Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Here are the four biggest takeaways from the Panthers’ initial 2023 depth chart release:
On Tuesday, the Carolina Panthers officially put out their very first depth chart of the 2023 campaign. So, what should we make of it?
Here are the four biggest takeaways from the release:
Panthers RT Taylor Moton told reporters that Cade Mays is currently doing a great job of being the next man up for the injured Austin Corbett.
Austin Corbett may not be on the practice field for the Carolina Panthers right now, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t helped Taylor Moton and the rest of his fellow hog mollies.
After Monday’s session of training camp, the team’s starting right tackle spoke about the team’s starting right guard—who won’t be the starting right guard when the regular season starts. Nonetheless, Moton praised Corbett for his presence in Spartanburg thus far.
“I think, day in and day out, we’re continuing to grow our chemistry together,” he said of the offensive line. “I love all the guys in the room. And even though Austin’s not with us right now, on the field, he’s doin’ a great job coaching everyone up. He’s still 100 percent dialed in.”
Unfortunately for the Panthers, Corbett likely won’t be at 100 percent healthy come Week 1. The sixth-year veteran tore his ACL in the 2022 finale against the New Orleans Saints and is still on the road to recovery.
Until then, it may be second-year guard Cade Mays who makes a push to fill in for Corbett.
“And I believe Cade’s doin’ a great job of that ‘next man in’ mentality,” Moton added. “And we’re continuing to grow and passin’ off twists, dominating on combos in the run block, So, it’s been great playing with ’em so far.”
While general manager Scott Fitterer stopped short of naming Mays as the projected replacement last week, it seems as though the 2022 sixth-rounder has the edge in the battle. Other options still include veterans Justin McCray and Michael Jordan as well as rookie Chandler Zavala, who is also currently sidelined with a hamstring injury.
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On Tuesday, Panthers GM Scott Fitterer mentioned Chandler Zavala, Cade Mays and Justin McCray as potential candidates to fill in at RG for Austin Corbett.
Austin Corbett may be back sooner than expected, but the Carolina Panthers will still need a starting right guard at the beginning of the season.
General manager Scott Fitterer talked to reporters (on report day) in Spartanburg, S.C. on Tuesday. Among the handful of topics he addressed was that likely void on the interior of the offensive line, one that doesn’t have a solution just yet.
“No, I don’t know that yet,” he replied when asked if second-year guard Cade Mays would be Corbett’s temporary replacement. “It’s a wide-open competition. The good thing is we have numbers in there. We have versatility in there. Brady’s [Christensen] back, he’s fully healthy. Austin, he’s pushing to get back. He’s ahead of schedule. We’ll see what that means. We won’t know until like cut day, like where he’s at.”
Corbett tore his ACL in the 2022 season finale against the New Orleans Saints. Although there seems to be some encouraging progress for the 27-year-old, the Panthers are prepared to enter the campaign without him.
As a result, some of the young and newer hog mollies must also be prepared—including 2023 fourth-round pick Chandler Zavala.
“But those young guys really need to push,” Fitterer added. “And Zavala coming in—and unfortunately, he tweaked his hamstring last week, so he’s gonna be a couple weeks. But he’ll be in that mix. So Zavala, Cade Mays, Justin McCray—all those guys pushin’ and we like that group inside.”
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With the battles of Spartanburg about to begin, here are the Panthers’ six most important training camp competitions for the summer.
2023 Carolina Panthers training camp is here! (Well, just about.)
With rookies reporting on Saturday and veterans on Tuesday, the summer action is set to begin. So, which pieces of that action will have the most impact heading into the regular season?
Here are the six most important Spartanburg battles for the Panthers this year:
Here’s how the Panthers’ hog mollies are stacking up in the “Madden NFL 24” ratings:
For the first time in some time, the Carolina Panthers seem to have an offensive line they can rely upon. But do the folks over at EA Sports feel the same way?
Here are the “Madden NFL 24” ratings for the team’s offensive linemen:
Second-year hog molly Cade Mays may be the Panthers’ choice to fill in for starting RG Austin Corbett after all.
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The Carolina Panthers have the meats and they’re not afraid to use them.
