Carolina Panthers Roster Projection

[tiger7_88]

2 hours ago, Jeremy Igo said:

Note: Yeah, the free agent deal is a bit of a cop out on my part, but I just don’t see any other way around it. The Panthers are very very thin at offensive tackle currently, and the roster as it reads today is filled out with practice squad players. Look for an OL signing before the season starts. 

Igo is wise to heed KB_fan's warning claxon... lol.

[KillerKat]

 

This is how I think itll look atm

OFFENSE: 
WR1: Kelvin Benjamin -  Philly Brown - (Keyarris Garrett)
LT: Michael Oher
LG: Andrew Norwell
C: Ryan Kalil  - #Gino Gradkowski#
RG: Trai Turner - Chris Scott
RT: Mike Remmers - Daryl Williams
TE:  Greg Olsen - Ed Dickson - *Beau Sandland*
WR2: Ted Ginn Jr. - Devin Funchess - Brenton Bersin
QB: Cam Newton - Derek Anderson - Joe Webb
FB: Mike Tolbert 
RB: Jonathan Stewart - Fozzy Whittaker - Cameron Artis-Payne - Brandon Wegher

DEFENSE: 
LE: Charles Johnson - Mario Addison
UT: Kawann Short - *Vernon Butler*
NT: Star Lotulelei - #Paul Soliai# - Kyle Love
RE: Kony Ealy - Ryan Delaire 
SLB: Shaq Thompson - A.J. Klein 
MLB: Luke Kuechly - David Mayo - Ben Jacobs
WLB: Thomas Davis - (Jeremy Cash)
LCB: Bene Benwikere - *Daryl Worley* - *Zack Sanchez*
RCB: Robert McClain - *James Bradberry*
SS: Kurt Coleman - Colin Jones
FS: Tre Boston - Dean Marlowe 

SPECIAL TEAMS: 
K/KO: Graham Gano
P/H: #Swayze Waters#
KR: Fozzy Whittaker - Joe Webb - Cameron Artis-Payne - Brandon Wegher
PR: Ted Ginn Jr. - Robert McClain - Brenton Bersin
LS: J.J. Jansen 


* = Draft Pick
# = Free Agent
() = Undrafted Free Agent

[tukafan21]

I have a hard time seeing us going into the season with the CB position being manned by 3 rookies, a 2nd year player coming off a bad late season injury, and a guy who was on the PS until the end of last year.

We are in a passing division in a passing league, need a vet presence at the position in my opinion.

[chknwing]

Hill has been on the team for awhile now and carolina has not seen really any production from him. Time to cut him loose and give another wr a shot.

[KB_fan]

Not bad.... here are a few changes / thoughts.  (Note: I've not yet read anyone else's comments, so apologies if I write the same things others may have already said).

Agree re: 25 on Offense, 25 on Defense and 3 on ST as the most likely breakdown,

 

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Quarterback (3)   Cam Newton / Derek Anderson / Joe Webb

Agree.  I know some suggest cutting Webb.  I don't see it unless we find another similar ST ace / Swiss Army Knife.  Webb has made himself very valuable to the team, plus he's a lot of fun to watch as a preseason QB.  Win-Win.

 

Quote

Tight End (3)

Greg Olsen / Ed Dickson / Beau Sandland

I have a sneaking suspicion we'll keep 4 TEs, (or 3 "TEs" and a 2nd "FB").  It seems to me we're trying hard to find someone in that hybrid FB-TE role.  I've been assuming Sandland is more of a receiving-TE to groom behind Greg.   I think we're grooming someone to replace both Ed Dickson & Mike Tolbert.    I'm not totally sure Dickson will make the roster.  Our sheer aggressiveness in purging the roster of other veterans this season (Cotch, Harper, Boykin, J-No, [and think too that we seemed prepared to let CJ and Tolbert walk...!], and bringing in so many TEs in addition to Sandland suggests to me that Gettleman wants to see real change at this position and wants young guys to be playing.  But how soon that change happens is had for me to judge.

If we do keep a 4th TE it would be at the expense of the 10th Oline player (Foucault).  I don't think we keep 10 Oline.

