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Previewing the Panthers schedule: Weeks 13 through 18

Dallas Cowboys v Carolina Panthers

Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images

The Panthers get a much needed bye week and a chance to make hay in the division during the home stretch.

The Carolina Panthers schedule can be divided into three segments, both because 18 is divisible by three and because there are three distinct segments that each have a common thread running through them. The first segment of the season is the easiest and gives the Panthers a chance at some early momentum. They’ll need it for the middle portion of the schedule, which features a handful of Super Bowl contenders. That bleeds into the home stretch of the season, before a bye week gives the Panthers a break and prepares them for a divisionally heavy close to the season.

The games:


I mentioned it in the preview of the middle segment of the season. The Rams game is a sort of continuation of that. They became a very dangerous team late last season and gave the Eagles their toughest fight on their way to a Super Bowl victory. The Panthers then get a conveniently timed bye to gather themselves and (probably) lick their wounds as they get ready for a four week sprint to the finish. Those four weeks features three divisional games.

First up are the Saints, who lost Derek Carr to retirement and thus boast a quarterback room featuring Jake Haener, Spencer Rattler, and rookie Tyler Shough. On paper, they look like they’ll be competing for the first overall pick, but you never know with the NFL. It’s also a game at the Superdome, which isn’t as big a deal as it used to be but still looks a little bit daunting on the schedule.

Then finally, in Week 16, the Panthers get their first crack at the Buccaneers. The Bucs are the kings of the NFC South until proven otherwise. The Panthers have lost five straight to them and got absolutely smoked the last time these two teams met. Carolina gave up points on all but one drive. The defense should be better than last year, but they’ll need to be drastically better to give the team a chance against a team that on paper doesn’t look like they’re taking any steps back offensively barring injury.

The Panthers get a break from the division in Week 17 to face Sam Darnold and the Seahawks on a Saturday. So while it’s not a division opponent, it is a meeting with a familiar face. It’s hard to say what the Seahawks are going to look like next season, which makes it difficult to imagine what this game will look like or what the ramifications will be. The good news is that this game will be at home.

The season ends in a rematch against the Bucs just two weeks after the first meeting.

It’s optimistic to hope or predict that the Panthers are competing for a division title down the stretch, but if they are, the post-bye week schedule will have massive implications. The Bucs are the most likely candidate to take the NFC South crown, but the Panthers have a chance to upend that with their two cracks at them in the final three weeks of the season.
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Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...arolina-panthers-schedule-weeks-13-through-18
 
Brian Answers: Which Panthers rookies will have the most impact year one?

2025 NFL Draft - Rounds 2 & 3

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

We bring you another edition of our answers portion of this week’s fan mailbag!

Hello CSR! Welcome to Brian Answers, part two of your weekly Panthers fan mailbag for everyone! We are approaching the slow part of the NFL Offseason, which means we are in prime speculation mode about the roster, especially the bottom end of it. This week, we got a lot of questions about our favorite discussion topic: late round draft picks/undrafted free agents. Just as a reminder, this mailbag is a place where I answer all your questions from earlier this week, in Brian Asks. Come have fun in the comments with your thoughts on the questions/answers, and load up on questions you’d like to have answered next week. Comment in the Brian Asks piece to start the week, and we’ll do our best to have some answers in next week’s edition of Brian Answers.

Let’s dive in!

Bruce Guild: Brian, have you watched much of the film on J Horn from camp and what are your takeaways?

I know he is a late round pick, I understand we have a talented WR room this year, his 40 time is not top tier but the little I have seen of him so far looks surprisingly special. It just feels like you are watching a very fast, competent and confident receiver.

I have high hopes we landed a special one in the late rounds.

The fast wide receivers always get the most attention this early in the off-season. Especially when said wide receiver is surrounded by more of his peers and less NFL seasoned talent. I like what I’ve seen from his highlights so far. I also liked what I saw from guys like Joe Adams and Kealoha Pilares at the same point in the off-season He’s got some skills with the ball in his hands, and he certainly has a skill set the meat and potatoes of this wide receiver room lacked in 2024. I think healthy optimism is fine at this point in the off-season, but I’m not currently expecting more than a 53 man roster spot at best until we see some training camp and preseason reps. Luckily, no matter how he does as a wide receiver in his rookie season, he should have a great opportunity as the top kick and punt returner.

right_turn_clyde: I’m looking forward to seeing what our revamped DL will look like. If Bobby Brown has the desired impact this unit could really be a force to deal with. If other teams have to double BB and DB our LB’s should be able to stuff the run. and get after the passer much more effectively. If our offense stays on track and our defense can play at least to the league average a winning record this year is entirely possible.

