The Carolina Panthers kick off their training camp next week. Rookies report on July 21st, veterans on July 22nd, and we’ll be inundated with glowing reports of how great and healthy everybody looks by about July 23rd. For all that it can be hard to parse just how much progress a team has made from year to year by the news filtering out of camp, there are always kernels of truth to hold onto.
On the one hand, if we hear about Jonathon Brooks spending the entire camp on the Edmund Kugbila Memorial
Stationary Bike then we can temper our expectations. On the other hand, it’s hard to know what to make of these practices if Bryce Young throws zero incompletions or interceptions all camp and the receivers catch every ball in their zip code.
For all that we may not see every step of development in camp, development does occur. We should be able to see noticeable differences in a lot of position groups by the start of the preseason. This, of course, assumes that the Panthers decide to play any of their starters in the preseason. Holding that optimistic assumption for a moment, we decided to ask y’all which position group you’re most excited to see develop this training camp.
Unsurprisingly, y’all want to see the wide receivers. Wide receiver is going to be the group with the fiercest competition for roster spots on the final 53-man roster. The Panthers usually carry six wide receivers on their final roster and try to sneak a couple more guys that they like onto their practice squad. That usually isn’t a problem as most folks around the league have not been looking at players that get cut by the Panthers as viable NFL players. That’s a large part of how they snuck Jalen Coker onto their practice squad last season before signing him to a 3-year, $35M contract this offseason.
This year, Coker is a lock to make the roster. So is Tetairoa McMillan, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year. After that, you have Chris Brazzell II, the 83rd overall pick this year, fifth-year veteran Dan Chisena, second-year veteran Jimmy Horn Jr, third-year veteran Xavier Legette, new free agent and fourth-year veteran John Metchie III, eighth-year veteran David Moore, and second-year veteran (and former undrafted free agent) Brycen Tremayne as your seven guys competing for what are likely four remaining roster spots.
There are more questions than answers at this point in the offseason about each of these players and how they might stack up against each other. We’ll know more in August, when the Panthers have four preseason games and two joint practices with their last two preseason opponents, the Jacksonville Jaguars (August 19th practice, August 21st game) and the Houston Texans (August 26th practice, August 28th game).
For now, break out your old tea leaves or spare goat entrails. Treat the comments here on CSR as good hill and watch the birds. It’s divining season, and the Panthers actually have some tough cuts to make with a talented group of players. Who do you think will make the roster? Scroll on down to the comments to let us know or click here to get started.
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