2020 Carolina Panthers Roster Prediction

[Jeremy Igo]

With the Carolina Panthers making their final cut downs to 53 players later this week, i thought I would take a moment and provide my thoughts on what the final roster will look like. Unsurprisingly, it is vastly different than last year's, and that is a good thing. 

QUARTERBACKS  (3)

Teddy Bridgewater, Will Grier, PJ Walker

All three Carolina Panthers quarterbacks will make the team. However, the backup quarterback position is still up for grabs. According to head coach Matt Rhule that competition will go into the regular season. My gut says PJ Walker will win the position when it is all said and done. 

RUNNING BACKS (4)

Christian McCaffrey, Reggie Bonnafon, Mike Davis, Alex Armah 

Mike Davis has impressed as much as any player this training camp. There is some speculation that Alex Armah may not make the team but I don't see that happening. Armah is more than just a blocking fullback and has flashed ability both running and receiving. 

I hear that Christian McCaffrey guy is pretty good and is a lock. 

WIDE RECEIVERS (7)

DJ Moore, Robby Anderson, Curtis Samuel, Pharoh Cooper, Seth Roberts, Keith Kirkwood, Brandon Zylstra 

Matt Rhule has said that seven receivers is possible that season and I believe him. Joe Brady's offense is high paced and shows a high degree of ingenuity in the passing game. Not a shock for LSU's former passing game coordinator. You need plenty of tools in that of tool chest. 

TIGHT ENDS (3)

Ian Thomas, Chris Manhertz, Free Agent 

Thomas and Manhertz are locks, obviously. But from what I hear the other tight ends have failed to make much of an impression at all. I look for the Carolina Panthers to pick up a free agent once cut downs happen later this week. Or, they may roll with two tight ends and allow Alex Armah to play the position if needed in an emergency. 

OFFENSIVE LINE (9)

Taylor Moton, Russell Okung, John Miller, Dennis Daley, Greg Little, Michael Schofield, Chris Reed, Tyler Larsen, Matt Paradis

All in all this offensive line could be pretty average. That would actually be a huge win for the Panthers. An average offensive line with all this talent around them would yield huge results on the score board. If they could be just average, 30+ point games could be common as soon as this season. 

DEFENSIVE LINE (9)

Kawann Short, Brian Burns, Derrick Brown, Yetur Gross-Matos, Stephen Weatherly, Efe Obada, Zach Kerr, Bravvion Roy, Marquis Haynes

In my opinion, this is the most exciting positions group on the team. The front four of Burns, Short, Brown, and Gross-Matos could provide pressure on the opposing quarterback without blitzing. Pressure from the base linemen is the foundation of all great NFL defenses. The Panthers are on to something here. 

LINEBACKERS (6)

Tahir Whitehead, Shaq Thompson, Adarius Taylor, Jordan Kunaszyk, Jermaine Carter, Free Agent

The Carolina Panthers continue to churn their roster as far as linebackers are concerned. That tells me they aren't happy with the current state of affairs and may pick up a player off waivers. It would not take much for a castoff from a solid NFL defense to make this squad. 

DEFENSIVE BACKS (9)

Eli Apple, Donte Jackson, Jeremy Chinn, Corn Elder, T.J. Green, Troy Pride Jr., Tre Boston, Juston Burris, Kenny Robinson

This group could be the Achilles heal of the Carolina Panthers. They do have some talent here, but it is inexperienced talent. In the NFC South, that just won't work. Donte Jackson is pinned as the top corner in the group, but can you see Jackson covering Julio Jones in Atlanta? How about covering Michael Thomas in New Orleans? Not good. 

Again, picking up a veteran here or even trading for one is a real possibility (I hope). 

SPECIALISTS (3)

Joey Slye, Joseph Charlton, J.J. Jansen (3)

I hear the Panthers are still sold on Charlton as punter despite a highly visible horrible punt in training camp. Joey Slye is not a long term solution at kicker, but for this season he will do. JJ Jansen is a long snapper. 

