Analyzing the Panthers 2017 Post-Draft Roster

[KB_fan]

Ok, here are some side by side comparisons for the defense as a whole, post-draft 2016 vs post-draft 2017.  (UDFAs still not included - will add later this week...):   Of note, I've added tables showing notable players lost or added  in each year's offseason & draft.

Although the defensive roster is slightly smaller in 2017, we have a higher % of returning starters and returning players overall in 2017. (76% returning players in 2017 vs 72% in 2016). 

Really to ask yourself is team better following the 2017 draft than it was following the 2016 draft one only has to look at the key losses / key additions for both seasons.

Prior to the 2016 draft the team lost players like Josh Norman, Charles Tillman, Jared Allen, Roman Harper, and largely replaced them with ineffective free-agents or rookies.

The 2017 season is almost opposite on defense.  The biggest losses on defense in 2017 were Kony Ealy & AJ Klein, both young players with some promise, but neither real cornerstones at their positions.  In terms of additions we brought in future HoF & Panther legend Julius Peppers; Pro-Bowl Mike Adams, very solid veteran Captain Munnerlyn, and two rookies (so far... UDFAs still pending....). 

Yes, I think our roster is BETTER on Defense in 2017 than it was following the draft in 2016!

 

[KB_fan]

15 hours ago, KB_fan said:

Ok, here's the final position on defense.  The safeties. 

I confess this position had some surprises for me.

HA HA HA HA HA HA !

Well talk about surprises!!!  The news of Tre Boston being waived today takes me TOTALLY by surprise!!!

Throw pretty much all I said about safeties out the window...!

Gotta think we're bringing someone in...  really don't think we're going to rely on ST Colin Jones as our primary depth at safety...! 

Does anyone know anything about the two reserve-futures guys we brought in?  McCray & Southward?  Both have 2 years of game experience in the league, but don't know anything at all about them.  (FS? SS?  Did they actually play at S or just special teams???)

 

[KB_fan]

I'd planned to start posting some of the offensive position tables tonight, but I'm fried and the news of the cuts of Tre Boston & others today means I need to make some revisions... so maybe I'll post a few positions tomorrow instead,

[TheSpecialJuan]

32 minutes ago, KB_fan said:

I'd planned to start posting some of the offensive position tables tonight, but I'm fried and the news of the cuts of Tre Boston & others today means I need to make some revisions... so maybe I'll post a few positions tomorrow instead,

Looking forward to it. great work btw

[KB_fan]

So, we have a 90 man roster right now.

1) 80 players prior to draft

2) 7 players drafted  = 87

3) 6 players cut = 81

4) 5 UDFAs signed = 86

5) 1 signed off waivers = 87

6) 3 try out players signed = 90

If last year is any indication, there will still be some tweaks to this over the next week or two...

 

But for all the interest some of us have in the roster additions & subtractions right now, it's helpful perspective to remember that only a tiny number of the UDFAs and tryout players ever make a name for themselves in the NFL.

Here's a refresher on the list of Panthers players added to the roster in the 2016 offseason, draft, UDFAs, tryouts (through May 16 2016, just after Panthers rookie camp)

 

Of these 32 players, 15 are still with the Panthers.   But of the 20 futures signings, tryout player signings and UDFA signings, only 3 saw significant playing time in 2016 (Cash, Norris, Larsen) - and in Larsen's case, that was only due to injuries to Ryan Kalil & Gradkowski....

Tomorrow I'll post a similar color-coded version of the Panthers current 90 man roster, and then continue the analysis of the roster in regards to the offensive side of the ball.

[KB_fan]

Here's a look at the post rookie minicamp roster by position, last year and this year, plus a look at the number and % of newly added players at each position during the 2017 offseason to date.

On twitter some folks were shocked we have 10 LBs on our roster.  As you can see, it's par for the course.  Panthers also had 10 LBs on the roster this time last year. 

Biggest difference I see from last year is decrease in # of DTs and TEs.  Those are also among the positions for which we've brought in the least amount of new blood. (NO new TEs, 1 new DT).

WR & OT have the greatest number of newly added players. 

[shaqattaq]

On 4/30/2017 at 3:51 PM, KB_fan said:

Regarding Safety:  I had forgotten we'd added two other EXPERIENCED free agents in addition to Mike Adams.  So, even though we didn't draft a safety, we already have more competition at that position than we did this time last year...  

McCray has played in 22 NFL games

http://www.panthers.com/team/roster/L.J.-McCray/38b682e0-d779-4d34-86b2-a2bd48c4c28f

Southward has played in 19

http://www.panthers.com/team/roster/Dezmen-Southward/bc233abb-c927-4fa8-9f52-2dd3b5afcf49

These guys have just been totally off my radar up until now.  It will be interesting to see if they can shore up our depth.

From his stats, it looks like McCray got all of hi tackles on ST. Do we know if he actually played in games as Safety in SF? Also, Southward had an impressive rookie year, but only played 3 games in 2015 and was out of football last year. I'm not exactly confident at Safety if something happens to Coleman or Adams. I think we'll be picking someone else up once teams start making cuts. A lot a safeties were drafted that will be expected to start, that means decent players / veterans will get cut.