I think we could be on the cusp of our first back-to-back winning seasons. Have I OD’d on optimism?

The defensive line and how it acclimates with all the new pieces is definitely the thing I am paying attention to the most this off-season, even as an admitted defensiveback Stan. The Panthers currently (on paper) have a group of defensive linemen that should allow them to line up in any formation they choose on a given Sunday. Bobby Brown, Derrick Brown, A’Shawn Robinson, and Cam Jackson should give them a formidable group of interior linemen to rotate as their top 4, whether it be on true 3-4 base defense snaps or as the interior group on 2-4 nickel defense as the interior two. On the outside, they should be able to deploy their pass rush specialists (Princely Umanmielen, Patrick Jones, Amare Barno) in ways to capitalize on their skills while their more traditional edge players like DJ Wonnum and Nic Scourton can take a bit of the rush defense stuff off their plates on the strong side. There’s even still a place for a guy like DJ Johnson, who at this point figures to be more of an edge setter in run defense than anything else.

However, all of that paper scouting depends on how they all mesh together. A winning record is possible, however for all the optimism of what this front seven looks like on paper, just remember it could go in the other direction, especially early on in the season.

PoundingSince95: Which Panther will have the most starts in FF this year?

Maybe Chubba, but I am saying probably the UDFA kicker lol

My money would be on Adam “Feedin” Thielen in PPR leagues. He’s still Bryce Young’s favorite target, and the addition of Tetairoa McMillan should open him up for a lot of easy completions between the chains when healthy, so he should start as a flex for a lot of teams. Second behind that, I’d say Chuba Hubbard is a safe RB2 play and I’d swipe him up without a second thought if you can nail down your RB1 early in the draft. He could probably even be your RB1 if you go WR/TE/QB heavy to start your draft. Starts don’t matter so much for RBs, but Chuba should still get a ton of volume.

I wouldn’t speculate on kicker just yet. Luckily whoever the Panthers kicker is, you can probably take them undrafted if you really want to.

Vashti2112: We’re in the dead period. A lot of moving parts have been put in play - Lots of players added in FA, the draft, UDFAs...is there anything to expect/wait on/hope for from now until, say mid-training camp?

A signing or two (“Survey says....Blackmon!”)? June 1st cuts?

Or are we full into thumb-twiddling time? (just remember, if you keep doing it, your face might freeze that way!)

We’re probably in the part of the off-season where signings are going to be boring and not move the needle. I expect Carolina to sign a safety (maybe Julian Blackmon), but I don’t expect it to be in the next two or three weeks. At this point, many of the veteran free agents know what their contracts are going to look like for the 2025 season. They don’t really have a reason to rush into signing a contract unless a team decides to up the ante, which I don’t think many teams are doing in May of the off-season. Don’t stress too much about the safety position, there’s a strong chance if the Panthers don’t add someone out on the market now, they’ll add one once mandatory roster cuts start happening. And for all of you clamoring for a Blackmon signing, no, I don’t like them waiting this long to add another safety either.

CusterFlux: It took looking at highlights to learn how to pronounce Umanmielen (ooh man, me yellin’). And Princely just doesn’t seem like a football name. He needs a nickname. Unfortunately, his initials don’t help (pee-ew). Do you have any other ideas?

Princely Umami. That’s the one.

SwampPanther: Seems like as good a place as any to ask, why is a 6th round pick causing so much excitement in the fanbase the past couple weeks?

Because its Panthers fan tradition to fall in love with a late round/UDFA wide receiver during the off-season. Then, when David Moore makes the roster over him, we’ll freak out for two days until he gets added back to the practice squad on waivers. He isn’t a kicker, so he should be a safe bet to make it back and dawn the Damiere Byrd House Signa once again, for those that came before him.

MarloBarksdale99: Also, do you or anyone have any weird superstitions or rituals for game days? Personally I won’t wear back to back jerseys of the same player every week. I don’t have many jerseys so it’s a Beason Reebok electric blue jersey, a bootleg Smitty jersey, Cam, and then a Kuechly jersey. This has not worked out for me or the team at all but one day it will.........maybe I just need to stick to one every week or some other weird rotation.