CONCLUSION

On paper, this is a team that will likely struggle. However, this provides Matt Rhule with a huge opportunity to prove he belongs in the NFL. Rhule strikes me as the kind of guy that relishes such an opportunity. If you are expecting the Carolina Panthers to "tank for Trevor", you haven't been paying attention. 

 

[kungfoodude]

Well we are really only 1-2 injuries away from tanking without really trying.

[Thorrez]

That secondary is brutal, and not in a good way. 

Look for us to be in a lot of games but by killed by two minute offensives. 

I guess it beats getting beat up the middle early like the end of last year. A couple of late times stealing cmc/dump off-drives might steals us 4-5 wins. 

[nctarheelreincarnated]

49 minutes ago, Jeremy Igo said:

but can you see Jackson covering Julio Jones in Atlanta? How about covering Michael Thomas in New Orleans? Not good. 

Again, picking up a veteran here or even trading for one is a real possibility (I hope). 

Why do you hope that? We don't have the talent for a SB run. So why would you hope we somehow are good on defense? Personally, I hope we're trash, and somehow get a great QB in next years Draft. 

[nctarheelreincarnated]

I also heard Derrick Brown's been getting pushed around in Practice. 

[Jeremy Igo]

24 minutes ago, nctarheelreincarnated said:

Why do you hope that? 

I enjoy winning football games. 

[Jeremy Igo]

24 minutes ago, nctarheelreincarnated said:

I also heard Derrick Brown's been getting pushed around in Practice. 

I've seen and heard quite the opposite. 

[Carolina Cajun]

27 minutes ago, nctarheelreincarnated said:

Why do you hope that? We don't have the talent for a SB run. So why would you hope we somehow are good on defense? Personally, I hope we're trash, and somehow get a great QB in next years Draft. 

No, but you dont make a super bowl run without establishing a winning tradition.  Remember, EVERYONE wanted us to tank at the end of 2014 for a better pick, instead we fought back and created an identity that would carry over into our 2015 superbowl run.  Point is, we can rebuild, but still establish who we are with our teams core.

[Adb6368]

40 minutes ago, Thorrez said:

That secondary is brutal, and not in a good way. 

I don’t see this. I see below average but not worst in the league. Both of our safeties were hand picked by the coaching staff to fit what they wanted. We had Reid and cut him specifically for Burris. Jackson is hit or miss but hopefully continues to grow. Our CB2 i agree is a pile of garbage but this can’t be any worse than 2016 when Norman was cut and we had 3 rookies. It looks to me to be muchhhh better than that. 

[kungfoodude]

6 minutes ago, Carolina Cajun said:

No, but you dont make a super bowl run without establishing a winning tradition.  Remember, EVERYONE wanted us to tank at the end of 2014 for a better pick, instead we fought back and created an identity that would carry over into our 2015 superbowl run.  Point is, we can rebuild, but still establish who we are with our teams core.

Telling competitors to lose is always going to go poorly.

[kungfoodude]

13 minutes ago, Jeremy Igo said:

I've seen and heard quite the opposite. 

I'd love to know who on our roster is gonna be pushing him around.

[4Corners]

Worst OL, Secondary, LB groups in NFL. Embarrassing. 

[Jeremy Igo]

3 minutes ago, 4Corners said:

Worst OL, Secondary, LB groups in NFL. Embarrassing. 

Not as embarrassing as winning 5 games under an established regime of nearly a decade. 

[bababoey]

Quote

2 hours ago, Jeremy Igo said:

WIDE RECEIVERS (7)

DJ Moore, Robby Anderson, Curtis Samuel, Pharoh Cooper, Seth Roberts, Keith Kirkwood, Brandon Zylstra 

 

I thought Kirkwood had a broken clavicle or collarbone or something else that starts with c.  Have you seen him out there doing work on the side?  Will he be available this season?