Mike Kaye and Alex Zietlow talk best player impressions in Panthers preseason opener By Melissa Rodriguez
Dave Canales has watched the tape of Friday’s preseason-opening loss to the Cleveland Browns, and the Carolina Panthers’ head coach is doubling down on a pair of personnel choices his coaching staff made with the first-team unit during the exhibition affair.
With Damien Lewis sidelined with a shoulder strain and listed as “week to week,” Canales and company put Ja’Tyre Carter, a practice squad holdover from last season, in the starting lineup at left guard. The Panthers also stuck to their preseason “unofficial” depth chart by playing Nick Scott at starting safety opposite Tre’von Moehrig.
Carter gave up a sack on third down during the first drive of the game. Following the outing, Carter told The Observer that he “underset too much” against the Browns’ even front.
Carter was pushed into the pocket by Browns defensive tackle Sam Kamara. Quarterback Bryce Young was then forced to step up and escape Kamara’s grasp, before getting taken to the ground by defensive end Alex Wright.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, right, fights to escape the grasp of Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Sam Kamara, center, during Friday’s game at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers guard Ja’Tyre Carter, left/top, attempts to assist Young’s escape. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Carter told The Observer that he felt his play was uphill from there, which is a point that Canales echoed on Saturday after watching film.
“He had a really good night in the couple of series he played,” Canales said. “He gave up a sack — just kind of got edged on one play, and that was about his worst play of the night. The rest of it was great anchor, movement in the run game and did a fantastic job in his opportunity.”
The Panthers had other potential options at left guard, even with typical backup guard Chandler Zavala sidelined with a knee injury.
Brady Christensen, who has mostly worked at tackle this summer, started 18 games at left guard from 2022 to 2023. Cade Mays, who is competing for the starting center job, has also played guard for the majority of his career. Mays’ counterpart in the center competition, Austin Corbett, was also a career guard until last summer.
But with Mays and Corbett locked into a starting competition and Christensen seemingly preferred at tackle, Carter got the call, and Canales was ultimately pleased with that decision, even after the early sack against Cleveland.
“We’re kind of blessed with guys who are pretty versatile,” Canales said. “So, Cade has played some guard this camp, mostly center. We know Brady has played some guard in the past. So, I think we have some versatility there, but I was excited to see JT, and how he was going to respond, and I think he did a really good job for us.”
Carolina Panthers guard Ja’Tyre Carter takes a break on the team’s sideline during Friday’s game at Bank of America Stadium. The Browns defeated the Panthers 30-10. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Scott, a journeyman veteran with plenty of experience in Ejiro Evero’s defensive system, had an underwhelming season as a fill-in starter at safety last year. The 30-year-old defender has built a reputation as a leader in the locker room, despite that lack of success in the secondary.
He’s also considered a strong special teams contributor, despite his miscue in the preseason opener that led to muffed punt and a turnover by rookie running back Trevor Etienne in the first quarter. Scott was blocked into Etienne, which pushed the running back out of position to field the punt cleanly.
Carolina Panthers safety Nick Scott tackle Cleveland Browns running back Trayveon Williams during Friday’s preseason game against the Cleveland Browns at Bank of America Stadium. Lila Turner lturner@charlotteobserver.com
Scott was used on the first-team defense over fourth-round pick Lathan Ransom and second-year safety Demani Richardson. Both Ransom and Richardson are having strong camps, but Canales believes Scott has an edge when it comes to experience with communication in the secondary.
“We would love to give (the younger safeties) opportunities,” Canales said. “I think right now, Nick Scott has earned the right to be in there. I like having him back there, quarterbacking the defense from the back half, being able to communicate with Tre Moehrig, who is playing in the system for the first time. That’s been a really good thing for us, through the spring, through training camp, certainly last night. Love where the communication was for them, and also just Nick’s kind of showing those young guys, like, ‘This is how you quarterback it for back here — how to get guys lined up.’
“So, there’s value for (Ransom and Richardson) to play with the first group, yes, but also, a lot of value in seeing Nick Scott do it right and get guys on the same page.”
The Panthers will travel to Houston this week for a joint practice and a preseason matchup with the Texans.
Canales seems content with keeping Carter and Scott in prominent roles, and they’ll again be tested against another AFC squad. If both play well, they could further cement themselves in their current jobs. But if they struggle, the margin for error down the stretch of the preseason could shrink.
On the offensive line, the Panthers have plenty of depth, so Carter is competing internally. At safety, if Scott and the young DBs struggle, the front office might need to look elsewhere for reinforcements.