At least 1,184 NFL prospects and veterans will receive pink slips on August 26.
At 4 p.m. that day, Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan and 31 GMs will submit their initial 53-man rosters to the league office.
Coach Dave Canales and Morgan will continue to mold the culture for a team that hasn’t won the NFL South championship since 2015.
Opening at the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 7, the Panthers have a lot to prove to their fans – and themselves.
Following the first wave of cuts on August 25, here is a projection at what the Panthers’ initial 53-man roster will look like:
Carolina Panthers Offense
Quarterback (2)
On the roster: Bryce Young, Andy Dalton
Toughest Cuts: Bryce Perkins, Jack Plummer
Which version of Young will the Panthers get to start the season? The one who was benched after two starts in 2024? Or the one that emerged to lead the Panthers to a 4-5 mark over their final nine outings? The upcoming season could depend on the answer.
Dalton had a chance for a late-career renaissance but mostly faltered in his five starts (1-4). The 37-year veteran remains QB2, but suffered an elbow muscle strain during the second preseason game. He’s expected to be ready for the regular season.
Canales said he “loves” Plummer as the No. 3/practice squad QB, although he looked shaky in three preseason appearances, all losses. Plummer was the first reported cut on August 25, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Did Perkins, the reigning UFL MVP, show enough in his brief stint with the club to assume the third-string role? He wanted to do more.
Running Back (3)
On the roster: Chuba Hubbard, Rico Dowdle, Trevor Etienne
Toughest Cut: Raheem Blackshear
PUP: Jonathon Brooks (knee)
After the opening two preseason games, the Panthers ranked last with just 118 yards rushing. They needed a confidence boost and rookie Trevor Etienne provided it, rushing for a 28-yard gain against the Pittsburgh Steelers on August 21. The rush was the second-longest play from scrimmage during the exhibition season.
With Hubbard and Dowdle, two 1,000-yard rushers last season, Etienne said: “I’m excited to see how the season goes with the weapons we have. We’re ready to compete at a high level.”
In Canales’ run-first offense, the running backs will need to do just that for the Panthers to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Blackshear, who has spent the past three seasons with the Panthers, could be one of Morgan’s toughest cuts.
Wide Receiver (7)
On the roster: Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette, Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, Brycen Tremayne, Jimmy Horn Jr., Hunter Renfrow
Toughest Cuts: David Moore, Jacolby George, Kobe Hudson, TJ Luther, Ja’seem Reed
One of the biggest news stories generated throughout the offseason program and training camp was the consistency and playmaking abilities of multiple wideouts.
In his first two drafts, Morgan invested in first-round assets Legette and McMillan to improve the passing game.
If Thielen ends up getting traded, likely to the Minnesota Vikings, before the August 26 deadline, a spot could open up for one of Canales’ favorite players, Moore. The seven-year veteran flashed with a 19-yard jet sweep versus the Steelers.
Horn appears safe, considering it’s unlikely the rookie speedster would go unclaimed if he hit the waiver wire.
George was released August 25, per the Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye, as was Hudson, according to the Athletic’s Joe Person.
Tight end (3)
On the roster: Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Mitchell Evans
Toughest Cut: James Mitchell
Is Sanders a legitimate TE1?
The jury remains out on the second-year player after he dropped a first-quarter pass against the Houston Texans in the second exhibition game. Canales said he would count on Sanders early.
The position room received a boost when doctors cleared Tremble on August 21, although the fifth-year veteran may need a few weeks to get up to game speed after back surgery. Tremble hauled in 23 passes the past two seasons.
Can Morgan stash veteran James Mitchell on the practice squad? He scored a touchdown in the preseason finale and his experience could aid rookie Mitchell Evans.
Offensive Line (10)
On the roster: Ikem Ekwonu, Damien Lewis, Austin Corbett, Robert Hunt, Taylor Moton, Cade Mays, Brady Christensen, Chandler Zavala, Yosh Nijman, Jarrett Kingston
Toughest Cuts: Ja’Tyre Carter, Brandon Walton, Luke Kandra
With Moton receiving a two-year contract extension on August 22, the Panthers cemented the right side of the line for the foreseeable future.
Is Ekwonu’s extension next? With Lewis (shoulder) and Zavala (knee) slowed by injuries during training camp, the Panthers’ brass could want Kingston to stick around as the unit’s 10th member after displaying versatility at guard and center.
“I feel really confident Damien (Lewis) will be with us for the first game,” Canales said.
Nijman struggled during the preseason and, as insurance, Carter, Kandra and Walton could return as soon as August 27 as members of the practice squad.
