams while polishing problem areas of his game. Anything else is just a bonus.
The Panthers might be forced to get him more heavily involved than originally anticipated if the right veteran safety cannot be acquired beforehand. That'll be just fine with Ransom, who hasn't come to accept second-best after being a relative afterthought over the pre-draft process.