With right guard Austin Corbett expected to miss the start of the 2023 campaign, a temporary starting job on the team’s interior offensive line has opened up. And according to Joe Person of The Athletic, it may very well be cult favorite Cade Mays who’s been earmarked as the favorite for the gig.
Person, in his pre-training camp roster breakdown, writes:
The former Tennessee lineman was a fun story his rookie season when he would line up in the backfield as a beefy fullback in the “Arby’s” package. But there’s more pressure this year on Mays, who appears to be the choice at right guard until Corbett returns.
The 2022 sixth-round selection played in 51 offensive snaps during his rookie campaign. 34 of those reps came at right guard in his Week 18 relief appearance for Corbett, who tore his ACL earlier in the season finale.
Mays recently stated that most of his work this offseason has come out of the right guard and center spots.
“I feel more confident,” Mays said, via Augusta Stone of Panthers.com. “I feel like I know the playbook better. I’ve been playing the majority (of reps) at right guard and center. I feel comfortable at those spots, and I just feel prepared. Like I come out here, and I feel like I’m ready.”
Other challengers for Mays’ apparent pole position could include veterans Justin McCray and Michael Jordan and 2023 fourth-round pick Chandler Zavala.
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With Austin Corbett expected to miss the start of the season, the Panthers could turn to a more confident and comfortable Cade Mays.
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With starting right guard Austin Corbett expected to miss the early portions of the 2023 season, Chandler Zavala has quickly become the presumed favorite to fill the fifth spot on the Carolina Panthers offensive line. And why not?
The 2023 fourth-round pick was a force North Carolina State University, he already has some chemistry with fellow Wolfpack member Ikem Ekwonu and he quickly endeared himself to the current regime. Zavala could hold the fort down for Corbett or even fall into his natural position on the left side while kicking Brady Christensen over to the right.
But there’s another young hog molly that will challenge for honors—Cade Mays. The 2022 sixth-rounder, via Augusta Stone of Panthers.com, said most of his work during minicamp and organized team activities came at right guard and center.
“I feel more confident,” Mays said. “I feel like I know the playbook better. I’ve been playing the majority (of reps) at right guard and center. I feel comfortable at those spots, and I just feel prepared. Like I come out here, and I feel like I’m ready.”
34 of Mays’ 51 offensive snaps as a rookie came in relief of Corbett, after the veteran right guard tore his ACL in the season finale against the New Orleans Saints. He didn’t do too shabby either, earning himself a 69.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in that very effort.
So if the confidence and comfortability continue to rise through the summer and into his second campaign, Mays could be in for an even longer relief appearance for Corbett and the Panthers in 2023.
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A look at how former Vols performed as rookies in the 2022 NFL season.
The 2022 NFL season concluded Sunday with Super Bowl LVII.
Kansas City defeated Philadelphia, 38-35, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Former Vol Trey Smith won the Super Bowl championship as an offensive lineman with the Chiefs.
Five former Vols were selected in the 2022 NFL draft and completed their rookie seasons.
The five selections were the most for Tennessee since the 2017 NFL draft.
Following the conclusion of the 2022 season, Vols Wire looks at how former Tennessee players performed in their rookie NFL campaign.
Rookie statistics for Matthew Butler, Theo Jackson, Velus Jones Jr., Cade Mays and Alontae Taylor are listed below.
This week’s snap count standouts for the Panthers feature a little bit of everything—including Sam Franklin Jr., who did a little bit of everything.
The Carolina Panthers are starting to settle in to their sweet spot under interim head coach Steve Wilks. The competitiveness is always present, the success is more frequent and the roles of the players are becoming more defined.
That was evident in their snap counts throughout the Week 12 win over the Denver Broncos, where we have three standouts from each phase of the ball.
Which four Panthers can really make their respective cases for a 53-man roster spot tonight?
Although the main attraction for tonight’s preseason finale between the Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Bills is quarterback Baker Mayfield and his first-team offense, there will be smaller battles worth keeping an eye on in this one. And those smaller battles will help determine what this 53-man roster looks like come Week 1.
So, here are the four most intriguing Panthers to watch with exhibition play winding down and the roster bubble almost set to burst.