Any time the Panthers go on a two game win streak early in the season, I will wear whatever the last hoodie/shirt was. Their two big winning streaks of the last decade or so (2013 and 2015) all came when I was wearing the same hoodie for all of the games, and ended when I wasn’t able to dawn it due to travel. So now, when they win a game I’ll try to maintain either the same article of clothing or at least a similar type and same color. Its not an exact science, but I’ll never forget that 2013 season where I gave up on the Panthers early on, only for them to win every game I was wearing the same Titans hoodie. 8 straight games, then I got stranded away from home without it and they lost to the Saints in week 14. That one stung a little extra.

@WTMealey: With the schedule releasing tell us your opinion on prime time games including but not limited to Thurs night games

The fewer prime time games, the better, as a Panthers fan. I don’t like going into work the next day after the team gets embarrassed in front of the nation, especially after a series of 1PM wins preceding it.

KeepPounding88: Who will get more sacks: Scourton or Princely?

I’m going with Scourton, and my main reason is I expect him to get a lot of snaps with Jadeveon Clowney going off into free agency. Princely Umanmielen is definitely more of a pass rusher, but I think he’ll be part of a rotation for a significant bit of his rookie season. Nic Scourton might be a day one starter at the rate things are going.

LouWillVille: Most preseason power rankings have the Panthers in the 24-29 range:

-NFL.com (24th)

-ESPN (27th)

-FoxSports (25th)

-SportsIllustrated (29th)

Last season I count 20 teams with 8+ wins, 21 teams with 7+ wins, and 22 teams with 6+ wins. I think most of the fanbase would be disappointed with anything less than 7 wins, meaning we expect to be a top 20(ish) team next season. Where would you put us in your power rankings?

I think 26th is a fair ranking for now. While the Panthers did make a ton of improvements on paper, I can see why someone on the outside looking in would still keep them in the bottom 3rd of the league. They can certainly improve and prove people wrong, but you need to see Bryce Young continue his momentum from 2024, you need to see the offense continue to score points now that opposing defenses have an idea of what they are going to throw out schematically, and you definitely need to see this defense be cohesive and improve from a dreadful 2024. It all sounds logical to me, but we have to see it in practice before they move up those power rankings.

CamelRingMaster: If you had to rank our draft picks 1-8 based on who you think will have the most impact in year one how would you rank them?

  1. WR Tetairoa McMillan: I see no reason he’s not taking snaps as WR1 as early as the first snap of the season.
  2. S Lathan Ransom: Subject to change, but he currently has a major inside track to a huge amount of the snap share in the secondary early on at safety.
  3. EDGE Nic Scourton: With Clowney gone, he’s likely a day one starter. With a platoon of other edge players around him, he may not play as many snaps as the aforementioned Ransom.
  4. EDGE Princely Umanmielen: The Panthers don’t need him to be anything more than a pass rusher to start off his career, and that’s just fine. If he and Scourton are playing 90% of the snaps, there’s a major problem with the rest of the depth Carolina has assembled at that position.
  5. DL Cam Jackson: Similar story to Princely, they don’t need him to be anything more than a solid run stopper, as he’ll have plenty of help on the interior.
  6. RB Travis Etienne: He should slide right into a 3rd down/change of pace back role right away, with some returner upside to boot.
  7. TE Mitchell Evans: I have high hopes for the guy, and I think he could work his way into the 3-4 spot in this ranking. Hard to say since TE isn’t a position you can really project until we see full 11-on-11 snaps. Currently, he does a little bit of everything well as a receiver and blocker.
  8. WR Jimmy Horn Jr: Don’t take him being listed as 8 as me writing him off. Carolina just has a deep WR room. There’s still plenty of time for him to move up this ranking and Dave Canales clearly likes having a guy with his skillset for his offensive playbook. He just doesn’t quite fit the needs as much as the rest listed above him right now.

schrodingersblackcat: Which will happen first?:

1. The Canes hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup again

2. Pete Rose finally gets into the Baseball HOF

3. The Hornets draft a legitimate superstar

The NBA Draft is probably rigged, so I’m going with option 1. Go Canes!

Join us next week for another edition of our fan mailbag. Enjoy your weekend, and KEEP POUNDING!
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Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...rs-rookies-will-have-the-most-impact-year-one
 
Previewing the wild race for the 2025 NFC South title

Carolina Panthers v Atlanta Falcons

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The NFL Schedule is setting up a tight race to end the season

Last night’s schedule release set up a potentially tense and fast paced race for the NFC South crown this season. The Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and New Orleans Saints comprise one of the most chaotic and, often, silliest divisions in professional football. This year’s schedule gives them plenty of room to make their annual clown college of a competition into a true four-team race right down to the final weeks.

