After one of the Panthers’ OTA sessions, second-year coach Matt Rhule summed up the inherent challenges of evaluating practices in which live contact is prohibited.
Rhule was praising the offense’s execution in a two-minute drill (which the Panthers worked on a lot this spring, by the way). But in the next breath, Rhule pointed out that in a real game situation, the defense might have snuffed out the hurry-up offense with several sacks.
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Still, Rhule and his staff had four weeks of on-field work with virtually the entire roster, with the exceptions of wideout Robby Anderson (who showed up for the mandatory minicamp), first-round pick Jaycee Horn (who missed two practices while his agent applied pressure on the front office to get the South Carolina cornerback signed) and about 10 players who sat out with injuries.
That’s a month more than Rhule had with his team during his first spring, affording him a better feel for his talent level across the board — even without the benefit of full-contact drills.
Asked after the second of two minicamp practices last week which position groups were further ahead than he anticipated, Rhule pointed to the cornerbacks.
“We brought so many guys in. I think Rashaan Melvin’s had a really good camp. A.J. Bouye’s had a really good camp. Then we have young guys who are learning as they go,” Rhule said. “And Donte (Jackson) is growing as a player, which I really like a lot of the things that Donte’s done. So I’d say corner is a position that stands out to me in terms of just making some steps.”
That got us thinking about which position groups are the strongest for the Panthers and which figure to make Rhule and general manager Scott Fitterer the most anxious over the next 11 weeks before the start of the regular season.
Certainly, the roster looks deeper and better than during Rhule’s first season. But there are still holes — and surrounding some key spots.
With that in mind, The Athletic ranks each of the Panthers’ positions — including the specialists — from least worrisome to most, taking into account not just the starters but the backups and new additions, as well.
11. Defensive line
Analysis: The Panthers’ front four features a pair of first-round picks in edge rusher Brian Burns, a star in the making, and defensive tackle Derrick Brown, who’s looking for a big jump in his second season. Burns should benefit from the arrival of Haason Reddick, another pass-rush specialist who’s listed as an outside linebacker. Fitterer beefed up the interior by signing former Titans defensive tackle DaQuan Jones, a proven veteran who’s more of a run stuffer than an explosive penetrator. Defensive ends Yetur Gross-Matos and Morgan Fox are strong enough to play outside on running downs and athletic enough to move inside on passing downs and create mismatches with their speed. In terms of depth, nose tackle Bravvion Roy, who was forced to start as a rookie, should be more effective with limited reps.
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10. Wide receiver
Analysis: Rhule said the Panthers have to figure out who their third, fourth and fifth receivers are when they get to training camp. What was left unspoken: Rhule and offensive coordinator Joe Brady have few worries when it comes to the top two wideouts. DJ Moore and Anderson both topped 1,000 receiving yards and hit career highs in that category last year in Brady’s offense. The Panthers lost a lot of speed and playmaking ability when Curtis Samuel signed with Washington. They signed former Seahawks slot receiver David Moore in free agency, then drafted a pair of wideouts in second-round pick Terrace Marshall Jr. and sixth-rounder Shi Smith. If Marshall can stay healthy and produce as the No. 3 receiver, this group could be lethal.
9. Cornerback
Analysis: After watching the defense struggle to get off the field on third downs last season, the Panthers wanted to bring in a couple of press-man corners who would give defensive coordinator Phil Snow more flexibility to go after the passer. They used a top-10 pick on Horn, who looks the part of a shutdown corner with his size, speed and physicality. They also added veterans Melvin and Bouye in free agency, the latter of whom was a former Pro Bowler in Jacksonville who can play outside corner and nickel. “Jaycee’s going to be a really good player and a valuable part of our team,” Rhule said. “A.J.’s been to the Pro Bowl. Donte’s an elite player. We’ve just got to keep him healthy and keep him moving in the direction he’s going right now.” Jackson played a career-low 64.4 percent of the defensive snaps while battling a turf toe in 2020 but says he’s feeling good entering a contract year.
8. Running back
Analysis: I can envision the comments already: “The Panthers should be worried about running back after Christian McCaffrey was hurt all of last season.” I get that. But two things: First, the Panthers have one All-Pro on this roster, and it’s McCaffrey. And as I’ve written before, I don’t view his three separate injuries last year as a trend or symptomatic of wear and tear. Is there concern if McCaffrey were to miss time again? Of course, especially without a proven back behind him. But in Reggie Bonnafon and fourth-round pick Chuba Hubbard, the Panthers have two guys who may lack Mike Davis’ power but are more of a threat to take one to the house.
7. Outside linebacker
Analysis: If this position is keeping Snow up at night, it’s because he’s dreaming of the different things he can do schematically with this group despite losing its best player, with Jeremy Chinn shifting mostly to safety. That speaks to the versatility of free-agent pickups Reddick (a career-high 12 1/2 sacks in 2020) and Frankie Luvu, who can line up as standup edge rushers or play in space. The downside is some offenses will look to run at the 6-foot-1, 235-pound Reddick. So it will be imperative for Snow, who coached Reddick at Temple, to put him in positions to maximize his skill set without jeopardizing the rush defense. Helping with that will be weakside linebacker Shaq Thompson, who added 10 pounds in the offseason and is coming off back-to-back 100-tackle seasons.
