Could these Carolina Panthers be shocking cuts before Week 1?
Dave Canales and Dan Morgan are leaving nothing to chance this offseason. They accepted a daunting task – to get the Carolina Panthers out of the football wilderness and back to respectability. A collective ethos and long-term plans were quickly formed, which was the start of what will hopefully be a brighter future for the organization.
It’s been almost a decade since Carolina was relevant. Their drastic freefall under David Tepper’s ownership was alarming and saw many fans look the other way in embarrassment. Canales and Morgan are looking to change all that, restoring the fabric that made this franchise great, approaching everything with a business-first mindset at long last.
Tepper is also staying out of the way, for now. Nothing is where Canales wants it to be currently. At the same time, competition for places remains fierce with very few seemingly safe under the new regime.
With this in mind, here are three surprising cut candidates emerging from Carolina’s training camp in Charlotte.
Shocking cut candidates emerging from Carolina Panthers training camp
Chandler Zavala – Carolina Panthers OL
The Carolina Panthers aren’t blessed with the greatest depth along their offensive line. It’s much improved after some significant investment in their interior this offseason. It’s also a big reason why quarterback Bryce Young was held out of the team’s preseason opener at the New England Patriots.
Chandler Zavala went through more turmoil than most in 2023. The former fourth-round pick was inserted into the starting lineup way before he was ready. His performances weren’t up to NFL standards, securing the lowest Pro Football Focus grade for interior linemen around the league along the way.
Zavala had a battle on his hands to alleviate concerns about his future aspirations this offseason. He’s got no chance of starting with Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis on board. It would be a surprise if the North Carolina State product didn’t make it through as a backup option. However, nothing can be dismissed entirely looking at how his NFL career’s gone up to now.
Jaden Crumedy – Carolina Panthers DL
The Carolina Panthers aren’t harboring any favoritism or sentiment to their roster decisions under the new regime. Places will be earned and not handed out based on previous production or reputations. Anyone not pulling their weight or failing to raise performance levels accordingly will be demoted. They could even be released entirely.
That sounds harsh, but it’s the only way Dan Morgan can get this franchise off its knees and back into contention over time. The old pals’ act under previous decision-makers is gone, replaced by a professional model more in keeping with successful organizations around the league. After so much mismanagement in recent years, this approach is a breath of fresh air.
Late-round draft picks go through the same struggles as undrafted free agents. They are starting from the bottom up and must claw with everything in their power to get noticed. That’s the task awaiting Jaden Crumedy on a defensive front that’s got a couple of emerging pieces trying to do the same.
Crumedy was the No. 200 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Mississippi State. He was projected as a development project that could potentially occupy rotational reps over time. It’s been a modest start to life in Carolina, which isn’t entirely unexpected considering the refinement needed from a technical standpoint.
There’s a lot to like about the defensive lineman’s explosion to the contact point and overall athleticism. However, the likes of Nick Thurman and T.J. Smith have come to the fore over camp practices. Much will depend on how many 3-4 defensive linemen Carolina opts to carry through onto their 53-man roster, but Crumedy’s situation is precarious until further notice.
It would be shocking if the Panthers gave up on Crumedy just a few short months into his NFL journey. Watching his progress closely over Carolina’s final two preseason games is crucial – something that might determine whether he’s on the roster when Week 1 at the New Orleans Saints rolls around.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette – Carolina Panthers WR
Ihmir Smith-Marsette is a dynamic playmaker. While the wide receiver didn’t feature much on offense following his trade from the Kansas City Chiefs, his versatility and explosiveness caught the eye when called upon down the stretch.
Smith-Marsette got a new deal for his troubles and set his sights firmly on being more impactful within Dave Canales’ schematic concepts. His ability as a kick returner should help the Panthers, especially with the new kickoff rules coming into play. The former Iowa star also has the mentality Dan Morgan is looking to instill across the roster to make the logo feared once again.
The problem for Smith-Marsette isn’t his production levels, which have been encouraging without standing out compared to the likes of Jonathan Mingo and Terrace Marshall Jr. further down the wide receiver depth chart. He could be a shocking cut candidate thanks to the rapid emergence of someone who came into the fold extremely late.
Deven Thompkins worked with Canales on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season without featuring too much in the passing game. However, he’s made an electrifying start to life in Carolina, displaying crisp route-running and assured hands that haven’t gone unnoticed by those in attendance.
Thompkins has a lot of hard work ahead to force his way into the team’s plans. He’s still playing catch-up and remains something of an unknown quantity. It didn’t take long to make a good impression – something that won’t go unnoticed by a player with similar traits such as Smith-Marsette.
The 2021 fifth-round selection won’t be giving up his spot without a fight. Smith-Marsette is highly determined, confident in his abilities, and strives to work harder than anybody. That’s a solid platform from which to build heading into Year 2 with the franchise.
Thompkins’ eye-catching production right out of the gate should ignite a sense of urgency. Not just where Smith-Marsette is concerned, but throughout the wide receiver room in the weeks leading up to final cuts.
