For Reference - Panthers 2015 Roster: Week by Week & Snap Counts (updated with "snaps lost" - see p 2)

[KB_fan]

Good points @Bartin.  I wasn't trying too hard to argue that drafting Butler solves the problem, just noticing that when we couldn't rotate in fresh players at DT due to injury, our defense suffered.

I agree that it's not looking very likely that we'll keep 5 DTs on the roster, especially with the DEs (Miley?) and CBs we're wanting to develop and get some reps.  Kyle Love is likely on the bubble...

 

[KB_fan]

Here's a first crack at a look at snaps we need to replace.  First, looking at the defense, which had much more significant turnover.

As you can see, we've lost 7 players on defense, including 2 every-game starters (Norman & Harper).   Allen, Edwards & Tillman also were significant parts of the roster.

Overall, we need to "replace" nearly one-third of our snaps on defense!  Wow.  Most of that, of course, is among the DBs, with the loss of Norman, Tillman, Finnegan & Harper.

Here's the breakdown position by position:

1. DE:  We don't have an obvious "(new) replacement" for Jared Allen.  We have not brought in any new DEs on the roster.  Most likely his snaps will be given to Kony Ealy who is expected to become a starter.  Young DEs such as Delaire and Miley (if they both make the roster) will see more snaps. 

 

2. DT:  Dwan Edwards:   We've added Paul Soliai to the DT roster, as well as our first-round draftee Vernon Butler.  Assuming both play up to expectations, we shouldn't miss Edwards' snaps.

 

3. CB:  Nornan / Tillman / Finnegan:  Obviously CB is where we've had our biggest roster shakeup, and where the roster is most in flux.  Here's a closer look at Snaps Lost for just the CBs:

Overall we've lost more than two-thirds of our total CB snaps for 2015, and about 34% of the CB snaps on Special Teams.

Possible replacements for Tillman include our draftees Bradberry and Worley, or Robert McClain vying for one of the starting CB positions on the outside.   Bene hopefully will be back at full health & strength to start on the outside as CB#1 ("replacing" Josh).

Vying for Finnegan's role in the slot (or more accurately Bene's role, since he played slot for most of 2015 until his injury) will be newly added FA Brandon Boykin and our 5th round draft pick Sanchez.

 

4. Safety:  Tre Boston is penciled in to start in place of Roman Harper.  We've also added Trenton Robinson in the offseason.  Then there are players on our roster includlng Dean Marlowe and Colin Jones who will be in the mix competing for snaps at safety.   It's not out of the question that we could add another safety to the roster should someone become available that Gettleman & our coaches think can fit the Panthers well.

 

The turnover has been much less drastic on Offense.  I'll post that "LOST SNAPS" analysis in a little while.

[csx]

Allen was only here because of CJs injury so those snaps should be covered more or less.

[KB_fan]

Here's the "Snaps Lost" for Offense - it's pretty minor:

1. Oline:

We lost some solid Oline depth in Velasco and Silatolu. Oh, and Chandler left too (he was on IR all season after week 1, when he was inactive). (Many of us would say Chandler was no loss!).  Velasco has been replaced by Gino Gradkowski.  Silatolu could still possibly be re-signed if we feel we need him, but Chris Scott is still on the roster, and there's some young Oline guys on Futures contracts who could be promising.   Personally, I would like us to sign another OT (with playing experience) for backup / depth.  We only carried 8 Oline on the roster for much of last season, and that feels like it was a risk I'd rather we don't repleat.

 

2. FB:  Richie Brockel barely played last season before being sent to IR, then waived.  Don't think he'll be missed.  We've got new draftee Beau Sandland (TE) and UDFAs Andrew Bonnet (FB/TE) and also Devon "Rockhead" Johnson (RB/FB) all competing for a role to help beef up blocking.

 

3. WR:

Many threads have already been written about WR competion, and many more will be written.  Cotchery's role was as a (normally!) sure-handed possession receiver who could make clutch catches and move the chains.  He also had a role in mentoring the young WRs on the roster.   At this point having not recently seen the WRs who didn't play much (if at all) in 2015, it's hard to know who's in the lead to replace Cotch.  Sight unseen, my gut leads me to give the early lead to Hill or possibly Bersin(!), with Norwood a somewhat distant 3rd.   Bersin by all accounts is a good mentor to the youhg guys, and he is usually pretty reliable to catch the ball and get clutch 1st downs.  But as has been discussed ad nauseum, he might not have much more ceiling, so he's by no means likely.  I just don't think he can be totally dismissed out of hand.  His rapport with Cam doesn't hurt his cause.   But if we think Hill has a shot, with this being his make or break chance, if the reports of his shining last year in Training Camp are anything more than polite sympathy for a guy who was injured, Hill is quite possibly the favorite here.   Without seeing Garrett, I really have no idea if he's got a chance to make the roster.  His story of coming back from injury and his production are exciting, however.  He'll be a dark horse to watch.

 

But overall, we've got amazing continuity at Offense, and our #1 WR returning from the IR.  I hope it portends more offensive fireworks.  Last season was amazing.   Never thought I'd see the Panthers with the #1 scoring offense.  (I wasn't so much doubting Cam as Shula....  Kudos to Shula for a really nice job maximizing our offense's strengths last season while generally working around the weaknesses.  It was so much fun to watch!)

 

[A P.S. re: Bersin:  I really don't think his chance of making the roster is high.  Perhaps 10-15% at best.  After all, he didn't initially make the 53 last year even after KB was injured and the competition perhaps less daunting than it is this season.  But that was with Cotchery on the roster.  Bersin was called up to the 53 to replace Cotch when Cotch was out with an ankle injury.  So, nNow that Cotch is gone, Bersin does kind of fit the mold of that kind of fairly clutch possession receiver, with good size.  That's why I'm keeping him in the discussion, at least marginally... he filled in pretty well for Cotch last year when Cotch was injured.  It's not entirely impossible that he could fill Cotch's spot in 2016.]