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[Carolina Panthers]

2025 Season Opener Countdown: 38 Days to Go

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

We’re counting down the days until the Panthers open up the 2025 season!

In this series, we’ll be counting down until opening kickoff by running through the Panthers roster by jersey number. Today’s piece looks at the current and historical players to have ever donned No. 38 for the Carolina Panthers.

Current Player: none​

The Panthers actually have two player who wear 39 and no one who currently wears 38, so yesterday focused on Emani Bailey and today will focus on Tre Swilling. Swilling (6’0”, 196 lbs) had several offers from SEC powerhouse schools coming out of high school, but decided to forego those opportunities in favor of attending Georgia Tech. He redshirted his freshman season, then started 11 games at corner as a redshirt freshman. He seemed to really take a leap his sophomore season, earning an Honorable Mention All-ACC designation. Unfortunately for Swilling, the COVID year really slowed his momentum as he only appeared in six games. The two time All-ACC Academic Team member started to round back into form near the end of the 2021 season, including a seven tackle game against the Georgia Bulldogs.

Swilling went undrafted following the 2022 NFL Draft and signed with the Tennessee Titans. The Titans waived him in August, and he joined the Saints practice squad in September. The rest of his career has seen him bounce around the practice squads of the San Francisco 49ers, the Baltimore Ravens, and the New York Jets. The son of College Football Hall of Fame linebacker Pat Swilling has only seen action in three games in his career so far. He signed with the Panthers in July and has an uphill battle to make the roster.

Notable Previous Players to Wear Number 38: Myles Hartsfield, Robert Lester, Tyrone Poole​

Not many notable players have worn 38 for the Panthers to this point in their history. Hartsfield spent three seasons with the Panthers and started 19 games at safety in that time. Those were dark times. Robert Lester was an older safety prospect out of Alabama who fans had relatively high hopes for considering his age and undrafted status. He spent a couple seasons in the NFL, both with the Panthers, including four starts in 2013. Tyrone Poole is by far the most productive player to wear 38 in black and electric blue. He was a first round pick by the Panthers (22nd overall) before their inaugural 1995 season. He played fairly well, but the Panthers decided to move on after just three seasons. Poole then bounced around the NFL for nine more years after that.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/2025/7/31/24477010/2025-season-opener-countdown-38-days-to-go

 

[Carolina Panthers]

2025 Season Opener Countdown: 39 Days to Go

Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

We’re counting down the days until the Panthers open up the 2025 season!

In this series, we’ll be counting down until opening kickoff by running through the Panthers roster by jersey number. Today’s piece looks at the current and historical players to have ever donned No. 39 for the Carolina Panthers.

Current Player: Emani Bailey, Tre Swilling​

The Panthers actually have two player who wear 39 and no one who currently wears 38, so today will focus on Bailey and tomorrow will focus on Swilling. Bailey (5’7”, 207 lbs) started his collegiate career as a true freshman at Louisiana University. After entering the transfer portal, he landed with TCU. He spent his first season with the Horned Frogs as a backup, but took over starting duties in 2023. Bailey rushed for over 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging just over 100 yards per game.

Bailey went undrafted following the 2024 NFL Draft, signing with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was waived and added to practice squad before the season started. The Chiefs released Bailey in November, and he was added to the Panthers practice squad the following month. In January, Bailey signed a reserve/futures contract with the Panthers to extend his stay in Charlotte for a little longer. With the runningback room suddenly crowded with the additions of Rico Dowdle and Trevor Etienne, Bailey’s best case scenario appears to be another stint on the practice squad if he is to stay with the Panthers.

Notable Previous Players to Wear Number 39: Reggie Bonnafon, Damien Richardson, Brett Maxie​

Slim pickings at the number 39 spot in Panthers history. Reggie Bonnafon was the most recent player to don the number who had any sort of on-field impact. He spent three seasons with the Panthers and only toted the rock less than thirty times with only ten catches in that span as well. Richardson was a defensive back for the Panthers in the late 90s and early 2000s. He did have seven starts at strong safety in 1998, but his production was nothing to write home about. Maxie was the first Panther to ever wear 39. He was a starting safety for the Panthers in their first two years of existence, notably snagging six interceptions in the 1995 inaugural season.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/2025/7/30/24476997/2025-season-opener-countdown-39-days-to-go

 

[Carolina Panthers]

CSR Weekend Warriors: 8/1-8/3

Here’s a fresh weekend open thread just for you.