Carolina Panthers Defense
Defensive Line (5)
On the roster: Derrick Brown, Bobby Brown III, A’Shawn Robinson, Tershawn Wharton, Cam Jackson
Toughest Cuts: LaBryan Ray, Sam Roberts, Shy Tuttle, Jaden Crumedy, Jared Harrison-Hunte
Morgan invested heavily in improving a position that was largely responsible for yielding 3,057 rushing yards last season, the third-most ever surrendered by a defense, adding Bobby Brown III and Wharton through free agency and drafting a massive rookie.
Derrick Brown, recovered from a knee injury, appears healthy entering the season if A’Shawn Robinson can continue to play an underrated role, the Panthers’ front could be more stout.
Ray (ankle) could be a candidate for a spot on injured reserve with a designation to return. The former Alabama standout has been part of the rotation since his rookie season in ’23 and the Panthers should be wary of losing Ray on waivers.
By cutting Tuttle, the Panthers could replenish about $2.4 million on the salary cap.
Inside Linebacker (6)
On the roster: Christian Rozeboom, Trevin Wallace, Claudin Cherelus, Krys Barnes, Jon Rattigan, Bam Martin-Scott
Toughest Cut: Jacoby Windmon
Losing Josey Jewell at the beginning of training camp cut into the position’s upper-tier depth, lifting Wallace, a second-year pro, into the starting unit. Morgan, a former NFL linebacker, said Wallace remains primed for a breakout campaign.
Can Rozeboom sustain his green-dot status and help stabilize the defense with play calls?
This position could remain fluid through the season. Barnes, who joined the Panthers during training camp, could prove to be an unsung signing, but look for Morgan to scan the waiver wire on August 26 and add an established veteran.
Outside linebacker (5)
On the roster: Patrick Jones II, DJ Wonnum, Nic Scourton, Princely Umanmielen, Thomas Incoom
Toughest Cuts: DJ Johnson, Boogie Basham
Edge will be one of the most watched positions, especially after Morgan drafted Scourton and Umanmielen with high picks and cut Jadeveon Clowney. The Panthers’ pass rush has been feeble for several seasons, compiling just 59 sacks over the past two seasons. In comparison, the Denver Broncos posted 63 last season.
Free agent signee Jones and a healthy Wonnum are projected to lead the new-look unit while the rookies recover. Scourton (collapsed lung) and Umanielen (shoulder) suffered injuries over the past two weeks, but are not expected to land on IR.
“I don’t think it’s bad,” Umanmielen said after the 19-10 loss to the Steelers. “I thought it was bad when it initially happened just from the pain, but I got an X-ray and I think I should be OK.”
Incoom stood out during training camp and his presence on the roster could come down to Johnson (hip) landing on IR-DTR or getting cut two years after the previous regime traded up to draft the former Oregon player who started his college career as a tight end.
Cornerback (5)
On the roster: Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson, Chau Smith-Wade, Shemar Bartholomew, Corey Thornton
Toughest Cuts: Akayleb Evans, Mike Reid, Tre Swelling, Mello Dotson
At the start of the summer program, NFL insiders spoke of the Panthers being top-heavy at the position. Horn and Jackson both signed extensions last offseason, and Smith-Wade, entering his second season, solidified his nickel role through a strong summer. But who else do they have, experts questioned?
Thornton, an undrafted free agent, started at cornerback in the preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns and opened at nickel on August 21. Bartholomew struggled against the Steelers.
With Evans and Reid solid practice-squad candidates, CB5 could be a rotating position throughout the season. Dotson and Swelling reportedly were cut Monday.
Safety (4)
On the roster: Tre’von Moehrig, Nick Scott, Demani Richardson, Lathan Ransom
Toughest Cuts: Jack Henderson, Trevian Thomas
Both Moehrig, a key free agent acquisition, and Scott watched the preseason finale from the sidelines, an obvious sign that defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero plans to start the duo in Week 1.
Scott suffered an up-and-down initial campaign in ’24, but Canales remains confident Scott will be able to lead the back end as Moehrig, a tough run defender, adjusts to Evero’s 3-4 base system.
Ransom intercepted a pass against the Steelers, but also missed an open-field tackle. Richardson played a key, if not unexpected, role at the end of last season. It looks like the UDFA’s development will continue.
Special teams (3)
On the roster: Ryan Fitzgerald (K), Sam Martin (P), JJ Jansen (LS)
Toughest Cut: Matthew Wright (K)
Did Fitzgerald, a rookie, win the starting nod over Wright? It appears so, but Morgan could also look for an alternative following the cutdown day.
An UDFA from Florida State, Fitzgerald connected on a 43-yard field goal in the first half against the Steelers. Canales elected to run out the clock at the end of the second half, despite the Panthers driving within field-goal range. Wright didn’t get a second-half opportunity.
On the other side of the field, Steelers rookie Ben Sauls hit on all four chances last Thursday. Could Sauls be an option for Morgan?
Martin and Jansen didn’t endure any training camp competition.
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