 

Quote

Wide Receiver (5)

Kelvin Benjamin  / Devin Funchess /  Ted Ginn  /  Stephen Hill  /  Philly Brown

Agree we keep only 5 WRs unless one of the other speedsters (Byrd?) wins a role on ST.   But given that we only usually activate 4 WRs, keeping 6 seems unrealistic.  (A 6th WR would mean keeping only 3 TEs and 9 Oline).

Agree with KB, Funch, Ginn & Brown (unless his shoulder injury hampers him.)  Personally, I think Norwood may beat out Hill, but that's just a pure guess.  Garrett is a wild card.  He could ball out and surprise people and win that 5th spot.  But it would have to be pretty extreme dominance since he has PS-eligibility while I don't think either Norwood or Hill do.  (Of course any of those three, even if eligible, might not be safe on the PS). 

 

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Running Back (3)

Jonathan Stewart  /  Cameron Artis-Payne  /  Brandon Wegher

Agree.

 

Quote

Full Back (1)

Mike Tolbert

As mentioned above under TE, I think we're interested in grooming a hybrid FB/TE this year, and so keeping a player like Bonnet or FB/RB Devon Johnson could be possible.... I could see 3 TE / 2 FB (with 1 being a FB/TE) or 4 TE / 1 FB.

 

Quote

Offensive Line (10)

Michael Oher / Mike Remmers / Daryl Williams / Trai Turner / Andrew Norwell / Ryan Kalil

Chris Scott / Gino Gradkowski / David Foucault / (Insert Free Agent Here)

I predict only 9 Oline on the roster.  (Heck, we only had 8 much of last season... we were very fortunate to have so few injuries.  Don't want to tempt fate again.).  We're clearly looking at backups who have position versatility, which is why I think 9 could be reasonable.  Hopefully we do sign an experienced, solid free agent.  I think Foucault is gone unless he has had a miraculous transformation we don't yet know about.

So, Overall on Offesne I'm pretty confident about:

• 9 Oline
• 3 QBs
• 3 RBs

The other 10 players on offense would be either:

• 5 WRs / 4 TEs / 1 FB
• 6 WRs / 3 TEs / 1 FB
• 5 WRs / 3 TEs / 2 FB

It all depends who balls out and is ready to make an impact, who we feel we need to protect by putting them on the 53, and who might have a role on ST.

3 hours ago, Jeremy Igo said:

Defensive Line (9)

Kony Ealy / Charles Johnson / Mario Addison / Wes Horton / Ryan Delaire

Star Lotulelei / Kawann Short / Vernon Butler / Paul Soliai

Agree with 9.  And agree with the 5 DE / 4 DT split. 

Not sure Horton makes it.  He was clearly #53 on the 53 man roster last year, waived twice...  I don't remember which of our other young DEs (Miley, Cox) was promising against the run...  I'll guess that Miley makes the roster since we worked hard to protect him from the PS last season.

 

Quote

 

Linebacker (6)

Thomas Davis / Luke Kuechly / Shaq Thompson

AJ Klein / David Mayo / Jeremy Cash

Agree 100% with these 6.

I think there's a VERY SLIM chance (<20%) that we keep a 7th LB in place of a 5th Safety.  It all depends on ST and what we are planning / who we are grooming in case of AJ Klein's departure. 

 

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Cahnuh (5)

Bene Benwikere / James Bradberry / Daryl Worley / Zack Sanchez

Lou Young

Agree with 5 on the 53 man roster.  Not sure #5 will be Lou Young.  I think we'll keep Robert McClain around awhile as an experienced backup to the youngsters.  He has experience playing both outside and slot.  Can backup both positions.

Perhaps the biggest Cahnuh question is whether Bene starts in the slot or on the outside...

And of course, we could be sneaky and get a "free" 6th corner with Charles Tillman on the PUP.  I'd still really love to see this happen.  (I know I sound like a broken record).  He's just SUCH a classy guy and has so much to teach the players.  Of course we could try to hire him as an Asst Coach, but it's not quite the same as being on the roster as a player.

Just a question:  With Teddy Williams gone, who do we use as Gunner on ST?  His penalties were infuriating, but his speed was really nice...

 

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Safety (5)

Kurt Coleman / Tre Boston / Dean Marlowe / Colin Jones / Marcus Ball

Agree.   Slim chance if we think we MUST have another Corner or LB that it comes at expense of safety.  But that's just a slim chance.