The NFC South is a silly place​


Every team in the South is inherently flawed and yet full of hope. The Panthers are certainly up-and-coming, the Falcons are track to win the off season, the Bucs are going to age out of their recent “dynasty” any day now, and the Saints are, well, a perennially competitive dumpster fire. Every one of these teams has proven over the course of multiple head coaches and multiple more years than they can confound expectations in any direction.

The NFC South is home to four of the top ten easiest schedules in the NFL, largely by virtue of each team having to play each of the other teams twice. With the exception of the Saints, who will enter the 2025 season with their worst quarterback situation since before the Drew Brees era, every team in the division is circling every other divisional game as “winnable” on their calendars. Predicting a winner of this division is more reading tea leaves and entrails than it is actual forecasting.

Tight timing means wild tie breaks​


The schedule is favoring the NFC South’s preferred brand of chaos by back loading almost the entire divisional schedule. Of the twelve divisional games that will be played across the season, only the Week 1 Bucs at Falcons and Week 3 Falcons at Panthers games will be played before Week 8. The Saints play their first divisional game, vs Tampa Bay, that week.

Nine of the 12 divisional games take place between Week 8 and Week 18. Five of the Panthers’ six divisional games take place between Week 10 and Week 18. The Falcons play four of theirs and the Saints play five of theirs after Week 10. Four of Tampa Bay’s NFC South games come in a five week period stretching from Weeks 14 to 18.

Long story short, the tie breakers are likely to be nuts this year.

What is actually going to happen?​


The Saints are the likeliest team to bomb out of the race early based on overall record. Yes, they may have an easy schedule, but they have the biggest question mark on offense of any of the NFC South teams. The Bucs meanwhile, are the likeliest team to hold an early lead in this race. They aren’t projected to take any major steps backward and have won the division for the last four seasons straight.

The Falcons and Panthers, however, are both feeling optimistic about this season. Either of them could challenge the Bucs. The Panthers have the easier start to their schedule, while the Falcons look poised to stumble out of the gate. Their Weeks 1 through seven are a hard slog:


That stretch features two of the Falcons five prime time games of the season. Things even out with the Falcons getting a break as the Panthers enter the teeth of their schedule, but I’d rather be Carolina with the gentler entry into the season.

Smart money is still going to be on Tampa Bay to take the division until one of the other teams shows tangible progress on the field, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Carolina Panthers in second place most of the season. With a wide open divisional schedule crammed into the last half of the season, that means the division could really be anybody’s for the taking in December.
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Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...panthers-atlanta-falcons-tampa-bay-buccaneers
 
Love/Hate: The Panthers 2025 schedule release

NFL: Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The good and bad of the Carolina Panthers newly released 2025 schedule

The NFL’s schedule release spectacular has finally concluded and the full Carolina Panthers schedule is now set in stone. Let’s breakdown what’s there to love, and what’s there to hate in Dave Canales and Dan Morgan’s sophomore campaign leading the franchise.


The wait is finally over@MillerLite pic.twitter.com/kxYAStZO9P

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) May 15, 2025​
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Love: Season opener versus the Jacksonville Jaguars​


One of my hopes for the schedule this season was that the Panthers wouldn’t open their season on the road against a division opponent for a third straight season. I received my wish, but it was even better than I could have hoped. The Panthers first game will take place against the Jacksonville Jaguars, marking the third time the Panthers have opened the season versus their fellow ‘95 expansion team. The other two times? Well, that would be the 2003 and 2015 seasons. I’m not the greatest at analyzing statistics, but I don’t mind the trend that every time the Panthers open the season versus the Jaguars they make the Super Bowl.

Hate: Week 14 bye week​


Playing 13 games in a row before being able to get a rest during their Week 14 bye seems like a long stretch. Last season, the Panthers suffered through a series of mid-season injuries that left them starting off-the-street free agents and rookies in many spots. Let’s hope the Panthers gain some injury luck in their favor this year so by the time the December rolls around, they can use the bye week to rest up and not just get healthy.

Love: Back in Primetime​


After a drought of primetime games during the 2024 season - they had zero last year - the NFL decided the Panthers are out of the dog house and can be seen playing football outside of the 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm Sunday window. The Week 12 Monday Night Football matchup should be a fun one, provided old friend Christian McCaffrey is healthy and looking to prove to the Panthers he shouldn’t have traded him.

