PANTHERS 53 ROSTER FOR 2022 (INCL. CHANGES AS THEY HAPPEN..)

Well, it's Tuesday the 30th of August and the Panthers have made the final cuts and other designations to trim the roster down to the 'Active' number allowed (53). There were some surprises here for me, as there usually are. Also there were several designations as "injured" which MAY affect the roster for next year as well as which players get another chance on the waiver wire.

Here is the current state of the roster by position. Keep in mind, there will be more changes in the coming days caused by injuries and adding players that have been waived by other teams, as well as filling spots left blank on THIS roster (such as a Kicker..).



OFFENSE

LWR     DJ Moore   Rashard Higgins   Andre Roberts  Laviska Shenault

LT         Ikem Ekwonu  

LG        Brady Christensen   Michael Jordan  

C          Pat Elflein   Bradley Bozeman 

RG       Austin Corbett    Cade Mays 

RT       Taylor Moton   Cameron Erving  

LTE      Tommy Tremble   Stephen Sullivan   Giovanni Ricci  

RTE     Ian Thomas  

RWR    Robbie Anderson   Terrace Marshall Jr.   Shi Smith  

RB       Christian McCaffrey   D'Onta Foreman   Chuba Hubbard  

QB       Baker Mayfield   Sam Darnold (to IR--designated to return..)   PJ Walker 
 

DEFENSE

LDE     Brian Burns   Marquis Haynes Sr.   Amaré Barno  Marquan McCall

LDT     Derrick Brown   Daviyon Nixon (Released..)  Phil Hoskins

RDT     Matt Ioannidis   Bravvion Roy (to IR) 

RDE     Yetur Gross-Matos   Henry Anderson (Added..)

LOLB    Shaq Thompson   Cory Littleton 

MLB     Damien Wilson 

ROLB   Frankie Luvu   Brandon Smith  Arron Mosby (Added..)

LCB     Donte Jackson   CJ Henderson 

RCB    Jaycee Horn   Keith Taylor Jr.   Stantley Thomas-Oliver III 

FS      Jeremy Chinn   Sean Chandler 

SS      Xavier Woods   Myles Hartsfield   Sam Franklin Jr.


SPECIAL TEAMS

KR     Andre Roberts (to IR)     Shi Smith   

PR     Andre Roberts (to IR)     Shi Smith   

LS     JJ Jansen

H      Johnny Hekker

P      Johnny Hekker

K     Eddy Pineiro (Added..)

We'll continue to monitor the roster as we go forward. I expect there will be some changes as we get closer to "Opening Day" (to use a baseball euphemism..).

Initial 53-man roster breakdown: To be continued (panthers.com)


CHARLOTTE — The one thing we know for sure about this 53-man roster for the Panthers is that it's unconventional.

The other thing we know for sure is that it's going to change, and soon.

For one thing, the Panthers have no kicker, six defensive tackles, and seven wide receivers on the initial list they have to work with after making cuts Tuesday. They also have a quarterback on the roster who won't be able to play for at least a month, so adjustments are coming.

Many parts are going to move in the ensuing days, as they put together the roster which will take the field on Sept. 11 against the Browns.

Some of these guys could end up traded (the Panthers have already made two deals the day before the deadline, adding Laviska Shenault Jr. and getting a draft pick for Dennis Daley), while quarterback Sam Darnold's injury leaves them thin at quarterback for the first few weeks.

It's a lot to take in after Tuesday's moves, so let's go position-by-position through the initial (not anywhere close to final) 53-man roster.



Quarterbacks (3): Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, PJ Walker.

It's reasonable to expect that the Panthers will clear a roster spot soon by putting Darnold on short-term IR (since head coach Matt Rhule said this week that Darnold would miss "at least four weeks" with a high ankle sprain).

And until or unless they make a move (and Rhule didn't rule it out), that means they'll roll into the regular season with Mayfield and Walker as his backup.


Running backs (3): Christian McCaffrey, D'Onta Foreman, Chuba Hubbard.

This is a tight group, and they complement each other well. Of course McCaffrey's ability dictates that he get a lot of work, but Foreman had a good preseason, and gives them a bigger back who has proven to be effective in short-yardage situations. Hubbard still has home-run speed, and because of the way the roster fell, will likely be a key part of their special teams this year.


Tight ends (4): Ian Thomas, Tommy Tremble, Giovanni Ricci, Stephen Sullivan.

