One of the biggest splash signings of the entire NFL offseason was when the Carolina Panthers signed second-team All-Pro linebacker Devin Lloyd to fill a significant void in the middle of their defense.
Lloyd's three-year, $45 million contract is seen as a steal by many considering the money invested into the Panthers' other splash signing, edge rusher Jaelan Phillips. The presence of the former Jacksonville Jaguars star gives defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero the second-level playmaker he needs.
However, as the Panthers begin preparations for Week 1 of the preseason, a competition has broken out between 2024 third-round pick Trevin Wallace and fourth-year player Claudin Cherelus.
Competiton for the Carolina Panthers LB2 role says it all for Trevin Wallace
To some surprise, the competition says a lot about Wallace's lack of growth since entering the league. Â
Two years ago, general manager Dan Morgan took a chance on Wallace, a raw prospect out of Kentucky. The Panthers were hoping to turn him into a standout starter in the long lineage of great linebackers in franchise history.
That hasn't happened yet. And it might not.
Wallace was thrown into the fire when Shaq Thompson tore his Achilles. Since then, there have been many ups and downs, but inconsistency has been the name of his career. The 2026 campaign has been seen as his last opportunity.
Last Thursday night's Pro Football Hall of Fame game didn't help Wallace's case.
In the handful of snaps he played in the first half, Wallace seemed unsure of himself, even when the athletic profile was on display. Cherelus has flashed a better trigger to the ball and physicality around the line of scrimmage, something that has been missing in past seasons, but the play as a whole wasn't clear-cut better.
That says a lot about the status at inside linebacker next to Lloyd.
My initial reaction is, why wait until the seventh round to draft a linebacker?
Carolina Panthers could regret not drafting a linebacker earlier in 2026
No disrespect to Jackson Kuwatch, but this previous draft cycle was an incredible opportunity to add a quality talent to that room to pair with Lloyd. It seems to me the Panthers coaching staff wanted to see what progress Wallace could make with a focus on building the trenches.
In hindsight, that could have been a mistake. But it's easy to have clarity after the fact.
While there is still more preseason action left, it seems the Wallace experiment could be near, or at, its end. That doesn't mean it is a death blow for the defense.
The Panthers can still march out either Wallace or Cherelus this season, but not force them onto the field. Evero could look to install more three-safety, penny, and dollar package looks with safety Tre'von Moehrig having an expanded role in the box.
They could kick the tires on Bobby Wagner, Bobby Okereke, or reunite with Thompson. Even so, I don't anticipate the Panthers adding a big name at linebacker anytime soon.
While Wallace and Cherelus battle it out for the LB2 role, it is a reminder that general manager Dan Morgan will have his misses, and the latter certainly appears to be one at this time.
The linebacker position is a tough one to transition into the NFL at, and Wallace could be falling on the sword as one who may never work out.
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