Hate: Weeks 8 though 13​


If you want to pick a stretch of games on the schedule that might give the Panthers the toughest time, it’s the stretch of games that begins with the Buffalo Bills in Week 8 and ends with the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13. After welcoming the Bills into Bank of America, the Panthers will continue a stretch of tough games against either perennial playoff contending teams, with back-to-back divisional games sandwiched in the middle. In may not be hyperbole to say that however the Panthers handle themselves over this stretch will likely represent how their season goes as a whole.

Love: Backlogged divisional games​


I don’t know if this will be considered a controversial take, but I love that the five of Panthers divisional games will come during the Panthers final eight games. The Panthers have notoriously been a team that starts out slow and leans in during the back half of the schedule to finish strong. This time around, the Panthers get a chance to make up for any early season woes by taking on the rest of the NFC South in an end of season gauntlet to decide the division. Buckle up, there’s going to be a lot of math in December and January to sort out division tiebreakers.

That’s all I’ve got for you Panthers fans, but let me know in the comments what you love and hate about the Panthers 2025 schedule!
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Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...yzing-carolina-panthers-2025-schedule-release
 
Which college football conferences produced the most players on the Panthers roster?

NCAA Football: Gator Bowl-South Carolina at Notre Dame

Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The Panthers roster may contain more players from a local conference - and a local Carolina school - than you may think.

As Carolina Panthers fans many of us are also heavily invested in college football. College football rivalries persist among competing schools and their fans year round, but so do the rivalries across conferences.

Generally speaking, the SEC is the self-appointed king of college football and would like to reinforce that notion by limiting as many non-SEC teams as possible from competing against them in the College Football Playoffs. The Big Ten has a small number of elite schools (Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and newcomer Oregon) plus a handful of good-but-not-great programs.

The Big 12 consistently churns out a rotating cast of solid teams ranked from No. 10-25, but can’t consistently manufacture legitimate national championship contenders. The ACC, bless its heart, can hang its hat on Clemson’s somewhat recent national titles (2016 and 2018) as the conference continues to come apart at the seams.

When looking at the Carolina Panthers through the college football lens, the team currently has 92 players listed on its roster. Here’s the overview of the conference representation in Carolina:

SEC - 26 players (28%)

ACC - 18 players (20%)

Big Ten - 13 players (14%)

Big 12 - 11 players (12%)

Notre Dame - 3 players (3%)

Non-Power 4 - 21 players (23%)

Conference bragging rights

Not surprisingly, the SEC is the conference with the highest representation on the Panthers current roster. What is surprising, though, is which SEC team has produced the most Panthers players: The South Carolina Gamecocks with five - Rico Dowdle, Jaycee Horn, Xavier Legette, Bam Martin-Scott, and D.J. Wonnum. South Carolina has produced more current Panthers players than any other university.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is the ACC has the second highest representation with 18 current Panthers. The ACC players hail from a smattering of schools that produced one or two players each with the exception of Virginia Tech with four players - Amare Barno, Raheem Blackshear, James Mitchell, and Yosh Nijman.

While the Big Ten likes to link itself to the SEC as the “Power Two”, the conference’s representation on the Panthers roster doesn’t reflect that with 13 players. No Big Ten team has produced more than two current Panthers.

The Big 12, which in full disclosure is “my conference” as a BYU fan, narrowly trails the Big Ten with 11 players. TCU has the highest representation with four current Panthers - Emani Bailey, JaTravis Broughton, Andy Dalton, and Tre’von Moehrig.

Interestingly, 21 players - nearly one-fourth of the Panthers roster - comes from non-Power Four conferences. These 21 players come from 21 different schools, including one from the Carolinas in Appalachian State’s Sam Martin.

While we as Carolina fans are united in our support of the Panthers, our college football passions are always bubbling just beneath the surface. Nothing helps drum up NFL offseason engagement quite like poking the bear of college football loyalties, so feel free to have at it in the comments.
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Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...duced-the-most-players-on-the-panthers-roster
 
The Scratching Post: 5/19-5/23

NFL: NFC Championship-Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Here’s this week’s open thread.

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!
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Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/2025/5/19/24432960/the-scratching-post-5-19-5-23
 
Brian Asks: Pre-Memorial Day Mailbag!

Syndication: The Courier-Journal

Maggie Huber/Special to Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bring us all of your questions in this week’s Panthers fan mailbag!

Hello CSR! Welcome to Brian Asks, your weekly Panthers fan mailbag for everyone! We’re marching on into the summer as the slow season of football is upon us. Not a whole lot going on in the world of the NFL, short of ruling on plays that teams who can’t run them (ahem, Bills) don’t want teams that can run them effectively to be able to run anymore. Nothing gets me more fired up for football quite like changing the rules!

