Notable Panthers whose roster spots are in jeopardy at training camp
The Carolina Panthers roster has seen significant turnover in the last couple of years.
Key veterans are no longer on the roster and free-agent signings and big draft classes have led to major roster reconstruction. With new general manager Scott Fitterer and coach Matt Rhule now making roster decisions, a variety of positions have seen an infusion of talent.
As a result, some familiar names will be fighting to earn their spot on the final 53-man roster through performances throughout training camp and the three preseason games.
Here are a few names to keep an eye on who could be on the roster bubble.
Greg Little, OL
The 2019 second-round pick has not stepped into the starting left tackle spot as the team had hoped after Carolina traded up to draft Greg Little for the role.
Injuries have been a consistent part of his first two seasons in the NFL. Little has played in a combined 14 games in his career and was low on the depth chart at left tackle by the end of the 2020 season.
In order for Little to make the roster, he will likely have to prove that he can play more than just one position. The coaching staff has shown a strong preference for backup linemen who can help out at more than one role, as seen in the free agency acquisitions of Cam Erving and Pat Elflein, in addition to drafting Brady Christensen and Deonte Brown, both of whom have the potential to play more than one position.
Little potentially getting opportunities to become more comfortable on the right side would help his chance, but he has not played on that side yet in his career.
Will Grier, QB
Will Rhule keep three quarterbacks on the active roster again? This could come down to a numbers situation. Since being drafted in the third round following Little in 2019, Davidson Day product Will Grier has spent a significant portion of his career with his hometown team as the third-string quarterback. He was inactive for a majority of the games last year behind P.J. Walker and was behind both Walker and tight end/quarterback Tommy Stevens in Week 17.
With Sam Darnold starting for the Panthers this year, the backup quarterback battle will again come down to Walker and Grier — the team released Stevens during OTAs. Unlike last year, Grier will get an opportunity to show what he can do in preseason games and with a new quarterback coach in Sean Ryan. But having lost the backup job to Walker last year, Grier will have an uphill battle to earn the No. 2 spot in training camp this season.
Christian Miller, LB/DE
This is a bit of a question mark. Christian Miller played in seven games his rookie season, including a two-sack performance against the Arizona Cardinals. Miller, 25, was a high-risk opt-out related to COVID-19 in 2020 and had limited interactions with the coaching staff.
Rhule has said that they are treating him like a new player, so Miller is someone with plenty to prove in training camp. Similar to other players on this list, the current coaching staff and front office did not select Miller; he is someone that was inherited from the previous regime. The 2019 fourth-round pick will have to show in training camp that he can play a valuable role in coordinator Phil Snow’s defense, especially with a number of talented additions along the defensive line, to secure a roster spot.
Troy Pride Jr., CB
The Panthers addressed the cornerback position in a big way this offseason, drafting Jaycee Horn eighth overall and Keith Taylor in the fifth round, in addition to signing veterans A.J. Bouye and Rashaan Melvin in free agency. Those moves leave multiple players, including 2020 fourth-round pick Troy Pride Jr., coming off injury, on the roster bubble.
Pride ended up starting eight games unexpectedly last year due to various injuries and is still a developing player. The Panthers invested in him with a Day 2 selection last year, but he ended up playing more meaningful snaps than expected.
With the position getting more talent and the likes of Donte Jackson guaranteed to make the roster, players further down the depth chart at the position, including Pride and 2020 seventh-round pick Stan Thomas Oliver, will have to earn a roster spot likely with the help of special teams. Tough decisions will have to be made with recently drafted players due to the significant investment at corner.
J.J. Jansen, LS
The oldest player on the roster and the longest-tenured Panther, J.J. Jansen will be in the unfamiliar position of fighting for his spot on the roster. With the team drafting Thomas Fletcher from Alabama in the sixth round, Jansen, 35, will face competition from a young player who the coaching staff had a positive experience working with at the Senior Bowl.
Despite consistently having good snaps over the last decade, the biggest factors not working in Jansen’s favor are his age — he is one of only four players on the 90-man roster over the age of 30 — and his contract. Jansen can be released with no cap impact and the team would save $987,500 by doing so. Fletcher, on the other hand, is scheduled to earn $692,676 this year, per OvertheCap.
There is only room for one long snapper to make the final roster. A longtime fan-favorite is in for a big fight to keep that spot.
This story was originally published July 26, 2021 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Notable Panthers whose roster spots are in jeopardy at training camp."