This is a group of guys that each play individual roles well, without any one of them being a dominant all-around player. Thomas and Ricci are both excellent blockers, and Ricci is a top special teams player. Sullivan is perhaps the surprise to many, but coaches love his combination of size and receiving ability. He had a fumble in the preseason, but that doesn't obscure (to them) a larger body of work. When they talk about developing players, he's the kind of guy they're referring to.



Wide receivers (7): DJ Moore, Robbie Anderson, Laviska Shenault Jr., Terrace Marshall Jr., Shi Smith, Rashard Higgins, Andre Roberts.

This is more than you usually want to carry into the regular season, especially since there's not an established special teams coverage player (like Brandon Zylstra) among them. Roberts' return ability is rare, so the choice was made to try to upgrade that phase by keeping the veteran. Trading for Shenault gives them another big body, because other than Moore, the rest of these guys run a little lean. It will be interesting to see how offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo (who was in Jacksonville when the Jaguars picked Shenault in the second round of the 2020 draft) uses Shenault, since he also has the ability to line up in the backfield and in the slot. It's a more versatile offensive group, and we'll see how they make up for the loss of Zylstra at other positions.


Offensive linemen (9): Ikem Ekwonu, Brady Christensen, Pat Elflein, Austin Corbett, Taylor Moton, Bradley Bozeman, Cameron Erving, Michael Jordan, Cade Mays.

The Panthers had sufficient depth on the offensive line that they were able to trade a reserve (Dennis Daley) for future draft picks. That is an actual sentence that was written in the Year of Our Lord 2022, roughly 365 days after the Panthers embarked on an adventure that saw them use 14 different starting offensive lines in 17 games.

This group is more talented on the top line (with the additions of Ekwonu and Corbett), and dependably deeper. Of the four guys who aren't starting now, the Panthers have three guys who started 35 games last season (and 134 in their careers), along with a rookie in Mays who can play four positions and could end up starting at center in a few years.

The hope is that Ekwonu and Christensen bond quickly, and become the kind of left side of the line the Panthers haven't enjoyed since the days of Jordan Gross and Travelle Wharton. It's early yet, and Ekwonu will have to continue to develop as a pass-blocker to reach that level, but the possibility is there.



Defensive linemen (10): Ends Brian Burns, Yetur Gross-Matos, Marquis Haynes Sr., Amaré Barno, Tackles Derrick Brown, Matt Ioannidis, Bravvion Roy, Daviyon Nixon, Phil Hoskins, Marquan McCall.

This is probably the group you raise an eyebrow at, because six defensive tackles are more than a team reasonably needs. But this is also where we remind you that this roster is not a finished product, and other teams are always looking for talent on the line.

McCall, an undrafted rookie from Kentucky, had a solid camp and earned the notice of coaches. He has the kind of wide-body frame the Panthers didn't otherwise have.



Linebackers (5): Shaq Thompson, Damien Wilson, Frankie Luvu, Cory Littleton, Brandon Smith.

They're running a little short here as well, and it wasn't easy parting ways undrafted rookie Arron Mosby, who has multi-position versatility. Linebacker Julian Stanford (who led them in special teams tackles last year) was placed on IR Tuesday.

The starting group is more stable this year, and having Littleton as a backup and a guy who contributes on special teams is practically a luxury. He got a lot of work this summer as Thompson recovered from a knee surgery, and did not look out of place with the first defense.

Luvu is getting an expanded role this year, and he's always brought energy on and off the field. Seeing how he holds up to a larger workload will be interesting.



Defensive backs (10): Cornerbacks Jaycee Horn, Donte Jackson, CJ Henderson, Keith Taylor Jr., Stantley Thomas-Oliver III; Safeties Jeremy Chinn, Xavier Woods, Myles Hartsfield, Sam Franklin Jr., Sean Chandler.

There aren't many teams in the league that could let a player such as Stephon Gilmore walk in free agency without second thoughts. But with the development of Henderson (who had one of the best camps of any player here), they're solid there with Horn and Jackson alongside him. Woods has been a find as well, and his ability to communicate across the defense will help Chinn in a number of ways.

The backup safeties are more situational players than defensive reserves. Hartsfield can play nickel (and many other roles, befitting his two-way pedigree from college), while Chandler and Franklin are both core special teamers.




Specialists (2): Punter Johnny Hekker, long snapper JJ Jansen.

Obviously they're going to add someone here to replace the injured Zane Gonzalez. They brought in a bunch of kickers Monday for tryouts, and they'll bring more in over the next few days to look for a solution.

The injury changes the outlook for a unit that made great strides from last year, when kickers and punters were rolling in on what seemed like a weekly basis. Gonzalez had stabilized the kicking game, so losing him was a blow. But with Hekker's ability to punt and pass (trick plays are very much a part of the game now), and Jansen's everyday excellence, whoever walks in will at least have comfortable surroundings.