You all know the drill, comment down below with all of your questions, whether they be Panthers related, football related, or even completely off topic! Or, if you’d simply like to have a discussion, feel free to start up a conversation down below, and I’ll highlight some of the best comments later on this week along with the answers to all of your questions!

Comment down below, and KEEP POUNDING!
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Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/2025/5/20/24433811/brian-asks-pre-memorial-day-mailbag
 
Panthers Reacts Survey: Let’s get hyped for the 2025 schedule

Carolina Panthers v Atlanta Falcons

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Gauging where our excitement lies for the coming season

The regular season schedule for the Carolina Panthers was released last week and has given fans a lot to chew over before the season opens on September 7th. That opener is going to be huge in a lot of ways, but I don’t consider it to be the most exciting game on the Panthers schedule. There are too many questions about Bryce Young’s development, the new talent on defense, and Dave Canales’ second year for the season opener to be anything other than nerve-wracking for me.

The rest of the schedule, however, is wide open for my hopes and dreams as a fan. I see the season broken into a handful of different storylines based on the schedule, which gives us four games that I think could be the most interesting if the Panthers are at all competitive in 2025. Those games are Week 3 vs the Atlanta Falcons, our home opener, Week 8 vs the Buffalo Bills, possibly the hardest game on the Panthers schedule, Week 10 vs the New Orleans Saints, the start of the meat of the NFC South schedule, and Week 12 at the San Francisco 49ers, the Panthers overdue return to prime time television.

Which of these games excites you the most in the 2025 season? Are you more hyped for a different game on the schedule? Scroll down to the comments below and let us know.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Carolina Panthers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
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Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...s-survey-lets-get-hyped-for-the-2025-schedule
 
Panthers shuffle wide receivers, including fan favorite

Los Angeles Rams v Carolina Panthers

Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images

Injuries during voluntary workouts begin the roster churn

The Carolina Panthers have released undrafted free agent rookie wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad III with a waived/injured designation. They have re-signed wide receiver T.J. Luther to fill his spot on the team’s 90-man roster.

Muhammad, the son of former Panther great Muhsin “Moose” Muhammad II, was an intriguing prospect out of Texas A&M. He had relatively small production in college but flashed traits and a work ethic that had coaches both in college and with the Panthers optimistic about his pro prospects. He appears to have suffered an unspecified injury during voluntary team workouts.

His route to the roster was always going to be difficult behind the sudden glut of both young and veteran talent that the Panthers are hosting at wide receiver. Muhammad’s path for at least 2025 was likely to lie on the practice squad. That path is still possible depending on the nature of his injury and the brief impression coaches were able to form of him during rookie mini camp. Don’t be surprised if you see his name crop up on a transaction report mid season.

Luther was a 2024 UDFA out of Wofford University (2018-2021) and Gardner-Webb University (2021-22). He has spent time with the New York Jets, the New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Green Bay Packers, and, most recently, the Panthers.

He has been a practice squad member only with each of those teams and has not appeared in a professional game. He has been with the Panthers as a practice squad/futures contract signee since December 3rd, 2024.
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Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...wid-receiver-muhsin-muhammad-iii-3-tj-lutherh
 
The Panthers have drastically improved their public perception

Carolina Panthers v Atlanta Falcons

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

The team has gone from a laughingstock to a team that people are looking forward to watching.

Up until recently, the Carolina Panthers had never established themselves as a mainstay in any particular segment of the NFL. The teams frequent oscillations in record prevented anyone outside of Carolina from having too strong or embedded opinion of the organization. Sometimes they were good, sometimes they were bad, but never did they move in either direction for long.

The last few years have changed that. A series of disastrous transactions and disastrous seasons made the Panthers the league’s punching bags. If a commentor or talking head needed to pull out a random team as an example of incompetence, the Panthers were it. They ran through a grab bag of mediocre quarterbacks and churned through coaching staffs like a restaurant churns through waitstaff. They appeared to be on a fast track to nowhere.

The last few months have changed that perception. The Panthers had competitive losses against some of the better teams in the league and stole a few wins down the stretch of the season. They’ve followed that with an offseason that’s received some rave review. Our old pal James Dator gave the Panthers an A- for their offseason and has them as a threat to win the NFC South. Pro Football Focus gave the Panthers an A. The only thing holding them short of an A+ was Carolina apparently not making changes to their coaching staff or front office, but one, they did make some changes on the staff, and two, why would they do that? Either way, it’s another reputable outlet that likes what the Panthers are building.

