The Carolina Panthers won’t be dependent on the cutdown waiver wire to fill their 53-man roster this year. After adding several notable veterans and a slew of promising rookies during free agency and the draft, general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales will be more focused on their current group of players following training camp and the preseason.
The squad has significantly upgraded the wide receiver and front seven depth charts. Morgan has also solidified the offensive line with the returns of Austin Corbett, Cade Mays and Brady Christensen. And while some positions — namely cornerback and safety — still need some more proven depth, the roster is largely overloaded with legitimate NFL talent entering the summer.
As with any offseason splurge, some of the incumbent talent on the roster will be pushed by the Panthers upgraded arrivals. The Panthers want to get better and create competition all around, and sometimes that means getting rid of longtime contributors for the sake of long-term development.
Here are seven returning players in need of strong summers to stick around:
DT Shy Tuttle
The Panthers have added veterans Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown and fifth-round pick Cam Jackson to the defensive line over the past two months. The arrival of the new trio has knocked Tuttle down in the defensive line depth chart — even after he willingly took a pay cut to see the final year of his contract. With Wharton, Brown, A’Shawn Robinson, Derrick Brown and Jaden Crumedy already on the depth chart, and Jackson looking to prove himself, Tuttle could find himself as an odd man out if he doesn’t have a strong summer showing.
WR David Moore
Moore served as an unsung hero on offense down the stretch of last season. The journeyman playmaker was part of Bryce Young’s late-season ascension, as Moore became a go-to target for the QB. However, with two draft picks spent on wideouts, Moore will need to prove he belongs in a lesser role. Moore’s best shot at making the roster will be through sticking out on special teams. He has return experience, and his knowledge of the offense should help him get a leg up if needed.
OT Yosh Nijman
Like Tuttle, Nijman took a pay cut to stick around in Carolina. The Panthers stacked their offensive line depth chart by keeping Corbett, Mays and Christensen around this offseason, and Nijman — who had an up-and-down first season in Charlotte — was seemingly knocked down a peg in the Panthers’ plans. Nijman can be a serviceable swing tackle, but so can Christensen, who has more starting experience. While the team could just give each backup lineman a specific position to overlook, the team might not want to keep 10 blockers on the 53-man roster.
RB/KR Raheem Blackshear
Blackshear didn’t receive a restricted tender this offseason. Instead, he was re-signed to a minimum contract in the middle of free agency. Blackshear has been the primary kick returner for the Panthers for two seasons, and he could be pushed significantly by the arrivals of fourth-round pick Trevor Etienne and sixth-round pick Jimmy Horn Jr. Blackshear has no guaranteed money on his one-year deal, and Etienne will almost assuredly — barring injury — leapfrog him in the running back room.
OLB DJ Johnson
The 2023 third-round pick still hasn’t found his footing within the defense. The team just spent a second-round pick on Nic Scourton and a third-round pick on Princely Umanmielen to upgrade the outside linebacker unit. They also signed Patrick Jones in free agency. So, even with the release of Jadeveon Clowney, Johnson is going to need to step up to stay around. He has flashed as a run defender, but he clearly needs to develop some pass-rushing skills in Year 3.
WR Dan Chisena
The speedy special teams ace will have the deck stacked against him this summer. With a pair of drafted wideouts pushing their way up the depth chart and a trio of undrafted rookies nipping at Chisena’s cleats, the veteran pass-catcher will need to shine on special teams to stick around. Luckily for him, Chisena is an ideal gunner on punt coverage, and he can also fill some roles on other units. There might be four or five receivers competing for one spot come training camp.
OLB Amare Barno
Like Johnson, Barno is another former draft pick who is still trying to find his way within the defense. Entering the final year of his rookie deal, Barno will probably need to show improved aptitude on defense to stick to the roster. He’s largely been a special teams contributor, but if Barno can stick out on defense in camp and the preseason, he should be prioritized behind the likes of Jones, Scourton, Umanmielen and D.J. Wonnum. Barno and Johnson are probably battling for the fifth and final outside linebacker spot this summer.
The Charlotte Observer
Mike Kaye covers the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. Kaye previously covered the entire NFL for Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles for NJ Advance Media and the Jacksonville Jaguars for First Coast News. He is a graduate of the University of North Florida.