I’d like to be explicit here. This is simply an exercise to illustrate how certain players performed during the first week of training camp and how the roster would look if the regular season started today. However, the regular season does not start today. The Carolina Panthers don’t have to make roster cuts for 33 days. So please don’t overreact. This roster can and will change and is based on preseason assumptions and five practices, only three of which were in pads. I’ll add some blurbs where necessary, but some of these are pretty obvious, like the first one.
Quarterbacks: Cam Newton, Derek Anderson, Joe Webb. Webb won’t make the team one year, but that year is not this year.
Running Backs: Jonathan Stewart, Christian McCaffrey, Cameron Artis-Payne, Fozzy Whittaker. At this point, all four running backs have performed admirably enough to earn a roster spot. However, I’ve not seen enough from either fullback to warrant a roster spot. With the offense evolving and NFL teams beginning to phase out the fullback position, the Panthers may choose to go this way. This obviously could change, but if the season started today, I believe you’d see one of the fullbacks on the practice squad before the main roster. Artis-Payne could play the role of “fullback” if necessary,
Wide Receivers: Kelvin Benjamin, Devin Funchess, Russell Shepard, Curtis Samuel, Damiere Byrd. Byrd is the favorite here, as he seems to be the current leader to be the punt returner if the season started today. The fact that Curtis Samuel has had lingering hamstring issues is disappointing and this certainly will hinder his development, from both an offense and special teams standpoint. Austin Duke and Keyarris Garrett are close behind Byrd; this spot is definitely up in the air.
Tight End: Greg Olsen, Ed Dickson, Chris Manhertz. Manhertz is leading Scott Simonson by only a hair. The third year player had a very nice practice on Sunday, but had multiple drops on Saturday. Manhertz is the better blocker, so he gets the advantage.
Offensive Line: Trai Turner, Andrew Norwell, Ryan Kalil, Matt Kalil, Daryl Williams, Amini Silatolu, Tyler Larsen, Taylor Moton, Chris Scott, Gino Gradkowski, JJ Jansen. Pretty straightforward, especially with Silatolu making the move to left tackle. If the Panthers sign a lineman after other teams make cuts, expect Chris Scott to be the odd man out here. Larsen seems to have past Gradkowski as the backup center, and Jansen is entrenched as the long snapper.
Special Teamers: Graham Gano, Andy Lee. For fans hoping Harrison Butker would take this job, he has been inaccurate throughout camp, and Gano has been making kicks from more than 60 yards regularly. Andy Lee is good.
Linebackers: Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis, Shaq Thompson, David Mayo, Jeremy Cash, Ben Jacobs, Jared Norris. Fan favorite Ben Boulware is a player that is helped out immensely by the new NFL rules allowing teams to keep players until after the fourth preseason game and not have to make the cuts they have in the past. His play in preseason games may move him onto the roster, but he won’t take the spot from any of the linebackers, Jacobs would have made the roster last year if he hadn’t gone on injured reserve.
Defensive Ends: Julius Peppers, Charles Johnson, Daeshon Hall, Mario Addison, Wes Horton. No surprises here, but this group is terrifying.
Defensive Tackles: Kawann Short, Star Lotulelei, Vernon Butler, Kyle Love. Keep an eye on Gabriel Mass and Toby Johnson, both have an outside shot of upsetting Kyle Love for the last defensive tackle spot.
Cornerbacks: James Bradberry, Daryl Worley, Captain Munnerlyn, Cole Luke, Zack Sanchez. I believe Corn Elder will start the year on the PUP list, but if he makes it back in time for the start of the regular season, Sanchez will be back on the practice squad like he was in 2016. First week training camp darling Cole Luke has (at this point) passed Sanchez for the inside backup to Captain Munnerlyn.
EDIT: It was correctly pointed out that Corn Elder can’t go on the PUP list because he practiced last Wednesday; with that being the case, I believe Elder will go on the IR/Designated to Return list, and the roster remains the same.
Safeties: Mike Adams, Kurt Coleman, Dean Marlowe, Colin Jones. Marlowe and Jones have both played better in camp than they did last year, and both are special teams aces.
Last Guys Cut/Practice Squaders: LJ McCray, Austin Duke, Gabriel Mass, Darrel Young, Toby Johnson, Keyarris Garrett, Teddy Williams.
Again. Don’t overreact. This roster might be outdated by Wednesday, it’s just designed to give you an idea of where the players stand currently based on my observations through the first week.