Feel free to use this thread to hang out over the weekend and chat about whatever you want (just make sure you follow the ToS ... the rules still apply here) with anyone who decides to stick around.

This is now an open thread!

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/2025/8/1/24478088/csr-weekend-warriors-8-1-8-3

 

[Carolina Panthers]

2025 Season Opener Countdown: 36 Days to Go

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

We’re counting down the days until the Panthers open up the 2025 season!

There are 36 days left until the start of the Carolina Panthers 2025 schedule, so today’s countdown piece is about number 36 in your program, Demani Richardson.

Richardson joined the Panthers as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M a couple weeks after the 2024 NFL Draft. He got a lot of burn in the preseason and notched an interception in a win over the Jets. He didn’t make the final roster, but he impressed enough that he earned a spot on the practice squad. His time there was short lived though, and he was elevated to the active roster in late September.

The 24 year old ended up appearing in all 14 games after his debut in Week 4 against the Bengals. He became a regular player down the stretch and started at safety for each of the last three games of the season. He notably improved as he got more experience and ended the season looking like a solid player to have going forward, so much so that he seems like a pretty safe bet to make the final roster this time around.

Tre’von Moehrig is a lock to start at one safety position. The other probably belongs to veteran Nick Scott to start camp, but Richardson has every chance to take that spot as his own. Either way, he should see the field a lot this season.

As funny as this may sound, a strong season by Richardson could elevate him to the best #36 in the history of the Panthers based on Pro Football Reference’s Approximate Value statistic. No one of real historical significance as worn the number in Carolina. Perhaps Richardson can change that.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...ner-countdown-36-days-to-go-demani-richardson

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Dave Canales confirms Panthers starters will play in the first two preseason games

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images

The Panthers head coach confirms a major change from last season

Panthers head coach Dave Canales appeared on the Up & Adams show today for an interview, and he ended up answering a question many Panthers fans were wondering about since the start of the preseason:

Dave Canales confirms we’ll see the starters in the Panthers first two preseason games @heykayadams | @Panthers #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/RyP1NNzHBa

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) August 1, 2025​

This is actually a major shift, as last season QB Bryce Young and many of the starters didn’t play at all in the preseason despite the team implementing a new offensive scheme under their brand new head coach. While many thought it made sense to avoid injuries (myself included), Bryce Young and the offense as a whole looked abysmal to start the regular season, to the point that Bryce found himself on the bench come week 3.

Instead, Canales has pivoted, meaning we’ll at least get a few series to see Bryce Young and shiny new wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and others play together before the meaningful football starts. I definitely support the change, though I am scarred by Cam Newton’s preseason injury many moons ago. Sound off below with your thoughts on this change, Panthers fans!

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...rs-will-play-in-the-first-two-preseason-games

 

[Carolina Panthers]

2025 Season Opener Countdown: 35 Days to Go

Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

We’re counting down the days until the Panthers open up the 2025 season!

There are 35 days left until the first day of the season for the Carolina Panthers. As per usual, we cover the player wearing that number on the current roster. In this case, that player is two players—cornerback Michael Reid and kicker Ryan Fitzgerald.

It’s hard to find a whole lot about Reid. He signed with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent out of South Dakota a few months ago. Prior to that, he spent four seasons at FCS school Monmouth. He was second team all conference while at South Dakota.

Fitzgerald is another undrafted free agent, but he’s a much more likely bet to make the roster. He was one of the more highly ranked kickers in the 2025 class but didn’t have any takers in the draft. He signed with the Panthers shortly after, probably in large part because it looked like a good path to a secure gig. He’s had some ups and downs throughout the offseason and programs and camp, but the team is probably going to try to make them starter if they can.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...wn-35-days-to-go-ryan-fitzgerald-michael-reid

 

[Carolina Panthers]

The Panthers are wearing black just four times this season

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The team released their jersey schedule for the season and it is rather lacking in color.

The Carolina Panthers released their jersey schedule on Friday, and it’s disappointingly bland.

