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The Panthers have started to trim down their roster for the 2021 regular season. Keep track of all the cuts here.
The Carolina Panthers will have until Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET to clean up their roster. Per league rules, the team must get down to 53 men for the upcoming regular season.
Keep track of all the cuts here.
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C Sam Tecklenburg and RT/RG Brady Christensen stepped up for the Panthers on Sunday.
The Carolina Panthers strolled into Lucas Oil Stadium yesterday afternoon relatively shorthanded for their 2021 preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts. Each of the team’s projected starters didn’t touch their pads, plus they were already dealing with a handful of injuries to the 90-man roster.
So, with the results now officially in, did Sunday’s snap counts come out a little funky? Well, all in all, they were probably what many would’ve expected to be.
But, more importantly, what can we deduce from these early numbers?
A healthy McCaffrey is a scary threat to every NFL defense.
Over the next few weeks, we’re taking a look at each position on the Panthers 2021 squad, evaluating the changes since 2020 and projecting the unit’s outlook for this season.
Following our evaluation of Sam Darnold and the quarterback room, we’ll switch gears and take a look at the running game, highlighted by Christian McCaffrey.
Major changes: Depth moves
When McCaffrey missed most of Carolina’s 2020 season due to injury, one player stepped up in a big way. Mike Davis had a stellar year, totaling 1,015 yards from scrimmage, eight touchdowns and a whole lot of forced missed tackles. McCaffrey’s anticipated comeback in 2021 had ramifications on that depth, though, with the Panthers losing Davis to the division-rival Atlanta Falcons early in free agency.
While there wasn’t a significant free-agent signing to compensate for that loss, the Panthers addressed the need with a big splash in the fourth round of the NFL draft, selecting Oklahoma State back Chuba Hubbard.
Hubbard (6-foot, 201 pounds) was known as one of the best rushers in college football a couple of seasons ago, especially after he ran for 2,094 yards and 21 touchdowns in just his Sophomore campaign with Oklahoma State. Hubbard looked to be a Day 2 lock until he got hurt. An injury-riddled 2020 season led to a steep slide down draft boards, allowing Carolina to select him in round four, something that would have sounded impossible just a year earlier. Assuming Hubbard is healthy again, he’ll be another versatile pass-catching, between-the-tackles back who may even prove to be an upgrade over Davis.
The big question: How fast can McCaffrey bounce back?
When a team’s best player only suits up for three games in a season, it usually doesn’t bring about many wins. Last year’s Panthers were no exception. Struck by injury after injury, McCaffrey was left on the sidelines 13 games, contributing to a less-than-ideal 5-11 finish. Still, most analysts agree that McCaffrey will return to form. The third-ever 1,000-1,000 rusher and receiver recently made PFF’s list of the NFL’s 50 best players in 2021.
Better or worse? Better
This unit decisively got better this offseason. A healthy McCaffrey is a scary threat to every NFL defense and adding Hubbard could lead to another potent Carolina 1-2 punch. Further down the depth chart, there’s Reggie Bonnafon, who was also bit by the injury bug last year, looks to be the frontrunner for the RB3 spot, but we should expect a competition. Return specialists like Trenton Cannon and fullbacks like Mikey Daniel are also vying for a roster spot, each bringing a different dimension to a complete and a well-rounded running back room.
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So far, two moves have been reported.
After last night’s flurry of defensive free agent signings, the Panthers have been relatively quiet today. So far, two moves have been reported.
Veteran cornerback Rashaan Melvin is signing a one-year deal. Melvin is 31 years old and has been kicking around the league since 2013. For an undrafted free agent from a small college (Northern Illinois) that’s nothing to sneeze at. Melvin has suited up for several teams, most recently with the Lions in 2019.
Melvin is far from the top cornerback on the market – at the moment Richard Sherman and Troy Hill are still available. Signing him doesn’t necessarily mean the Panthers won’t acquire another one, as team reporter Darin Gantt suggested after the news broke.
Corner was absolutely on the list. And it still is. https://t.co/fDQf5GjJ9E
— Darin Gantt (@daringantt) March 18, 2021
Melvin started 12 of 13 games with Detroit in 2019 and 40 of 64 in his pro career. There’s no guarantee he’ll start opposite Donte Jackson in 2021, though.
If nothing else, Melvin offers plus size and length (6-foot-2, 194 pounds) in addition to that experience for a very young cornerback room that saw Jackson as a sort of a senior statesman last year.
Our best guess is that Melvin will wind up being the No. 3 corner in the rotation, ensuring that Troy Pride Jr. isn’t thrust into a role he isn’t quite ready for. The Panthers will either need to sign another veteran or invest an early-round pick in this spot for us to feel satisfied.
The other news of the day is in the backfield: Darius Clark is also signing a one-year deal. He’s a local product who played college ball at Newberry. Clark was a standout at the recent HUB football camp.
Signing Clark (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) likely indicates Carolina won’t be re-signing Mike Davis, who became a free agent yesterday.
It’s tough to tell where they see Clark on the depth chart at this point in time other than it being lower than Christian McCaffrey. Trenton Cannon, Reggie Bonnafon and Rodney Smith are all still under contract, so Clark might have to push one of them out to earn a roster spot.
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