Which players on the fringes of the roster rose up and which ones fell flat as cut down day looms closer.
When the final whistle blew during of the Carolina Panthers contest versus the Buffalo Bills, it marked the end of the Panthers first preseason of the Dan Morgan and Dave Canales era. A small milestone, but an important one as that means there is not going to be anything new to evaluate before the Panthers decide who will be named to the Panthers initial 53-man roster after the deadline this Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. EST.
With these important decisions in mind, the Panthers leadership group will have careful eyes trained on the players sitting on the bubble of the roster whose performance could make or break their career. So, which players teetering on the edge of the regular season roster acquainted themselves well, and who may have seen their bubble burst.
Helped: Jack Plummer, Quarterback
If the only Panthers preseason game you watched this season was Week 1 versus the New York Jets, seeing Plummer’s name on this list might have elicited a loud scoff. Truthfully, Plummer is not likely to see the 53-man roster, but could he become the de facto third quarterback and on the practice squad ready to jump in as the team’s emergency option? Well, after completing 21/29 passes for 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, he certainly made the case for himself. He wasn’t perfect, but the undrafted rookie quarterback might just have something to him.
Hurt: D’Shawn Jamison & DiCaprio Bootle, Cornerback
Jamison has had some good moments for the Panthers, but Saturday’s bout was not among them. Jamison found himself on the ground after a missed tackle far too many times for my liking, and his pass coverage was serviceable but not awe-inspiring. Bootle, on the other hand, tackled well enough, but was bailed out by an overthrow when he bit on a double-move in the 1st quarter leaving a wide receiver running open into the endzone. After the Panthers made a move to acquire another corner via trade earlier in the week, there may not end up being roster spots for both players.
Helped: Andrew Raym, Center
While starting Center Austin Corbett was welcoming his own little blessing into this world, it meant that Raym was blessed with an opportunity to start the game with the rest of the Panthers starting squad. Raym, an undrafted free agent who would arguably be 4th in line to start in the regular season, looked like he belonged on the field during the Panthers first drive as he anchored some of the cleanest pockets Bryce Young has thrown from in a Panthers jersey. Making that kind of impression when you get your shot is commendable, so Raym’s name may be one to watch as the offensive line room shakes out.
Hurt: Ricky Lee, Offensive Tackle
Lee has looked comfortable playing left tackle, but in order to stick around as a back-up lineman the coaches have worked towards building him up as a right tackle, too. Every team needs at least one, maybe even multiple swing tackles and Lee’s chances of making the roster rise and fall with his progress in that role. Unfortunately, with Yosh Nijman getting healthy and Brady Christensen looking strong anywhere he is played on the line, Lee’s margin for error is shrinking. Add in a false start penalty during a crucial two minute drill at the end of the first half and Lee’s road to making the 53 becomes that much foggier.
Helped: Jalen Coker, Wide Receiver
When Coker signed with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent, it turned a few fans’ heads for a couple reasons. The first was that franchise legend Steve Smith Sr gave him a glowing pre-draft profile, and the second being that Coker was given one of the biggest guaranteed salaries among this years crop of undrafted rookies. While Coker didn’t light up the stat sheet in his first two preseason games, a very strong 3 catch for 55 yard performance versus the Bills, including a nifty 36 yard touchdown and a clutch conversion on third down in the fourth quarter, gave renewed hope to fans. Did Coker do enough to make the Panthers 53? Maybe, but he definitely did enough to be somewhere in the NFL this season.
The Panthers played a great game, so I’m sure you have a few players in mind I didn’t mention! Let me know which player on the bubble impressed you, and if you think they’ll make the team in the comments below!