Week Opponent Jersey color

Week 1 at Jaguars White

Week 2 at Cardinals White

Week 3 vs. Falcons Blue

Week 4 at Patriots White

Week 5 vs. Dolphins White

Week 6 vs. Cowboys Blue

Week 7 at Jets White

Week 8 vs. Bills Blue

Week 9 at Packers White

Week 10 vs. Saints Black

Week 11 at Falcons White

Week 12 at 49ers White

Week 13 vs. Rams Black

Week 14 BYE

Week 15 at Saints White

Week 16 vs. Buccaneers Black

Week 17 vs. Seahawks Black

Week 18 at Buccaneers White

The team has always shied away from wearing black for home games early in the season in attempt to combat the hot early fall days in the Carolinas even though I think that wouldn’t be much of a factor with the current jersey materials. They’ll wear blue for three of their first four home games with the lone exception being a game in white against the Dolphins in Week 5.

In all, they’ll wear white for five of their first seven games. They’ll wear black for their last four home games starting in Week 10.

It’s disappointing for me personally because the black jerseys are my favorite, and I hate that the Panthers wear them so few times each season. They’ve almost been relegated to alternate uniforms at this point.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...are-wearing-black-just-four-times-this-season

 

[Carolina Panthers]

The Panthers safety room is a one-trick pony

Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images

Can the safety room that was purposefully built to stop the run handle all other aspects of the position?

While the praise for the Carolina Panthers offseason has been plentiful, there’s one aspect of the team’s roster decisions that continues to confound fans and media alike: what are the Panthers planning to do at the safety position?

Even as the NFL continues its shift towards position-less football, it’s still common for the roster builders across the league to keep to the traditional strong and free safety positions. One player taking the hard-nosed, close to the line of scrimmage enforcer role while the free safety is the playmaking ball hawk who acts as the last line of defense to prevent anyone on the offense from getting on top of the defense.

The Seattle Disconnection​

No team exemplified this dynamic more than the Seattle Seahawks of the early 2010s, who had Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor, both arguably the best free and strong safety in the NFL. Panthers Head Coach Dave Canales even had a front row seat to witness their glory as he had to go against it every day at practice as an offensive position coach with the Seahawks.

Despite Canales’ formative years in the NFL being exposed to the Seattle Cover 3 system and the epitome of traditional safety play, he and the rest of the brain trust with the Panthers have seemed to eschew that line of thinking in favor of a more versatile philosophy when it comes to safeties.

By versatile, I mean practically identical skill sets where each player is virtually interchangeable with the others. With multiple offseasons’ worth of opportunities for the Panthers to try and find a traditional free safety, they’ve gone the exact opposite direction. With each version of the roster they continue to forgo diversity and opt towards safeties with increasingly similar skill sets, strengths and weaknesses.

The current build​

The Panthers entered the offseason with Demani Richardson as the only safety on the roster. A second year player who started out as a UDFA, Richardson was easily the Panthers most reliable tackler during the back half of the season, posting the team’s highest PFF tackling grade for the season among players with over 50 snaps on defense. When asked to cover, Richardson did seem to struggle much more compared to when he’s given the opportunity to play downhill. This was no more evident than in the 2025 season finale, where Richardson was asked to take on his heaviest coverage assignment of the season. Versus the Atlanta Falcons in the season finale, Richardson played much of the game as the primary nickelback and in 39 snaps in coverage scored a 31.9 coverage grade.

Entering free agency, it was a surprise to no one paying attention that the Panthers had signed a safety for a big money (relative to the rest of the safety market) in Tre’Von Moehrig. Moehrig had a career year in 2024, in no large part to how he was deployed on the Raiders defense. According to PFF, Moehrig played 600 snaps at free safety and 326 in the box in 2023. The next year, his career year, his snaps at free safety dropped down to 361 to allow for him to move closer to the line of scrimmage more often with a jump to 439 snaps inside the box. This shift to allow Moehrig to be closer to the football paid heavy dividends and Moehrig was one of, if not the, best tackling safety in the NFL last year while but was average at his best in coverage.

With both Moehrig and Richardson seemingly have similar paths to success on a defense, it seemed as though the Panthers might finally look to address a need for a ball-hawking safety in the NFL draft. There were options aplenty in the safety class, so in round 4 of the draft no one was surprised they drafted a safety - but which safety they drafted was a shock for some.

The Panthers selected Lathan Ransom, a safety from Ohio State. A tough and tenacious player, Ransom led the entire NCAA safety class in 2024 in PFF’s run defense grade but was in the 29th percentile at coverage grade at free safety.