6. Specialists
Punter
Analysis: The worry with Joseph Charlton during his first season wasn’t his punting; it was his holding, which affected the field goal/point-after operation in a couple of instances. With Charlton cleaning that up, according to special-teams coordinator Chase Blackburn, he should be considered to hold on to the punting job in his competition with rookie Oscar Draguicevich. Charlton ranked fourth in the NFL by landing 46.7 percent of his punts inside the 20 and finished with a 40.8-yard net average, fourth-best in Panthers history. Draguicevich, an undrafted free agent from Washington State, ranked third in the country with a 46.7-yard average in 2020.
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Long snapper
Analysis: The Panthers have had little to worry about since J.J. Jansen became the snapper in 2009. His last bad snap came in the 2010 opener against the Giants, a remarkable stretch that included a Pro Bowl appearance in 2013. But the 35-year-old is competing this summer with sixth-round pick Thomas Fletcher, the 22-year-old from Alabama who was considered by some to be the best long snapper in the draft. If the Panthers go with Fletcher, it’s reasonable to think there could be some nerves — for him and those who made the decision.
Kicker
Analysis: Joey Slye has already held off three challengers before even getting to training camp — two who were briefly on the roster (Lirim Hajrullahu and Matt Ammendola) and another who tried out during minicamp but was not signed (Zane Gonzalez). Slye’s problems on long field goals last season have been well documented. But he was hitting the ball well this spring after meeting with a sports psychologist during the offseason. It seems likely the Panthers will bring in another kicker for camp. But Slye’s issues haven’t been in practice. It’s the end-of-game situations where the former Virginia Tech kicker has gone sideways.
5. Tight end
Analysis: The two-day minicamp was a microcosm of Ian Thomas’ career: glimpses of athleticism and playmaking potential sandwiched between plays that made you question whether Thomas can be the guy. Thomas caught a short touchdown pass from Sam Darnold during Wednesday’s final session but dropped two other passes, including one in the end zone. It was a disappointing end to what had been a promising showing in OTAs and minicamp. “Ian’s had such a good camp. I hate for him that — he caught one earlier down there for a touchdown,” Rhule said. “So he’s having another good day, then dropped this one to win it, then dropped another one. Drops are unacceptable.” The Panthers brought in reinforcements in the event (likelihood?) Thomas couldn’t nail down the job. And maybe a committee approach could work with Thomas, Dan Arnold and Tommy Tremble, the third-round pick from Notre Dame who looks like he could develop into a complete tight end.
4. Quarterback
Analysis: It was an uneven spring for Darnold as the former Jet struggled with tipped passes and inconsistency while learning Brady’s offense. Rhule chalked up some of Darnold’s issues to the fact coaches heaped a lot on the plates of Darnold and backups P.J. Walker and Will Grier. Still, Rhule conceded that those spring mistakes could be problematic for a quarterback who threw 39 interceptions in three seasons in New York. “Tips and overthrows are where most interceptions come from,” Rhule said. “And so I think we’re still a work in progress in a lot of different areas.” Darnold and Rhule said the 2018 No. 3 overall pick needs to be better stepping up and sliding in the pocket to create throwing lanes. Though coaches and players raved about Darnold’s arm strength and demeanor, the 24-year-old has to see the field better than he did in New York or Rhule’s going to be looking for another quarterback for the third year in a row.
3. Safety
Analysis: I guess there could be some trepidation in shifting Chinn to a new position. But last year’s second-round pick played safety at Southern Illinois, and he’s an exceptional talent who was among the Panthers’ best players the minute he showed up last summer. The two safety spots are kind of interchangeable in Snow’s scheme. But if the goal is to prolong Chinn’s career by moving him to the back end, then it would seem to make sense to have Juston Burris as the primary strong safety. In either event, don’t expect Chinn to be standing still. “We won’t pigeonhole into one position,” Snow said. “We can maximize him by doing a lot of different things with him, and you’ll see us do that again this year.” Depth is a definite concern. Former Pro Bowl safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix tried out for the Panthers last week but left without a contract.
2. Offensive line
Analysis: I’m not sure how much Rhule learned about the left tackle spot this spring, considering two of the job candidates (Cam Erving and Trent Scott) were sidelined with unspecified health/injury issues and another guy expected to compete for the spot (third-round pick Brady Christensen) got most of his reps at right tackle, according to Rhule. “I think most of us just like length a little bit more on the left side,” Rhule said. “I think he’s a guy that can go inside and be an excellent guard. I’ve been really pleased with his ability to play (right) tackle.” Rhule said Dennis Daley has looked good on the left side, and Erving and Scott are expected to rejoin the fray in Spartanburg. The rest of the line looks set for now with right tackle Taylor Moton, center Matt Paradis and guards John Miller and Pat Elflein, who allowed 16 pressures in six games last year after the Jets claimed him on waivers. The Panthers hope to get a long-term deal done with Moton before the July 15 deadline. Otherwise, he’ll make $13.75 million under the franchise tag.
1. Inside linebacker
Analysis: The Panthers replaced Luke Kuechly in the scouting department. They’re still looking for his replacement on the field. After Tahir Whitehead was unimpressive in his only season in Charlotte, the Panthers signed former Charger Denzel Perryman to a two-year, $6 million deal. Perryman, 28, is a liability in coverage but a punishing tackler when healthy. That was seldom the case in San Diego/L.A., where he failed to play a full season in six years. The other option is Jermaine Carter, who started the final six games last year after initially getting off on the wrong foot with Rhule for reasons that were never explained. The Panthers have drafted 11 defensive players in Rhule’s first two years, none of which has been a linebacker. Depending on how Carter and Perryman perform, it might be time.
(Top photo of D.J. Moore and Christian McCaffrey: Jim Dedmon / USA Today)
