By Daniel Lacy - With training camp wrapping up and their first preseason game against Buffalo on Friday night, here are some of the things that have happened over the last week and a half:
Fan Fest was held on Friday, July 25th, and that marked the first practice of the season and allowed fans into the stadium to watch the practice and admire the new stadium upgrades.
6th round draft pick RB Tyler Gaffney tore his meniscus during Fan Fest and will be out for the season. However, it is too early to send a player directly to IR, so the Panthers were going to have to put Gaffney on waivers then re-sign him to the waived/injured list so they could put him on IR. However, when a team waives a player, it gives any other team the opportunity to claim them, although it is an unwritten moral rule in the NFL not to do that when waiving an injured player. Since it is not illegal, the Patriots claimed Gaffney off waivers and is short-lived career with the Panthers is over. Obviously he is still injured and will not play this season, but will fight for a roster spot in a reserve role for the Patriots next season. The Patriots did the same thing to the Giants with TE Jake Ballard just two years ago, while GM Dave Gettleman was working as the director of player personnel for New York.
G Edmund Kugblia, a 4th round pick last year who missed his rookie season because of knee issues, will miss the entirety of this season because of back issues. He will fight for a roster spot next season, if he can stay healthy.
QB Cam Newton has looked well after having ankle surgery in March and looks as if he is close to 100% health-wise, but he most likely will not play in the preseason opener against Buffalo on Friday.
DE Charles Johnson suffered a minor shoulder in practice a few days ago. Coach Rivera said that if he is unable to practice tomorrow, he will sit out against the Bills on Friday. However, it sounds as if he will be ready by the second preseason game, let alone the regular season.
DE Greg Hardy's new trial date is set for November 17th after appealing the trial from last month.
DT Colin Cole said earlier today that the Panthers are going to try to break the single season sack record this season. That record in currently held by the 1984 Chicago Bears, who racked up 72. The Panthers led the NFL with 60 sacks last season.
The most intriguing position battles coming into camp were at WR, OT, and CB. Here is a rundown of those battles:
Offensive Tackle
Candidates to start: Byron Bell, Nate Chandler, Garry Williams
Most likely to make the roster: Andrew McDonald, David Foucault
Byron Bell and Nate Chandler have pretty much been splitting reps at the first team left tackle spot, and they have both been doing well, but it looks as if Bell is the leading candidate to start at the spot that was previously held by Jordan Gross. Chandler will likely start at RT. Chandler missed practice due to a sore knee yesterday and Williams, who can play guard or tackle, did a very good job, but likely will not take the job away from Chandler. He will act as the top reserve at both guard and tackle. I see it highly unlikely that the Panthers keep five tackles, so McDonald and the UDFA Canadian Foucault are the leading candidates for the last spot.
Wide Receiver
Candidates to start: Jerricho Cotchery, Kelvin Benjamin, Jason Avant
Candidates to make the roster: Tavarres King, Marvin McNutt, Brenton Bersin, Tiquan Underwood, Marcus Lucas, Philly Brown
This is probably the most crowded of the three position battles, with so many talented young players with so much potential, but limited spots. Cotchery and Avant are locks simply because they are the veterans of the group and have been the most consistent. Benjamin is obviously a lock because they spent a first round pick on him and despite getting injured, he has looked the most impressive among the group, catching just about every pass within reach. Among the others, King and Bersin have looked the best with limited drops and each having their fair share of big plays and spectacular catches in traffic. King and McNutt are the only players returning from last season, but McNutt has struggled while King hasn't, and it looks as if that will play into King's favor. If Bersin makes the roster, which he most likely will depending on his preseason performance, he will be the first Wofford football player to make an NFL roster since, guess who, Panthers' owner and former Baltimore Colts' TE Jerry Richardson back in 1957. They added Underwood in free agency because they loved his speed and potential as a slot receiver and return man, but he has been sub-par in each category. He will need a strong preseason if he wants to make the roster. UDFAs Marcus Lucas and Philly Brown have each had their moments, but will likely end up on the practice squad when it is all said and done. There is a chance Brown makes it as a returner, but chances of that are slim at this point.
Cornerback
Candidates to start: Antoine Cason, Melvin White
Candidates to make the roster: Charles Godfrey, Bene' Benwikere, Josh Norman, Josh Thomas, James Dockery
This is such a talented position group that they might make room for six players here, especially since Godfrey has experience at either safety position as well. Cason and White have been playing well and it doesn't look as if anyone is going to take their starting jobs unless their play goes south. Godfrey has struggled, but his talent, versatility, and leadership will make it extremely tough to release him. He is going through a difficult transition and hasn't lost his job as the nickel corner, yet. 5th round rookie Bene' Benwikere has made a ton of big plays and has looked very impressive throughout camp. He is excellent in coverage and is making a strong push for playing time. Norman and Thomas have each shown potential in the past, each starting their fair share of games, but might not get a roster spot when it is all said and done. Thomas is a physical player who plays with sheer intensity and Norman is a talented cover corner who plays with confidence. However, each of their traits have landed them in and out of Rivera's doghouse and might not be able to make the team because of how crowded the position is. Dockery has shown potential in the past, but was injured all last season and is probably the least likely to be on the roster when the final cuts happen.
Other Performance Reviews
DE Mario Addison has been impressive and will likely be the top reserve behind Pro Bowl caliber starters Hardy and Johnson. 2nd round pick Kony Ealy has struggled against the starters but has made an impact against lesser competition. He will have to get better against the starters if he wants playing time. Frank Alexander has also had a good camp, but he is in the doghouse after getting ejected from last years' season opener against Seattle and getting suspended for the first four games for PED usage.
FS Colin Jones was originally acquired because of his stellar special teams play, but has been playing well at safety. 4th round pick Tre Boston might not end up with a roster spot after the final cuts, especially since he hasn't been able to prove himself due to a hernia injury.
3rd round pick G Trai Turner has all but locked down the starting job at RG. Garry Williams, Chris Scott, and Fernando Velasco have all been making pushes for the job, but Turner will most likely stay there with Amini Silatolu starting on the left side. Backup center Brian Folkerts has also played well as he fights for a roster spot.The addition of Velasco makes him more expendable because of Velasco's ability to play center (he started 12 games for the Steelers last season), but if Folkerts keeps up the strong play, he can beat out one of the reserve guards for a roster spot.
UDFA RB Darrin Reaves has shown flashes of potential and will probably end up on the practice squad. Slim to no chance of him making the roster because of how crowded the running back position is and always has been, but he has potential.
That is my two cents of training camp. Check back here in a few days for a recap of the first preseason game against Buffalo followed by a final roster prediction. Thanks!
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