There is still room for moves, but is there interest?​

With other options still available to potentially add a safety whose calling card lay more in their coverage ability, the Panthers have held tight and not added any other safeties outside of undrafted free agency. Returning special teamer Nick Scott, who hasn’t been a highly productive in any aspect when provided opportunities to play defense. The Panthers even brought in Julian Blackmon for a free agent visit, but he left without a contract as the Panthers seemed happy with what they had. Blackmon went unsigned for several more weeks until the NFC South rival New Orleans Saints picked him up.

So here the Panthers are, with just three potential starters at safety. All of whom have found the most success when given the option to play down hill towards the football and have struggled when asked to play significant snaps in coverage. Three players who in their most recent seasons (Richardson and Moehrig in the NFL, Ransom in the NCAA) combined for a total of 4 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles.

As defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero is entering the final year of his contract, this is seemingly his final opportunity to put something together. It’s time to find out if Evero can help the Panthers finally vindicate their unique safety philosophy, or if the continued lack of diversity will be a contributing factor to yet another lackluster defense

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...richardson-trevon-moehrig-lathan-ransom-evero

 

[Carolina Panthers]

2025 Season Opener Countdown: 34 Days to Go

Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

We’re counting down the days until the Panthers open up the 2025 season!

There are 34 days left until the start of the Carolina Panthers 2025 schedule, so today’s countdown piece is about number 34 in your program, running back Kay’ron Lynch-Adams.

Before the Panthers

Lynch-Adams began his college career at Rutgers in 2019 and spent two seasons with the Scarlet Knights. His stats over his first two college campaigns were good but not spectacular, rushing for 320 yards with another 120 yards through the air. In 2021 he transferred to UMass and spent two seasons there, including his breakout 2022 campaign in which he rushed for 1,157 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The 5-foot-10, 215-pound running back decided to play a fifth season of college football and transferred in 2023 to Michigan State. Last year he led the Spartans with 649 rushing yards on 133 carries, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. He reportedly forced 47 missed tackles, ranking fifth in the Big Ten.

He declared for the 2025 NFL Draft and went undrafted before signing a deal with the Panthers.

What to expect in his rookie season

Among positions in the NFL where an undrafted rookie free agent can latch on with a team, running back is near the top of the list. Injuries frequently happen at running back and most teams are happy to try to mine diamonds in the rough (read: UDFAs) who can carry the rock while earning the NFL’s version of minimum wage.

Lynch-Adams will be battling for a spot on the depth chart behind incumbent starter Chuba Hubbard and new free agent Rico Dowdle who rushed for 1,079 yards (4.6 YPC) for the Dallas Cowboys last year. Carolina invested a fourth round pick this year in Georgia’s Trevor Etienne, but he’s a rookie just like Lynch-Adams and there isn’t much proven experience elsewhere on the depth chart.

If Lynch-Adams can show well this summer, he’s a candidate to make Carolina’s practice squad. Team’s always need to have depth at running back, and that’s precisely what he is.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/2025/8/4/24480425/2025-season-opener-countdown-34-days-to-go

 

[Carolina Panthers]

The Scratching Post: 8/4-8/8

Greetings, internet users. Welcome to The Scratching Post.

Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-football sports, you name it. As long as it’s allowed by the site’s ToS, it’s fair game here.

You know the drill.

This is now an open thread!

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/2025/8/4/24478087/the-scratching-post-8-4-8-8

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Brian Asks: Welcome to the preseason!

Hello CSR! Welcome to Brian Asks, your weekly Carolina Panthers fan mailbag for everyone!

Welcome to your new look CatScratch Reader, stick with us as we learn to navigate all of the changes. However, those changes aren’t going to stop me from answering all of YOUR fan questions, whether they be Panthers related, football related, or even completely off topic! We’ve got preseason week one on our hands in the coming days, meaning we’ll see a great deal of the starters on offense and defense stepping into the closest thing to REAL FOOTBALL ACTION all Offseason!

I know you’ve all been following along with us patiently as we get closer and closer to the regular season. So comment down below with your questions, or even your observations you’d like to touch on. I’ll answer all your questions, and highlight some of my favorite answers later on this week. Hit me with your questions, and KEEP POUNDING!

