We got a lot of final Panthers preseason questions from the fans this week. Here are our answers!
Hello Panthers fans! Welcome to Brian Answers, a CSR mailbag for everyone! This week’s topic touched on the final thoughts following the Panthers 2nd preseason game against the New York Jets, and some questions regarding the state of the Panthers 53 man roster come next week.
To recap, Brian Asks is part two of our weekly mailbag, where CSR commenters can ask questions Panthers related, football related, or even non-football related. Let’s dive in!
Dcangio09: Do you think it’s even worth trotting out Carolina’s starting offense against what’s gonna be a mix of 2nd and 3rd stringers in Buffalo.
In my opinion, not really. I think it was fair to question Carolina’s approach to the first two weeks of the preseason, but at this point, even a minor injury could cause a starter to be out for a week or two to start the regular season. And I still have Cam Newton’s foot injury in 2019 burned into my brain, which basically de-railed that entire season. I could see Canales trotting out the starters for a drive or two for sure, but in my opinion from a risk perspective, I don’t see a net benefit. If the starters come out slow week one, I don’t think a couple of drives this week against a bunch of guys fighting for their jobs will make a great difference.
MtndancerSr: It seems obvious (IMHO) that Jack Plummer needs to find another career. Will the Panthers try to find a QB for the PS?
I think Jack Plummer got some valuable experience, and for a fringe QB guy that’s ultimately a huge plus for his prospects of finding a place in the NFL. I think the Panthers will retain him or Jake Luton for the practice squad/emergency QB role, if only for the experience in the scheme factor. Unless there’s a serious injury to both Bryce and Dalton, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to go fishing for anyone worth serious consideration as a potential starter in 2024. The waiver priority doesn’t really matter here unless they add the guy to their 53 man roster during roster cutdowns, so they are bargain bin shopping regardless at least at this juncture. That could change during the season, however. But I wouldn’t pay a whole lot of attention to that spot right now.
IsItDraftTimeYet: What week should the Panthers wait until to send out their complete starting offense? I’m thinking week 5 since the temperature is too high the first month of the season. We don’t want players risking injury too early. They will have 12 games to play as hard as possible to prepare for next season. I’m glad the Panthers are cutting edge when it comes to load management. Way to go Canales and Tep!
I bet in 4 weeks time nobody is going to care or even be thinking about whether the Panthers played their starters or not in the preseason to be honest.
egon petri: Why did the team cut the only player to score a TD in preseason?
Are we sending a message to the players “don’t score or you’ll be cut next”?
Does this mean we’re intentionally tanking this season?
They cut the player because he brought you happiness. And they’ll cut Xavier Legette too if he scores too early.
IsItDraftTimeYet: Since there aren’t many questions…
What’s your go-to order at Cava? Substitute Chipotle/Subway/Other if you haven’t been to Cava.
My go to order would be the Spicy Lamb Meatball Pita, with a side of Pita Chips and Tsatziki or Red Pepper Hummus. I’ve never been, but going over the menu, these items net my interest. Let me know if my taste sucks in the comments!
IsItDraftTimeYet: What’s the biggest surprise cut you see for next week?
My two random picks are S Demani Richardson, and WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette. While I love what Richardson has done in the preseason, I think Alex Cook and Nick Scott are guys with more familiarity with Evero. And for ISM, I almost went with Raheem Blackshear, and I could see Blackshear getting cut instead. Either way the Panthers have a slight logjam for bottom of the depth talent, so ISM could be a surprise release after some not so great preseason plays.
Marsha Jackalone: Is a Robert Hunt bowel movement similar in size to Bryce Young?
I don’t know if a Robert Hunt bowel movement would have fans wondering if it can see over the offensive line. (This was a joke! Put away your pitchforks!)
dayneb12: What’s been your biggest surprises this preseason (in terms of player performance, roster moves, etc.)?
The general performance of the defense as a whole in both practices, joint practices, and the preseason has really surprised me. I think we all thought highly of Ejiro Evero as a defensive coordinator, but I was among many I’m sure who thought this defense was going to be God awful with the current group of players, and so far they still seem to be very strong (which, league average would be an achievement based on what they have on paper). Very surprised by Eku Leota’s consistency, very surprised by the plays the back ups in the secondary have made despite being an even worse looking unit than the 2013 “Legion of Whom”. And I’ve been surprised by LB Trevin Wallace as a pick. Many thought he might have been overdrafted, but so far his athletic profile seems to be translating really well. Just a huge win so far for the defense all around this off-season. I could be sticking my foot in my mouth come seasons’ end about the defense, but I am impressed thus far.
ericbuck: In honor of watching Jack Plummer once again, who is your favorite Panthers 3rd string QB of all time – and why is it Joe Webb?
Preseason hero Joe Webb also saw time as a WR, and you know me as a Colin Jones fan; I always support positional versatility. I’ll also throw a special shout out to Matt Moore, who worked his way up from backup to hero and decent starter in a pinch throughout his career.
schrodingersblackcat: Which regular season game are you most looking forward to?
Which one are you dreading most?
Week one against the Saints, because handing that team an L coming off 2023 is all I need. I’ll lose every game of the season as a Panthers fan if we can beat the Saints twice. But once will do, and right now, you can’t kill my vibe!
Week five against the Bears is my second answer. No matter how that game goes, you know the announcers aren’t going to shut up about the Panthers trade for Bryce Young amounting to the Bears pick for Caleb Williams. And DJ Moore revenge game. Kill me now.
That’s all this week Panthers fans! Come loaded with your questions next week as we rocket right in to week one!