Cat Scratch Reader
The Carolina Panthers have a depth problem, so they will likely be watching the waiver wire and roster cutdowns very closely. While there are trade candidates as well, those possibilities are nigh on endless, so we won’t be looking at those. Here, we will focus on players who have already been cut/waived, of which there aren’t many household names. These are players who I think the Panthers should call up as soon as possible.
The former first round pick of the Minnesota Vikings was playing with the Philadelphia Eagles this preseason. He was injured in the final game of the preseason for the Eagles, but if that injury is relatively minor I would not mind the Panthers taking a swing. Safety depth is severely lacking, and Cine was a first round pick for a reason. He was extremely productive at Georgia. I’d want see if he has anything that Ejiro Evero can work with.
Another defensive back who could provide some depth is Mike Hilton, who was cut by the Miami Dolphins after signing a contract with the team in July. Hilton would not be expected to start in Carolina, but having another veteran in the room with such a young defensive backs group would not be a bad thing. He’d likely be the fifth corner on the depth chart, but he’d likely be okay if forced into action.
Jack Plummer ain’t it. I know he’s the emergency quarterback right now and a practice squad guy, but the Panthers need to upgrade that position. Snoop brings a ton of experience and some athleticism, which would help the scout team offense mimic some of the more elusive quarterbacks the Panthers will face. Bryce Perkins would be a good option if you’d prefer the lottery ticket route, but if Bryce Young fails this year then the Panthers will be spending a high draft pick on a quarterback anyway.
Depth at off-ball linebacker is also an issue for the Panthers, and the New York Jets cut former first round pick Jamin Davis. He played fairly well in his first couple of seasons after being taken 19th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders. Since then, his fifth year option has been declined and he has moved to more of an edge player position. Still, he tallied over 100 tackles in his only year as a full time starter and has shown the ability to make game changing plays. I think he’d be worth a flyer, especially considering the current linebackers and edge players.
Fox was with the Panthers in 2021 and has spent the last few seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. While he hasn’t been a consistent starter, he has managed to command about half the defensive snaps most years. That type of heavy rotational player is exactly what Evero wants as he loves to rotate his down lineman a ton. The main...