 

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Special Teams (3)

Graham Gano / Swayze Waters / JJ Jansen

Agree at this point based on who is on the roster.  But I think Swayze Waters is not certain.  I could see G'man still trying to go with an experienced NFL vet punter if one is released... 

Question: would Waters have PS eligibility?  If for any reason the Punter battle was not clearly decided between him and some as-yet-unsigned Vet, I could see us keeping Waters on the PS for a few weeks early in the season while we decide who to go with for the long term...

 

Edited May 19, 2016 by KB_fan

[Bronn]

Also, it wouldn't surprise me in the least to see our 3 TEs be Olsen, Sandland, and Simonson... I just have a sneaking suspicion that Dickson's days are numbered...

[KB_fan]

3 hours ago, jdpanther5 said:

I'm expecting an OT signing as well, but I think it'd be at the expense of Foucault. Not sure I see him hanging around as a 5th OT. Extra spot would go to a TE that can block.

Too funny.  Too Typical.  @jdpanther5 says clearly in 3 sentences what it takes me half a page to say!  I have had too many years of needing to bloviate in writing reports & funding proposals for bureaucratic organizations.  I have officially become a windbag!

[Camp Fodder]

Wow our secondary on paper doesn't look good at all. Possibly worst in the league at this pount

[ctrcat]

12 minutes ago, Camp Fodder said:

Wow our secondary on paper doesn't look good at all. Possibly worst in the league at this pount

Which is why the Eric Berry situation and their cap cluster gnaws on me.  We'd have to give up something (a 1st, a pick and a player, or if not a 1st or player, multiple other picks-and any of those would sting), but we'd instantly have the total package, "The Fifth Dimension", for a younger player than Norman at the same cost we wanted to pay Norman.

Edited May 19, 2016 by ctrcat

[bigdog10]

That group of corners is worrisome 

we better have a damned good pass rush. 

Edited May 19, 2016 by bigdog10

[tarheelfan23]

4 minutes ago, bigdog10 said:

That group of corners is worrisome 

we better have a damned good pass rush. 

overreaction there a little bit.....we brought guys off the street last year that were pretty damn good....these are long lean INT machines that the HogFather has drafted.  

 

Lets let this play out...I have a good feeling HogFather will be getting slurped off in his nipple high shorts this time next season with this move

[SetfreexX]

I'm not seeing the need for a 5th safety. I think I'd rather see an additional receiver, also don't see the need for nine offensive lineman, Gradkowski can play G/C as well as Remmers being able to back up C. I see one of the extra guards losing a spot to a T signing before I see us keeping ten total lineman. 

Aside from that I agree with most of the roster, I think I'd swap Byrd for Brown, and Garrett is my 6th receiver, I think we've seen Browns ceiling, he showed me the same as his rookie year solid 3rd to 5th option. While Byrd may be able to eventually replace Ginn, and Garrett adds another option with size at receiver even if he doesn't see the field often as a rookie. 

[Untouchable]

Looking at our Priority Free Agents the last few years:

2014 - Philly Brown ($15,000 signing bonus), Andrew Norwell ($12k)

2015 - Dean Marlowe ($15k), Arthur Miley ($15k)

2016 - Jeremy Cash ($20k)

All but one is generally expected to make the roster this year.  The only other one, Miley, is someone to keep an eye on as possibly getting that 5th DE spot too.

[The_Rainmaker]

1 hour ago, KB_fan said:

I have a sneaking suspicion we'll keep 4 TEs, (or 3 "TEs" and a 2nd "FB").  It seems to me we're trying hard to find someone in that hybrid FB-TE role.  I've been assuming Sandland is more of a receiving-TE to groom behind Greg.   I think we're grooming someone to replace both Ed Dickson & Mike Tolbert.    I'm not totally sure Dickson will make the roster.  Our sheer aggressiveness in purging the roster of other veterans this season (Cotch, Harper, Boykin, J-No, [and think too that we seemed prepared to let CJ and Tolbert walk...!], and bringing in so many TEs in addition to Sandland suggests to me that Gettleman wants to see real change at this position and wants young guys to be playing.  But how soon that change happens is had for me to judge.

 

I think Sandland is more balanced TE, He will def help in the run game but having the other HB/TE role will allow panthers to run the ball on either direction without defense keying in and it also allows the either one of the "TE /HB" to be released for passing option. This package would allows us multiple option with the run game and play action.

Hammer Time!