CUTS ON 8/30/2022:

Panthers make transactions to get to initial 53-man roster

CHARLOTTE — The Panthers got down to the initial 53-man roster of the season Tuesday, submitting 27 transactions to the league office.

Included among that number was Zane Gonzalez being placed on injured reserve, officially ending the season of the 27-year-old kicker.

Gonzalez suffered a groin injury while warming up on the sidelines during Friday's preseason finale against the Bills. It comes at an unfortunate time for him and them, as he had stabilized the kicking game here upon his arrival last season, and had hit 17 straight field goals before he was hurt in pre-game warmups at Buffalo in December.

This offseason, the Panthers signed Gonzalez to a two-year contract before he got to free agency, prioritizing keeping him around.


Tuesday's cuts included a number of veterans, including wide receiver/special teamer Brandon Zylstra, safety Juston Burris, and wide receiver Keith Kirkwood. Linebacker Julian Stanford was also placed on injured reserve.

Zylstra (who also filled in as a backup kicker last year when Gonzalez was injured in Buffalo) was caught in a deep position group, made deeper by Monday's acquisition of former Jaguars second-round pick Laviska Shenault Jr..

Burris, who started at safety last year, was replaced in the first group by free agent pickup Xavier Woods.

The Panthers also waived the following players to get to the limit: Running backs Spencer Brown and John Lovett; Derek Wright, C.J. Saunders, Charleston Rambo, and Ra'Shaun Henry; tight ends Colin Thompson and Josh Babicz, offensive linemen Deonte Brown, Mike Horton, and Sam Tecklenburg; defensive ends Austin Larkin, Drew Jordan, and Darryl Johnson; defensive tackle Frank Herron; linebackers Josh Watson, Arron Mosby, and Isaiah Graham-Mobley; cornerbacks Tae Hayes, Kalon Barnes, and Madre Harper; and safety Kenny Robinson.

TUESDAY'S MOVES

— K Zane Gonzalez (injured reserve)

— WR Brandon Zylstra

— WR Keith Kirkwood

— S Juston Burris

— LB Julian Stanford (injured reserve)

— RB Spencer Brown (waived-injured)

— RB John Lovett

— WR Derek Wright

— WR C.J. Saunders

— WR Charleston Rambo

— WR Ra'Shaun Henry

— TE Colin Thompson

— TE Josh Babicz

— OL Deonte Brown

— OL Mike Horton

— OL Sam Tecklenburg

— DE Austin Larkin

— DE Drew Jordan

— DE Darryl Johnson

— DT Frank Herron

— LB Josh Watson

— LB Arron Mosby

— LB Isaiah Graham-Mobley (waived-injured)

— CB Tae Hayes

— CB Kalon Barnes

— CB Madre Harper

— S Kenny Robinson

The Panthers will likely make more moves in the coming days to adjust the roster, and will be able to establish a 16-man practice squad on Wednesday, which will likely include many of the above names.

Good roster, not ideal yet. Will come. Waiting on ps, n k pickup.

After studying the roster a little, some thoughts are starting to jell.  Just a little niggling worry.....

We have four Defensive Back positions (2-CBs, & 2-Ss) and we have 10 DBs on the roster...YES, REALLY.!!  Now I know we play a Nickel sometimes....But not always....And sometimes a LB or a DE drops back into coverage....So for 4 full-time positions we have 10 players rostered.
AND...
We have 2 Interior D-Line positions (2-DTs) with 5 or 6 Players rostered as DTs. .... And 2 Defensive End positions (2-DEs-R&L) with 4 or 5 players rostered as DEs. The little quandary in these numbers is because there seems to be a question where we will 'count' Marquan McCall...Is he a DT or a DE... (...????..)  BUT anyway...4 total D-Line positions (2-DTs & 2-DEs) with 10 players rostered...
AND...
We have 5 interior O-Line positions (2-Ts, 2-Gs, & 1C) but we have 'only' 9 O-Linemen on the roster.

So, to recap....
4 DB positions with 10 DBs rostered --------- Equals 2.5 players per position
4 D-Line positions with 10 DLs rostered ----- Equals 2.5 players per position
5 O-Line positions with 9 OLs rostered ----- Equals 1.8 players per position

Does any of this 'resonate' with you guys.?? I know I'm a little anal about things, BUT... Isn't our O-Line being short-changed.??  More Positions With Less Players.  The one group where we have had a "revolving-door" and we short their numbers..!!!