Cynthia Frelund’s simulations have the Panthers winning seven games, which isn’t great, but it still hits the over on the Panthers win total for the 2025 season. Rich Eisen listed the Panthers as one his breakout teams for 2025 and also thinks they can win the NFC South.


The @Panthers are 1 of 5 teams ready for a breakout in 2025 for @richeisen @RichEisenShow #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/OvkI4cjVEL

— Keep Purring Podcast (Ben) (@KeepPurringBen) May 3, 2025​
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On the topic of betting odds, you have to go to over 8.5 wins before you get plus money on a Panthers win total (per DraftKings Sportsbook).

The Panthers probably aren’t quite ready to compete for meaningful silverware this season, but they’re trending in the right direction, and they’re doing so quickly enough to garner notice from national pundits that typically have a hard time remembering that the Panthers even exist. There’s no guarantee that things work out as well as people expect them to, but it’s refreshing to cruise through an offseason where the Panthers are being associated with things like competence and excitement instead of jokes and jeers. If they follow this offseason with more like it, maybe we’re not too far away from the franchise’s first back to back winning seasons.
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Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...y-improved-their-perception-around-the-league
 
Youth movement: The Panthers have 27 rookies currently on their roster

2025 NFL Draft - Round 1

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

Rookies abound on Carolina’s roster as the team looks to both win now and build for the future.

As the TV show 30 Rock continues its life on streaming services, there’s a clumsy quote from Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) as he reads his boss’s poorly-written business book:

“New blood is the lifeblood of every company’s blood.”

While not the most coherent quote about building strong organizations and teams, I think we get the point.

And so do the Carolina Panthers.

The veins of the Panthers roster is flowing with a lot of “new blood” as 27 of the 92 players in Carolina are classified as rookies. Carolina added eight rookies via the 2025 draft, so the remaining 19 are among the hundreds of undrafted rookie free agents that land on NFL rosters every season.

Let’s take a look at where the Panthers are injecting “new blood” and what this could mean for the 2025 season.

Offensive rookies

Carolina invested the No. 8 overall pick in this year’s draft in wide receiver Tetaiora McMillan. Running back Trevor Etienne was added in the fourth round then late-round fliers were taken on tight end Mitchell Evans (sixth round) and wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. (seventh round).

McMillan is guaranteed to make the 53-man roster and will hopefully make significant contributions this year. Etienne should have a path toward playing time with Chuba Hubbard being the only experienced running back on the roster and Jonathon Brooks missing the season. Evans and Horn could potentially bounce between the practice squad and active roster and any production from them would be a welcome surprise.

Additional rookies at skill positions include quarterback Ethan Garbers, running backs Kayron Lynch-Adams and Emani Bailey, wide receivers Jacolby George and Kobe Hudson, and tight end Bryce Pierre.

Three fresh faces have been added to the offensive line in guards Luke Kandra and Steven Losoya along with tackle Michael Tarquin.

I’m bullish on guard Luke Kandra. He’s coming off two consecutive All-Big 12 First Team seasons and earned various All-American Second Team honors while sporting a 9.33 Relative Athletic Score. He’s my longshot to stick on the roster this year.

Defensive rookies

The Panthers added four defensive players via this year’s draft: defensive ends Nic Scourton (second round) and Princely Umanmielen (third), safety Lathan Ranson (fourth), and defensive tackle Cam Jackson (fifth). Both Scourton and Umanmielen have a clear path to not only making the roster but playing significant snaps this year.

The Panthers are rolling the dice with a host of rookies in the secondary. Cornerbacks include JaTravis Broughton, Michael Reid, and Corey Thornton. Three safeties have joined the team in Isaac Gifford, Jack Henderson, and Trevian Thomas.

Additional defensive rookies include defensive end Jared Harrison-Hunte, linebackers Bam Martin-Scott and Tuasivi Nomura, and outside linebacker Mapalo Mwansa who I’ve profiled as part of the NFL’s NFL’s International Player Pathway.

Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald is also along for the ride.

I’m most optimistic about cornerback Corey Thornton, defensive end Jared Harrison-Hunte, and linebacker Bam Martin-Scott sticking around in Charlotte. Each of them had at least some draft buzz surrounding them entering this year’s draft and could land on the practice squad this year.

Most of these 19 rookies who weren’t drafted by the Panthers will be victims of the NFL’s brutal roster cutdown process as the year progresses.

But at least a few of them will stick around, adding some new blood which, as we we know, is the lifeblood of every NFL team’s blood.
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Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...ers-have-27-rookies-currently-on-their-roster
 
Brian Answers: Let’s dive down into Panthers history with your questions this week!

