Five position battles to watch as the Carolina Panthers head into 2021 training camp

Jonathan M. Alexander
·6 min read

The good news for the Carolina Panthers heading into the 2021 training camp is there is less uncertainty this year than there was during the 2020 offseason.

In 2020, there were many new faces after the departures of Luke Kuechly, Cam Newton, Greg Olsen, Mario Addison, Graham Gano and others — players who had been longtime starters with the Panthers. So in Year 1 of the coach Matt Rhule era, there was a lot of competing for starting jobs.

Year 2 means more certainty.

But while there are fewer questions this year as to who will win what position, there are still some positions that don’t have a solid starter yet.

Here are five position battles to watch during training camp:

Offense tackle

For the Panthers, left tackle has been a revolving door. The players in the position change every other year.

Last year it was Russell Okung, who the Panthers opted not to re-sign this offseason. This year, that answer is less uncertain.

The Panthers signed offensive lineman Cameron Erving, 28, to a two-year, $10 million deal in March to compete for the starting left tackle spot.

But Erving, who has dealt with injuries for much of his career, was in a red non-contact jersey during OTAs and mandatory minicamp because of an injury.

Erving will likely compete against Trent Scott, Greg Little, Dennis Daley and rookie Brady Christensen for the job.

Little, a former 2019 second-round selection, started in three games last year when Okung was out with an injury but hasn’t secured the starting spot.

Scott, a backup, started in four games and outperformed Little.

Daley, who is entering his third season, has experience playing left tackle as well, but could start at left guard. Christensen, who played left tackle at BYU, played some guard and right tackle during minicamp.

Rhule has also said they would consider Taylor Moton at left tackle. But that would leave an open spot at right tackle, which Moton has held down for the past three years without missing a snap.

“If (Moton) ever feels really comfortable to do it, then we could consider doing it,” Rhule said in June. “The difference between left tackle and right tackle, to me, in the NFL is not what it once was. A lot of great rushers are rushing from the right side. So, you know, he’s valuable where he’s at, so we’ll just kind of have to wait and see.”

Backup running back

With Mike Davis having signed with Atlanta this offseason, the battle for second-string running back behind Christian McCaffrey will likely come down between Reggie Bonnafon, Chuba Hubbard and Rodney Smith.

Bonnafon, 25, missed much of 2020 with a high-ankle sprain. But he’s shown flashes of potential, from his 59-yard touchdown run in 2019, to his 53-yard rushing performance in Week 4 last season against the Cardinals.

Hubbard, who the Panthers took in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft, led college football with 2,094 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns in 2019 as a sophomore. An ankle injury limited his 2020 season before he declared for the draft.

And Smith, who is entering his second season after going undrafted out of Minnesota, was Davis’ primary backup when McCaffrey was out. He had some decent games in 2020 and finished the season rushing for 156 yards on 41 carries and one touchdown. He also caught nine passes for 59 yards and a touchdown.

Tight end

The Panthers signed Dan Arnold this offseason to a two-year, $6 million deal to compete with Ian Thomas, who had a disappointing 2020 season. In 16 games and eight starts, Thomas caught only 20 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown.

Now Thomas is entering the final year of his contract.

Arnold, who last played for the Arizona Cardinals, is coming off the best year of his NFL career, having played in all 16 games in 2020. He played in 41.4% of the Cardinals’ offensive snaps and had 31 catches for 438 yards and four touchdowns.

The Panthers could also decide to use some two tight end sets this year. But who will get the majority of those snaps will likely be determined in camp.

Rookie Tommy Tremble, who the Panthers drafted in the third round and agreed to terms with on Thursday, is also an option. But he wasn’t much of a receiving threat at Notre Dame. He caught 19 passes for 218 yards in 10 games in 2020.

Safety

Jeremy Chinn will likely get the bulk of the snaps at the safety spot opposite of Juston Burris.

But the loss of Tre Boston does leave a void when Chinn does drop down in the box. The Panthers tried out safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, a former Pro Bowl player, at their mandatory minicamp but did not sign him.

The Panthers have multiple options with less experience, from second-year players Sam Franklin, who has starting experience, 2020 fifth-round pick Kenny Robinson and Myles Hartsfield.

In 14 games and four starts last year, Franklin had 23 tackles, a sack and a pass deflection.

Robinson, who previously played in the XFL, played in nine games during his rookie season, primarily on special teams.

And Hartfield had 13 tackles in 16 games last year and two fumble recoveries.

Long snapper

J.J. Jansen, 35, has been with the Panthers longer than any other player on their roster and has played in the second-most games in franchise history. He signed with the Panthers in 2009 and has been a steady presence since, making the Pro Bowl team in 2013 and being named an All-Pro in 2014.

The Panthers re-signed Jansen to a one-year deal in March.

But the Panthers drafted perhaps his future replacement, Thomas Fletcher, in the sixth round of the 2021 draft.

Fletcher played in every game in his four years at Alabama and was considered the best long snapper in the country. He won the Patrick Mannelly award, given to the nation’s best long snapper.

The Panthers could save $987,500 if they decide to move on from the Jansen and go with Fletcher after camp.

“They are both doing really well,” special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn said in June. “I’m evaluating, strictly play, and how they do it. I’m grading every rep, and at the end of the day (the front office) will make the decision.

“I think they are both talented enough to play in the league and play for a number of years.”

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