As with every year, the start of training camp brought with it the anticipation of a number of position battles across the depth chart, and as the Panthers approach their third preseason game; the last in which the starters are expected to play any role of note, there are a few which are still going strong. So what are the battles which will determine the constitution of the Panthers’ 2018 roster, and how are they likely to play out as the Panthers get ever closer to their week one clash with the Cowboys?
Backup Quarterback
Cam Newton aside, the Panthers’ quarterback room was a somewhat uncertain grouping going into training camp, and things haven’t become that much clearer since. Kyle Allen hasn’t had the exceptional camp that he would have needed to be treated as a serious contender to make the roster, but the battle for the primary backup position is still going strong, as neither Gilbert or Heinicke have managed to separate themselves; both players have been given a chance to play with the second team so far this preseason, and Gilbert has looked slightly the better of the two with some impressive throws and generally good game management. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Panthers brought in a new quarterback following the final set of cuts as they did last season, so whoever loses this battle could well find themselves without a job if any quarterbacks of note get cut.
Left Guard
Amini Silatolu may have ended up as the eventual starter for the Cowboys game has he not gone down with an injury, but with him out of the picture for the short term – he may return as early as next week – the battle seems to have settled into a direct competition between Greg Van Roten and Brendan Mahon, with Tyler Larsen likely being kept in reserve in case of an injury to Ryan Kalil. Van Roten is probably the favorite to have the job come Week One, though given the strength of Brendan Mahon’s performances thus far in the preseason, it would not be surprising if he starts getting some snaps as the season goes on, even if it is only in jumbo packages; similar to how Taylor Moton was used last season. This battle is close enough that a few poor performances from Van Roten – or Silatolu if he returns – to start the season and Mahon will likely get a shot to show what he can do.
Tackle Depth
Offensive line depth in general has been a real weakness for the Panthers over the past half-decade, and they appeared to have realized this and looked to add more surrounding talent this offseason than in past years. However, with injuries to Matt Kalil, Daryl Williams and Amini Silatolu, that depth is now looking far more questionable, and the Panthers could well face some hard decision about whether to place players on IR to create space to allow for short-term cover. On the interior, this has meant that the positions of Mahon and Van Roten are all but secure, and it has strengthened Sirles’ place as the fourth tackle as well. However, even if the Panthers are going to only carry eight active offensive linemen going into the season, with likely two more hoped to return from injury, this still leaves one space free. Going into the preseason, Blaine Clausell appeared relatively secure as the fifth tackle, with the question largely being about whether things would shake out in a way to allow him to make the roster. However, some poor performances from him have likely allowed others back into the picture and, at this point, the final tackle spot is anybody’s guess. A strong performance or two in the final preseason games could allow for a favorite to emerge from the pack, with Eatmon being a dark-horse candidate to sneak onto the 53 as short-term depth – don’t count out the team signing someone from cut day to take the final tackle spot either.
Defensive Line Depth
On almost any other roster in the NFL, the tenth defensive line spot would be a completely irrelevant battle between players who have no chance of making the active roster and little hope of even sneaking onto the practice squad. However, the Panthers have historically carried nine defensive linemen on the active roster during the regular season and with a particularly deep defensive line group, the tenth defensive lineman could just sneak onto the 53. There is a direct competition at defensive end between Bryan Cox, who spent much of last season on the active roster albeit making limited impact, and Efe Obada – who has come through the NFL’s international development program and could be an option as an eleventh practice squad member. Obada has been the more impressive throughout the preseason this year and the year of development seems to have given him technique to go with his athleticism. At defensive tackle, rookie Kendrick Norton has likely failed to do enough to surpass Kyle Love as the fourth defensive tackle, but has shown a number of flashes throughout the preseason and has managed to make an impact despite attracting a lot of double teams.
Given that the Panthers seem to be interested in playing with defensive line formations, the addition of a player who can play either three or one technique would make some sense. Finally, Zach Moore seems to have been given a significant amount of playing time this preseason, both at defensive end and at three-technique, and while he has not stacked up a load of sacks, he has looked impressive. Based on playing time this preseason, Moore might be the favorite to make the roster as a tenth defensive linesman, but Norton should not be disregarded as his performances have been more impressive than the box scores suggest.
The Fifth Cornerback
The cornerback group looked fairly set going into training camp, with the only real questions being how the snaps would work out for the outside corners and whether Munnerlyn was really under much threat for the starting nickel role. However, with the injury to Cockrell, the Panthers have been forced to start Jackson as the primary corner opposite Bradberry, and have also found themselves with a genuine battle for the final cornerback spot. Lorenzo Doss has made plays throughout the offseason workouts and training camp, but has been far quieter when it has come to the preseason games. By contrast, Corn Elder might not have been making plays during the offseason workouts after having missed last season due to injury, but has impressed during the preseason games, highlighted by an athletic interception against the Dolphins. Elder does appear to have the edge going into the second half of the preseason schedule, but Doss has done enough to make it far form a done deal.
Second Safety
Mike Adams returns as one starting safety, but as has been something of a trend the other starting safety spot is once again up for grabs. Da’Norris Searcy and Rashaan Gaulden are extremely different players – Searcy being a traditional box safety and Gaulden a converted nickel corner; so the question of who will see the majority of the snaps opposite Adams is as much about style as quality. This has been the case so far in the preseason, with Searcy seeing snaps on early down and Gaulden being brought on in obvious passing situations. However, with Searcy out against the Patriots with a concussion, Gaulden will get a chance to take that step ahead and establish himself as the primary starter opposite Adams. It is hard for outside observers to judge safety play in the preseason but Gaulden has certainly shown flashes of the player the Panthers drafted him to be.
It is always going to be hard to know how much has been decided behind close doors as the preseason begins to wind down for the starters, but there are certainly a number of battles that seem primed to go right to the wire. Some of these battles, such as the starting safety and left guard roles, will have an obvious and immediate impact whereas others are more likely to determine how the roster develops in the medium term. Whatever happens, it will certainly make for an entertaining last couple of weeks of preseason action and, at the end of the day, there’s a reasonable chance that the eventual solution to some of these problems might lie with a player who isn’t currently on the roster.