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...son/48941/brian-asks-welcome-to-the-preseason

 

[Carolina Panthers]

2025 Season Opener Countdown: 32 Days to Go

In this series, we’ll be counting down until opening kickoff by running through the Panthers roster by jersey number. Today’s piece looks at the current and historical players to have ever donned No. 32 for the Carolina Panthers.

Current Player: Trevin Wallace​

Wallace (6’1”, 245 lbs) is a second year linebacker out of the University of Kentucky. The Georgia native stepped foot on Kentucky’s campus and played in all 12 games including one start as a true freshman. He consistently worked his way up the depth chart the next two seasons before finally becoming the full time starter as a junior. As a starter, Wallace notched 80 tackles (nine for loss), 5.5 sacks, one interception, and a forced fumble. Despite not turning 21 until February of 2024, Wallace declared for the 2024 NFL Draft and was selected by the Panthers in the third round, 72nd overall.

While the plan was for Wallace for take his time getting acclimated to the NFL, injuries to starters Shaq Thompson and Josey Jewell forced the Panthers hands. Wallace ended up appearing in 13 games for the team, including eight starts at the inside linebacker position. He played quite well in his rookie campaign, including a breakout game against the Chicago Bears in Week 5. In that game, Wallace notched 15 total tackles including 10 solo stops while playing every single defensive snap. Unfortunately for Wallace, the injury bug at linebacker hit him as well near the end of the season, causing him to miss the final four games. With Shaq Thompson with the Buffalo Bills and Josey Jewell being released due to lingering concussion symptoms, Wallace is penciled in as one of the starters in the middle of the revamped Panthers defense this year.

Notable Previous Players to Wear Number 32: Lonnie Johnson Jr, Rod Smart, Fred Lane​

The most recent Panther to don the 32 was Lonnie Johnson Jr last season. The defensive back was signed to a one year deal to play special teams. Perhaps the 32 with the most fan fare in Panthers history was Rod “He Hate Me” Smart. The XFL legend was a return man for the Panthers, and Bill Rosinski’s call of “He Hate Me, we love you” during Smart’s lone career kickoff return touchdown is one of the better calls I’ve ever heard. Fred Lane, from Lane college, also wore 32. He burst onto the scene with the Panthers as an undrafted rookie in 1997. His production dipped, and the team moved on just a couple years later.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...64/2025-season-opener-countdown-32-days-to-go

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Panthers vs Browns: Preseason offensive preview

Carolina Panthers football is back. You’ll get to see the black and blue up against another team in a football game, even if that game doesn’t count for anything. And head coach Dave Canales has already said that he intends to play the starters a bit in the first two weeks of the preseason. They didn’t play at all last preseason, and they looked like a team that didn’t practice to start last regular season. Hopefully that’s different this time around.

In the regular season, this space is used to talk about what the Panthers can do to find success based on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing defense. This game doesn’t count, neither team is trying to win, and we don’t know who’s going to be on the field on a snap to snap basis. So instead, we’ll talk about what to watch for and topics of interest, like…

How do Tetairoa McMillan and Hunter Renfrow fit into the offense?​

McMillan adds an extra bit of physicality and size to a Panthers wide receiver room that wasn’t necessarily lacking there. He should be the team’s number one receiver in time, but it remains to be seen how long it takes him to get up to speed. Can he immediately show what made him a top 10 pick in this past draft? I’d love it if the Panthers could get a red zone opportunity for him or two to show what really is supposed to make him special.

Elsewhere in that somewhat crowded receiver room, Hunter Renfrow is trying to find a place. He overlaps quite a bit with the role Adam Thielen played last season, so it’ll be interesting to see how his playing time works out in the regular season. But in the preseason, he should ball out against opposing depth secondaries.

Oh, and there’s Jimmy Horn. How does he look against a team other than his own?

Is Jack Plummer a viable long term option at backup quarterback?​

We should get plenty of Jack Plummer reps throughout the preseason. While the starters are going to play, I still assume their time is going to be limited. Backup quarterback Andy Dalton doesn’t need preseason reps, so he’s probably not going to get much time either. That means lots of snaps for Plummer, who improved week over week in his appearances last year. Dalton isn’t going to be around forever, so the Panthers do have to figure out what is going to happen with the backup quarterback position long term. Plummer can start to establish himself as a steady backup when the Panthers no longer feel the need to have a wily old veteran at that spot.