IMHO --- We have 1-2 too many DBs; We have 1-2 too many D-Linemen; and not enough O-Line.  AND... We just traded away a decent OG in Dennis Daley.!!  WHY would we do that.??  Look at the numbers please and tell me what I am missing.

**** Of course, this will probably change to some degree. Still, it seems that we are not 'balancing' positions very well.

Don’t see an issue with DL, those guys do a lot of rotations. DB’s might be a person or even two that are 98% devoted to special teams.
I think the key though comes down primarily to who will be playing on every special team snap, and maybe no OL will be included there? Just a quick thought off the cuff. Nice observation though.

After studying the roster a little, some thoughts are starting to jell.  Just a little niggling worry.....


BUT... Isn't our O-Line being short-changed.??  More Positions With Less Players.  The one group where we have had a "revolving-door" and we short their numbers..!!!

That's kinda what didn't make sense to me about them trading Dennis Daley away.  He's not "great", but he is a serviceable body in a position where we desperately need to improve the most.

One year ago, we started a season which would see us go thru 17 different players on the Offensive Line. I just don't see the OL as a position where we have the luxury of getting rid of any "body" at this point.

Don’t see an issue with DL, those guys do a lot of rotations. DB’s might be a person or even two that are 98% devoted to special teams.
I think the key though comes down primarily to who will be playing on every special team snap, and maybe no OL will be included there? Just a quick thought off the cuff. Nice observation though.

After studying the roster a little, some thoughts are starting to jell.  Just a little niggling worry.....


BUT... Isn't our O-Line being short-changed.??  More Positions With Less Players.  The one group where we have had a "revolving-door" and we short their numbers..!!!

That's kinda what didn't make sense to me about them trading Dennis Daley away.  He's not "great", but he is a serviceable body in a position where we desperately need to improve the most.

One year ago, we started a season which would see us go thru 17 different players on the Offensive Line. I just don't see the OL as a position where we have the luxury of getting rid of any "body" at this point.

FIRST... I hear you brother. I agree about the ST guys, but we have always taken those guys from position players, backups usually, and some from regular rotational players. So, yes, ST guys do make a difference. But I don't THINK we've ever rostered a player for JUST ST use....Except the three 'special' guys (LS, P, K...).. Other than those guys, we've always taken our ST guys from rotational position players. Which, of course, makes what you said more likely (LOL..). However, I just can't see needing 6 Interior DTs. (or 5 really..). I think we can rotate nicely with 4 DTs (with maybe a 5th 'swing' guy..). Then add in 4 DEs and you have the situation covered (4 of each plus 1 'swing' guy..). The same goes for DBs. If we roster 5 CBs we can cover all positions and use one as a Nickel Corner when he's needed. Then add 3 or 4 Safetys for rotational purposes and you have 8 total, or MAYBE 9 depending on 'swing' guys. It just seems like there are too many guys here when our O-Line needs support on EVERY PLAY.!! ***** I know, I'm starting to sound like a broken record.. *****

007--- You hit it right on the nose. Our O-Line NEEDS the support. Now it's true that we have several guys who can play multiple positions, and that's a great help no doubt. But, why in the name of all that's holy, did we trade away Daley..?? He started multiple games for us last year and always filled in acceptably well. So, we trade away a decent O-Lineman (PLUS a 7th round 2024 pick..) to get a 5th rounder in return, while we currently have ten (10) DBs and ten (10) DLs on the roster taking up space.

Something about this stuff just doesn't make sense (to me..!!).

OKAY... I updated the roster up there ^^^^ to include Darnold's movement to IR as well as the addition of Kicker Eddy Pineiro to take the place of Zane Gonzalez.

MONDAY---GAME WEEK #1

The Panthers have added another player to the 53. Today, they picked up 6'6" 301 lb  DE Henry Anderson. After being drafted by the Colts in the 3rd round, Anderson spent three years with the Jets and then last year with the Patriots. The Panthers hope he will add some additional strength to the D-line against the OPFOR rushing attack.  To make room for Anderson, the Panthers waived DT Daviyon Nixon.

In addition, the Panthers have added two new names to the Practice Squad. Added today were S Marquise Blair, and WR Preston Williams. Both Blair and Williams have had their seasons cut short the last couple of years with knee injuries. The Panthers had previously released Kenny Robinson from the PS and today released WR Ra'Shaun Henry.

With these changes, the Panthers 53 and PS are back to full strength.

PANTHERS .COM:  Panthers Signings -- DE Henry Anderson & Two PS members