Backup Running Back: Elijah Holyfield vs. Reggie Bonnafon vs. Cameron Artis-Payne (vs. Jordan Scarlett In Absentia)
Holyfield
While each of these players have their obvious advantages as a backup to Christian McCaffrey – CAP has the experience and knows how to be a pro, Holyfield has the bruising, physical presence and Bonnafon has the route-running and pass-catching abilities that make him the most similar to McCaffrey from a skillset perspective – they’re actually more similar than you might think.
“They can all do everything in this offense,” said running backs coach Jake Peetz. “It just might be that some of them do it to a different degree. Each of them has something that excites you, each of them has something that Coach Turner has already highlighted through the offseason and training camp as far as how we can utilize guys.”
Expect each of the running backs to get snaps throughout the game, especially without Scarlett – who appeared early in camp to be leading the battle for backup running back but suffered a lower back injury on Friday and won’t play in Chicago after missing this week of practice. The Panthers likely have already gotten their honest look at Artis-Payne, so big plays in both the running and passing game – don’t rule out what a huge portion of being a contributor on offense pass protection is – from either Holyfield or Bonnafon might go a long way towards tilting the battle in their direction.
Wide Receiver/Punt Returner: Jaydon Mickens vs. Terry Godwin vs. Rashad Ross
This competition may take a lot more than Week 1 of the preseason to decide, but there is clearly room on the roster for a return specialist who could theoretically contribute in a pinch at wide receiver a la Damiere Byrd for the past two seasons. Ross has the most experience on kickoff returns – he was the lead kickoff returner for Washington in 2017, Mickens filled the role for both punts and kicks in Jacksonville the past two seasons and Godwin has the advantage of the Panthers investing a seventh-round pick in him just a few short months ago.
Godwin and Mickens have already shown excellent hands during training camp, so they appear to be in the lead with Mickens probably slightly ahead – but anything can happen over the next month. A big special teams play – or in the second half at wide receiver – could vault one of these players to the top of the depth chart very quickly.
Backup Tackle: Dillon Gordon vs. Brandon Greene vs. Norman Price vs. Kofi Amichia
This isn’t the most exciting thing to watch, but the Panthers top three tackles all played a combined 16 full games last season, all of them belonging to Taylor Moton.
Daryl Williams missed the entire season and Greg Little is a rookie, so there is definitely need for depth on the outside – while Dennis Daley has spent time practicing at all four positions, the Panthers will likely want to keep a fourth designated tackle on the roster. There’s also the option of the Panthers picking someone up for depth early in the season, as they’ve done in the past with players like Corey Robinson and John Theus, but if one of these players can catch their eye, they may not have to.
Backup Quarterback: Kyle Allen vs. Will Grier
With apologies to Taylor Heinicke – who appears to be the odd man out in this race – Allen and Grier will both get their chances to shine throughout the preseason, and this battle won’t come to rest this weekend after one game in Chicago. The Panthers will likely give Grier some time with the first/second team next week after Allen gets the start this week, but it will be the poise in the pocket and the decision making that ultimately decides who will be the man backing up Cam Newton and who will be reduced to emergency quarterback duties on Sunday.
Neither QB would survive the practice squad – Allen’s Week 17 performance in 2018 and Grier’s third-round pedigree make that abundantly clear – so the Panthers will either keep both on the roster or Grier will play so well during the preseason – and Allen will look more like the player that spent half the season without a job last season instead of the world-beater he was in New Orleans – that they would feel comfortable releasing Allen.
Allen has thrown a wrench into those plans with his excellent play during training camp thus far, looking like a player that understands what it takes to play at the NFL level. It will be interesting to see how both quarterbacks look under the lights against real opponents in Chicago.