Can the draft skill position players make an impact?​

The Panthers took a couple of skill position players in the draft at spots where they already had some depth, making paths to snaps murky. Trevor Etienne was picked in the fourth round, but he’s not going to get a lot of touches behind a healthy Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle. The Panthers selected tight end Mitchell Evans one round later, and he joins a crowded (though not elite) tight end room with Ja’Tavion Sanders and Tommy Tremble. Both might have a hard time seeing the field once the regular season starts. This is going to be their best chance to force the coaching staff’s hand to find ways to get them on the field.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...season-offensive-preview-nfl-preseason-week-1

 

[Carolina Panthers]

2025 Season Opener Countdown: 31 Days to Go

In this series, we’ll be counting down until opening kickoff by running through the Panthers roster by jersey number. Today’s piece looks at the current and historical players to have ever donned No. 31 for the Carolina Panthers.

Current Player: Corey Thornton​

Thornton (6’1”, 195 lbs) is a rookie corner out of Louisville. He began his career at UCF, spending four seasons in Orlando and providing solid production from the corner position. He then transferred to Louisville for his final season of eligibility. Thornton was not expected to start for the Cardinals, but his play forced the coaches hands very early on. He played all 13 games, starting 12 of them. Thornton was an excellent piece opposite Quincy Riley, a fourth round pick of the New Orleans Saints in this year’s draft. Thornton’s ball skills, which helped him notch two interceptions and nine pass deflections, earned him an All-ACC Honorable Mention.

After not being selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, Thornton signed a contract with the Panthers. Thornton has reportedly been quite impressive in camp so far, and he’ll likely get plenty of snaps in the preseason. If he plays well enough, he could potentially land on the opening day roster. However, the practice squad is a more realistic goal at this point for the undrafted rookie.

Notable Previous Players to Wear Number 31: Juston Burris, Charles Tillman, Richard Marshall​

Burris is the quintessential “oh yeah, he did play here” player. He spent the final three seasons of his career in Carolina, originally as a starting safety. Fans fondly remember the time Peanut Tillman was on the squad, though I was surprised that he only spent the 2015 Super Bowl season with the team. His impact was felt for much longer than that, I suppose, as he taught a bunch of young guys the Peanut Punch. Marshall was a second round pick for the Panthers in 2006. He was a depth guy to begin with but became a starter in his last couple seasons with the team. Marshall’s five years in Carolina were productive, nabbing 14 interceptions (two of which were returned for touchdowns) and notching five sacks, an impressive number for a corner.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...58/2025-season-opener-countdown-31-days-to-go

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Panthers 10, Browns 30: It’s just preseason

Bryce Young led a touchdown drive, but that was about the all the offense could muster as the Carolina Panthers dropped their preseason opener to the Browns.

First Quarter​

The much anticipated return of football got off to the dullest start possible. Both teams went three and out with no even remotely exciting plays. The Browns moved the ball a bit on their second drive but got stuffed at the first down line on 4th down. That set the Panthers up for their featured drive of the game.

Bryce Young flung a rainbow down the right sideline that Tetairoa McMillan, who reeled it in for a 30 yard gain. A couple more short completions to McMillan and Thielen set the Panthers up in scoring range. The Panthers got on the board via a Young scramble drill where he directed Jalen Coker along the back of the end zone and rifled the pass in for the score.

That drive also featured a scuffle between Xavier Legette and Rashawn Jenkins. Both threw punches and were ejected from the contest.

The Carolina defense held up and forced another punt, but Trevor Etienne was run into while trying to field the ball and muffed it. That set the Browns up inside the ten.

Second Quarter​

The Browns took just two plays to find the end zone and level the game.

The Panthers pulled Young from the game after the successful drive and inserted Andy Dalton. Dalton wasn’t nearly as sharp. He led three straight punt drives to close out the half, though one featured a nice one handed catch by Jalen Coker down the seam.

On the other side, Shedeur Sanders orchestrated a touchdown in a pseudo-two minute drill to put the Browns up seven at the half.

Second Half​

The second half went off the rails for the home team. Dalton self sacked when he fell over trying to pump fake a pass. He threw an interception into like quadruple coverage on the next drive. As the Panthers offense floundered, the Browns used the quick turnarounds and advantageous field position to get into a rhythm and pile on the points.

