CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers open the 2022 NFL regular season against the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 11 at Bank of America Stadium.
The uncertainty surrounding the 53-man roster is who will be the starting quarterback? Does incumbent Sam Darnold compete against rookie Matt Corral and former XFL star P.J. Walker for the job in training camp? Or do the Panthers add a veteran such as the Browns' Baker Mayfield or San Francisco 49ers' Jimmy Garoppolo?
The rest of the roster is stronger, so the success of this team depends on consistent play at quarterback that hasn't been there since the first half of the 2018 season with Cam Newton.
Here's a 53-man roster projection heading into the summer break:
QUARTERBACK (3): Sam Darnold, Matt Corral, P.J. Walker
There should be a TBD here because the Panthers continue to leave the door open for a veteran to join this group. Carolina drafted Corral in Round 3 after failed attempts to trade for Mayfield, who remains on the team radar along with Garoppolo. If the Browns pay most of Mayfield's 2022 salary ($18.8 million) or release him, there are some inside the organization who believe the first pick of the 2018 draft would be a better option to start than Darnold, the third pick in 2018.
RUNNING BACK (4): Christian McCaffrey, D'Onta Foreman, Chuba Hubbard, Giovanni Ricci (FB)
Keeping McCaffrey healthy is the objective, as the Panthers attempt to become more of a power-running team under new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. McCaffrey has missed 23 of the past 33 games, so look for former Tennessee Titans backup Foreman and Hubbard to take some of the load off the eighth pick of the 2017 draft. The job Foreman did while Derrick Henry was injured last season at Tennessee gives the staff confidence it can survive should McCaffrey miss time again.
WIDE RECEIVER (6): DJ Moore, Robbie Anderson, Terrace Marshall Jr., Rashard Higgins, Brandon Zylstra, Shi Smith
Getting Anderson back to the level he was at two years ago when he topped 1,000 yards receiving will be key. Coach Matt Rhule expects a "ton of production'' from him in McAdoo's system. Getting Marshall Jr. to be more productive and play a bigger role in his second season also is key with depth beyond them shaky at best. McCaffrey noted a "massive leap'' in Marshall during OTAs.
TIGHT END (3): Ian Thomas, Tommy Tremble, Colin Thompson
Thomas never has fulfilled his promise as a receiver, but the Panthers thought enough of his ability as a blocker and potential as a receiver to give him a new three-year, $16.95 million deal. Tremble showed flashes of being a productive weapon as a rookie. Stephen Sullivan could be the third option instead of Thompson.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): T Ikem Ekwonu, T Taylor Moton, T Cameron Erving, G-T Brady Christensen, G Austin Corbett, G Michael Jordan, G-C Pat Elflein, G Deonte Brown, C Bradley Bozeman
Upgrading the line was a priority during the offseason, and general manager Scott Fitterer did that. He used the sixth overall pick on a franchise left tackle in Ekwonu. He added veterans Bozeman (center) and Corbett (guard) in free agency to solidify a unit that gave up 52 sacks (fifth most in the NFL) last season. This unit should be considerably better.
DEFENSIVE LINE (9): DE Brian Burns, DE Yetur Gross-Matos, DE Marquis Haynes Sr., DE Amare Barno, T Derrick Brown, T Matt Ioannidis, Daviyon Nixon, T Bravvion Roy, T Phil Hoskins
Losing sack leader Haason Reddick in free agency was a blow, but Burns is becoming a star after making his first Pro Bowl, and Gross-Matos (when healthy) can be productive on the edge and inside. Adding Ioannidis beside Brown was big in free agency because of his familiarity with defensive coordinator Phil Snow's system from his days with Snow at Temple.
LINEBACKER (6): Shaq Thompson, Frankie Luvu, Cory Littleton, Brandon Smith, Damien Wilson, Julian Stanford
Luvu was signed to a two-year extension because the staff believes he can replace Reddick (see above) as an edge rusher in a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme. The middle of the defense was strengthened with the addition of Wilson, but his status depends on offseason charges of assaulting his ex-girlfriend.
CORNERBACK (6): Jaycee Horn, Donte Jackson, Myles Hartsfield, CJ Henderson, Rashaan Melvin, Kalon Barnes.
This could be the strength of the defense. Horn is returning healthy after a fractured foot in Week 3 ended a promising rookie season. He's the real deal. Re-signing Jackson shored up the other corner spot, and former first-round pick Henderson should prosper after a year in the system. This group is young, fast and deep.
SAFETY (4): Jeremy Chinn, Xavier Woods, Juston Burris, Sean Chandler
One of the first things new secondary coach Steve Wilks did was insist Chinn remain at safety instead of returning to linebacker, where he played much of his rookie season in 2020. But Chinn will move around, and the addition of Woods in free agency makes this position, like the secondary, a real strength.
SPECIALISTS (3): K Zane Gonzalez, P Johnny Hekker, DS J.J. Jansen
Re-signing Gonzalez and signing Hekker, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, from the Super Bowl champion Rams in free agency makes this group one of the most solid in the NFL. The only question is whether Jansen, 36, can again fend off 2021 sixth-round pick Thomas Fletcher, and that isn't really a big question.