2015 Carolina Panthers Final Roster Projection

[Jeremy Igo]

Here is my final 2015 Carolina Panthers roster projection. 

 

Offense - 26

Quarterback - 3
Cam Newton
Derek Anderson
Joe Webb

Note: Remember, Webb can also play that large possession receiver spot if needed. This allows the Panthers to keep only 5 receivers. 

Running Back - 4
Jonathan Stewart
Fozzy Whitaker
Cameron Artis-Payne
Jordan Todman

Note: With Jonathan Stewart entering what is probably his last season in Carolina, Panthers keep an extra back for continuity into 2016. 

Fullback - 1
Mike Tolbert

Tight End - 4
Greg Olsen
Ed Dickson
Scott Simonson
Richie Brockel

Note: Simonson has come on strong as of late and is kept as injury insurance. If Olsen or Dickson get injured, the Panthers offense would suffer greatly without a backup pass catching tight end. Brockel is kept for special teams and short yardage. Brandon Williams to IR possible. He has missed all of camp and preseason. Panthers could still keep him instead of Simonson though. Tough call. 

Wide Receiver - 5
Devin Funchess
Corey Brown
Ted Ginn
Brenton Bersin
Jerricho Cotchery

Note: I like Boykin and this is a very tough call. But keeping both Bersin and Boykin is fairly pointless as they are the same player. Boykin has a little more athletic ability but Bersin is more reliable. In a Ron Rivera locker room, reliability wins the spot. Personally, I would be very tempted to go with Boykin, but I don't think Rivera will. 

Offensive Line - 9
Michael Oher
Andrew Norwell
Ryan Kalil
Trai Turner
Mike Remmers
Daryl Williams
Chris Scott
Amini Silatolu 
Nate Chandler

Note: Panthers could opt to waive Brian Folkerts and use Mike Remmers as the backup center. This frees up roster space and makes room for the day that Daryl Williams is starting (it will happen this season). 

 

Defense: 24

Defensive Line - 9
Charles Johnson
Star Lotulelei 
Kawaan Short
Kony Ealy
Colin Cole
Dwan Edwards
Mario Addison
Kyle Love
Wes Horton

Note: Really strong group here. 

Linebacker - 5
Thomas Davis
Luke Kuechly
Shaq Thompson
AJ Klein
Adarius Glanton

Note: I have taken Mayo off the roster here. I just cannot see why you would keep him when he would so obviously clear waivers and land on the practice squad.  Cutting Trusnik and keeping Glanton instead helps the Panthers 2016 compensatory draft pick odds. 

Safety - 4
Roman Harper
Tre Boston
Kurt Coleman
Colin Jones

Note: Pretty much a lock here. Jones can move up into that buffalo nickel spot the Panthers love so much. 

Corners - 6
Josh Norman
Bene Benwikere
Charles Tillman
Teddy Williams
Melvin White
TJ Heath

Note: Teddy Williams has done enough to make this team in preseason. Special teams cause is helped by his addition. 

Special Teams - 3

Kicker - Graham Gano
Punter - Brad Nortman
Long Snapper - JJ Jansen 

Practice Squad - 9
Carrington Byndom
Damiere Byrd
Brandon Wegher (crossing fingers)
David Foucault
Marcus Lucas
Dean Marlowe
Martin Wallace

David Mayo

Rakim Cox

Terry Redden. 

View full article

[Proudiddy]

I agree with your projections, although I'm hoping Brandon Williams makes the active roster over Simonson, but it does seem like they are subtly moving away from BWil. 

Also, just looking at WR...   YUCK. 

[CarolinaNut]

if you want the 53 best players DG should not let RR into the room when making the cuts..RR will lobby for his favorites

if it were me i would cut Todman and just roll with Stew, Fozzy, and CAP..then i would keep boykin..the rest looks pretty spot on..how about TJ Heath if he makes the 53..that would be awesome!

[Silent Majority]

Bersin and Boykin are essentially the same? I have never seen that kid break a tackle or win 1 on 1 in a game in his short career here. He is where YAC goes to die....but he is JR's neighbor, blah, blah, blah. The damn cronyism is absurd.

Edited August 31, 2015 by Silent Majority
Fat fingers

[top dawg]

Well, knowing Gman and Rivera,  you are probably spot on.  They are conservative to a fault in just about everything they do. 

We will likely get similar results as the last couple of years provided that injuries don't sabotage the season. 

[KB_fan]

TJ Heath was really one of the surprise stories out of camp.  He started making plays from day 1.

And Simonson, talk about a sleeper... it would be interesting to see how many mentions he's had on here in the past month.  Not a lot until we all realized how much play time he got against NE.

I'd cut Foucault from the PS, maybe give that spot to Ricky Henry or Miley?

Linebackers:  You said Mayo to the PS, but then don't have him listed there.

It wouldn't surprise me if we kept Boykin and 6 WRs early in the season given how little playing time Funchess has had... 

[KB_fan]

Well, knowing Gman and Rivera,  you are probably spot on.  They are conservative to a fault in just about everything they do. 

We will likely get similar results as the last couple of years provided that injuries don't sabotage the season. 

LOL,  Got to love the Huddle whiplash.  In one thread it's damn, how can we ever expect to be a good team if we keep filling our roster with UDFAs.  On another thread it's damn, Rivera & Gettleman are too conservative and won't give our team a chance by putting the UDFAs on the roster.

[I'm mostly thinking of Wegher here... obviously Boykin is not a UDFA.]

[L-TownCat]

Bersin and Boykin are essentially the same? I have never seen that kid break a tackle or win 1 on 1 in a game in his short career here. He is where YAC goes to die....but he is JR's neighbor, blah, blah, blah. The damn cronyism is absurd.

so you think because Bersin mowed JRs grass as a kid that means he earned a roster spot?

seems legit.

[TheWiz]

Boykin has been more reliable than Corey Brown in the preseason and he has actually shown in the past with Green Bay that he can be a consistent contributor. I'm totally not trying to cut Corey Brown. But I think we gotta find a way to keep Boykin.

[Silent Majority]

so you think because Bersin mowed JRs grass as a kid that means he earned a roster spot?

seems legit.

about as legit as saying the kid should make the roster simply because he can catch. Minimum requirements much?

[Jeremy Igo]

Boykin has been more reliable than Corey Brown in the preseason and he has actually shown in the past with Green Bay that he can be a consistent contributor. I'm totally not trying to cut Corey Brown. But I think we gotta find a way to keep Boykin.

Coaches take more than preseason into consideration. 

[Chaos]

Yep bring on the same crop of wr's switching Funchess for KB.  I'm beyond ready for us to be good enough at that position so that Bersin doesn't make this team by default.  No offense towards him, but it speaks to the quality, or lack thereof, in that position group. 

Broken fugging record. 

[nctarheel0619]

TJ Heath?  Na bruh.  Na.  

[TheWiz]

totally agree. I also think that Boykin is closer to Funchess skill type should he have injury issues.