Overview​

Here’s your regular reminder that the result of the preseason means nothing. Tetairoa McMillan made some plays. Bruce Young looked like the late last season of himself. The defense was decent early on against the Browns depth offensive players.

The Panthers hit the road next weekend

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...4931/panthers-10-browns-30-its-just-preseason

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Carolina Panthers Fantasy Review: Preseason Week 1

The Carolina Panthers hosted the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Preseason. Unlike last year, the Panthers starters did actually see some live reps in the game, with the offense out there for two drives. Let’s take a closer look at how the players looked from a fantasy perspective.

Quarterbacks​

Bryce Young​

Young only played two series in this game and looked pretty good while doing so. After knocking off some rust, he finished 4/6 for 58 yards with a touchdown. One of those incompletions was on a perfectly timed slant route that Tetairoa McMillan dropped in the endzone, so Bryce definitely seems ready to go. Obviously his actual fantasy points from this game are misleading since he only played a little under one quarter, but if we extrapolate his performance (ie multiply it by four because math is hard) he performed quite well netting around 25 fantasy points.

Runningbacks​

Chuba Hubbard​

Chuba ran the ball three times for 10 yards, so it’s definitely tough to extrapolate his performance when he’ll likely see six or seven times the number of rushing attempts in an actual game. He was his normal Chuba self, running hard and punishing defenders who dared try to tackle him. He did get tripped up on his longest run of the night (which was six yards) as he burst through a hole. Had he kept his feet, he might have kept running all the way to the Hornets arena. Using our super complex mathematical algorithm of multiplying by four, Chuba would have ended the day with about four fantasy points.

Rico Dowdle​

With the team only running the ball 14 times in the entire game, neither starter got a mammoth amount of carries. Dowdle finished with three attempts for seven yards. He’s definitely a hard runner, but nothing really popped off the screen when he got the ball on the handoff. He did have a 20 yard reception on his only target, which was good to see. All told, Dowdle would have ended up with about 11 fantasy points on the day.

Wide Receivers​

Tetairoa McMillan​

Anyone who doubted the Panthers taking McMillan eighth overall in April’s draft were put on notice in this game. McMillan made a beautiful sideline grab on a deep ball early in the game and was open for a touchdown pass that he unfortunately wasn’t ready for. One major adjustment for rookie wide receivers is their quarterbacks throwing with anticipation, and Bryce is one of the best in the business at that particular skill. As soon as T-Mac turned around, the ball hit him in the hands. He gave Bryce a thumbs up after the drop, showing a level of maturity to admit that he dropped a perfect touchdown pass. Despite the drop, McMillan still had two catches for 43 yards in his limited playing time. Had he played the whole game at that pace, he would have ended with about 17 fantasy points.

Jalen Coker​

To paraphrase a famous musical doctor, it seems like a lot of people “forgot about J.” While his two catches for 17 yards and a touchdown statline isn’t jaw-dropping, you have to also keep in mind that he had an amazing one handed catch for over 30 yards that was negated by an offensive line facemask penalty. Add that one to his stats, and he’s looking incredible even in limited snaps. On his touchdown, he was actually open before Bryce found him, but he and his QB worked well to find an open spot in the scramble drill. Coke would be looking at about seven fantasy points at his official rate, but that 30 yard bomb would have definitely changed things.

Xavier Legette​

Legette did not show up in the stat sheet for the Panthers in this game, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t rack up some unofficial stats. You’ve heard of QB Hits as a stat, well XL got three or four quality CB Hits in an early scuffle with a Browns player. Both players were ejected for the skirmish. This is not normally something Legette does, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it happening again anytime soon. I’m chalking this up to a whole week of joint practice jawing coming to a head on the first drive of the game. Still, Legette has to make better decisions. And obviously he had zero fantasy points.

Jimmy Horn Jr​

The Panthers clearly made a concerted effort to get the ball into Horn’s hands in this game. While he did end the game with four catches, he only managed 15 yards. However, if you are in a PPR league, Horn might be someone to keep an eye on as a late season addition once injuries start hitting your roster. Had he continued this production through four quarters, he would have earned about six fantasy points (22 in a full PPR league).

Defense​

While the Panthers defense has literally nowhere to go but up, many around the league are still bullish on their fantasy output potential. Rightfully so. Despite notching three sacks, six TFLs, three passes defended, and five QB hits, the unit gave up 30 points and didn’t force any turnovers. You’d likely be looking at a fantasy output of less than three in most leagues. The main fantasy issue for this defense is a common complaint about Ejiro Evero’s defensive scheme: they don’t turn the ball over. The Panthers had a couple chances to take the ball away, including a great read by Corey Thornton that was thwarted by the intended receiver. That’s still not good enough, though. The good fantasy defenses are the ones that make splash plays. This team will likely get more sacks this season, but time will tell about the turnover production.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...lina-panthers-fantasy-review-preseason-week-1

 

[Carolina Panthers]

CSR Weekend Warriors: 8/9-8/10

Greetings, Panthers fans. Welcome to the weekend.

Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-football sports, you name it. As long as it’s allowed by the site’s ToS, it’s fair game here.

You know the drill.

This is now an open thread

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/the-scratching-post/54291/csr-weekend-warriors-8-9-8-10

 

[Carolina Panthers]

2025 Season Opener Countdown: 27 Days to Go

There are 27 days left until the start of the Carolina Panthers 2025 schedule, so today’s countdown piece is about number 27 in your program, cornerback Shemar Bartholomew.

Before the Panthers

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound cornerback took the road less traveled in his journey to the NFL. He began his college career at Northwestern State in 2018. In 2021 he was named Second-Team All-Southland Conference as a defensive back. But in 2022 he played just one game and ended up redshirting in what was his fifth college season, including the COVID-shortened 2020 year.

In 2023 he transferred to Georgia Southern and was named Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference that year with 38 tackles and 14 passes defended.

He went undrafted in 2024 and signed with the New York Jets but was released at roster cutdowns last August. The Panthers immediately claimed him off waivers.

His role with the Carolina Panthers

In his 2024 rookie season with the Panthers last year, Bartholomew appeared in five games with 17 defensive snaps and 34 on special teams. He recorded three tackles last year, including a tackle for loss, and was credited with two passes defended.

Per Football Reference he was targeted six times in coverage last year and gave up three receptions and a touchdown.

Bartholomew is currently listed as a third-string corner on the Panthers depth chart. Given the fact that he got some run with the defense last year, is entering his second season in the Panthers defensive scheme, and the team is pretty light on cornerback depth, he’ll likely stick around for another year at least on the practice squad if he doesn’t make the 53-man roster.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...24/2025-season-opener-countdown-27-days-to-go

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Dave Canales names Austin Corbett as Panthers starting center

The Panthers figured out at least one of their positional question marks following Monday’s practice.

Austin Corbett wins the center competitionhttps://t.co/Cmhv14KGPZ

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 11, 2025

The Panthers chose to re-sign Austin Corbett during the off-season, following a 2024 campaign where the former starting guard had taken over at center, but only played in 5 games due to injury. The Panthers also re-signed Cade Mays following a pretty strong 2024 campaign where he ended up winning out as the center to replace Corbett for the rest of the season, including beating out former 3rd round pick and fellow 2025 re-signee Brady Christensen. So, the Panthers went into this off-season with options at center.

Per Canales, Austin Corbett won the job *officially* today, with Mays slated to be his primary backup and valuable depth for the rest of the interior. Canales stated that Corbett won the job based on his edge as a communicator. Luckily for this particular instance of competition for a starting role, it was one born from a few quality options, rather than out of necessity like other positions (especially on defense).

What are your thoughts on this decision? Sound off below in the comments!

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...es-austin-corbett-as-panthers-starting-center

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Brian Asks: Preseason game one is in the books, ask your questions!

Hello CSR! Welcome to Brian Asks, your weekly Panthers fan mailbag for everyone! We’re officially on to game 2 of the preseason this week, as the Panthers rolled out their starters for a couple of series against the Browns on Friday. The starters looked pretty fun! The depth behind them, well, not so much. As always, the 2nd and 3rd teams’ poor play created a ton of discussion around the overall outlook of this team. So here’s your spot to get the questions you have answered!

To recap, Brian Asks is part one of your weekly mailbag, where you can ask all your questions, whether they be Panthers related, football related, or even completely off topic! Comment down below with your questions, and I’ll have your answers later on this week. Don’t have a question? That’s fine! Feel free to comment with your thoughts or observations as well, and you might see your comment highlighted as part of the discussion.

Comment down below! And KEEP POUNDING!

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...n-game-one-is-in-the-books-ask-your-questions