NFL: APR 25 2025 NFL Draft

Photo by Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Come see all the answers to YOUR fan questions from this week.

Hello CSR! Welcome to Brian Answers, part two of your weekly Panthers fan mailbag for everyone! We got a lot of diversity in the questions this week, which I think will keep us going throughout the off-season. Just as a recap, this mailbag is intended for you to get all your burning questions off your chest every week, whether they be Panthers related, football related, or even completely off topic! Join us next week with your answers in the comments of “Brian Asks” early on in the week.

Let’s dive right in!

@WTMealey: question 1

can we still come with meaningful questions every week until training camp?

My lame attempt to come up with a question I actually care about the answer

If Derrick Brown had not gotten hurt where do you think the Panthers Defense finishes?

Is there a game/play you can point to and say if we had DB that doesn’t happen and we would have had one more win

  1. I think we can! The mailbag has maintained momentum every week since we started it last year. This is part of why I encourage off-topic questions however, because the football Offseason hits a sluggish pace in the early summer months.
  2. I think the Panthers might have gotten a win over the Chiefs in week 12 or the Bucs in week 13 had Derrick Brown been in the picture. I still think their defense would have been bottom of the barrel in most categories, but DB would have probably elevated the front seven a bit just with his presence. But I think not having him around showed everyone this defense needed an injection of talent along the front seven, with or without him.

Good_Ol_Boy: Summer is coming:

What’s the hottest (temperature wise) place you’ve ever been? How hot was it?

I was in high school in Kentucky in 2007, part of the football team. I can’t remember an exact date, but that was one of the hottest summers in that state’s history. Those double sessions and practices under the sun were the absolute worst I can remember. Louisville set 12 record warm temperatures in August.

Bruce Guild: List your all time top 5 favorite Panther QB’s in order:

#1 Jake

#2 Cam

#3 Beuerlein

#4 Derek Anderson

#5 Kerry Collins

I’ll give some answers along with explanations;

  1. Cam Newton-Cam became a Panthers a year or so before I joined CSR as a member of the community and as a member of the writing staff. So for me, Cam’s journey in the NFL will always hold a special place in my heart simply because I saw just how good this guy was, and was out there expressing my opinion of him early in his career when the Skip Baylesses of the world were saying they’d rather have Tim Tebow as a quarterback. There was a kind of personal connection to his success as someone who felt he was special.
  2. Jake Delhomme-easy one here. Jake embodied Keep Pounding.
  3. Vinny Testaverde-that was a weird time, but a fun time!
  4. Matt Moore-watching him defeat Brett Favre’s Vikings in prime time is one of my favorite memories.
  5. Brian St. Pierre-dude almost delivered a win for the 2010 Panthers in his first start of his career. Always a fun little story. It was also the last game of his career.

Vashti2112: Okay, aside from obvious candidates like “Was Bryce’s growth last year real” or “Is T-Mac the answer” or “Will Derek Brown still be awesome”.....who are two players you feel could make a pivotal move this year?

I think Tre’von Moehrig might actually bring that “Dawg” mentality Dan Morgan has been looking for to this secondary. Both Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson are intense competitors, I think adding Moehrig as an enforcer who is going to lay some hits from his safety spot could absolutely be a tone setter for a defense that is clearly going to be committed to stopping the run. Every good run stopping defense needs one of those guys.

On offense, I think Xavier Legette will step back into the role he was having some success at now that the Panthers have filled that number one role in Tetairoa McMillan and he’ll have Adam Thielen to help take some pressure off, where in 2024 there were times XL was the go-to guy just out of necessity. Having less pressure on him should help with the drops, which were very uncharacteristic from him in college. He’s definitely not the best hand catching wide receiver out there, but I think fans might be pleasantly surprised by his role in the offense. He won’t need to beat the breaks off of opposing top corners as much as use his athleticism to make some plays. I could definitely be wrong about this, but I think the situation is much better for him to succeed now.

dayneB12: Who are some players that could be surprise cuts when it comes time to trim the roster down to 53?

I think there’s a very strong chance David Moore makes the 53 man roster which means somebody’s favorite 5th or 6th wide receiver isn’t going to make the cut. Hunter Renfrow, Jimmy Horn Jr, one of the other UDFAs, what they all don’t have over Moore (yet) is his rapport with Bryce Young from 2024, and his familiarity with Dave Canales’s scheme going back to 2023.

I could also see them releasing EDGE Amare Barno or EDGE DJ Johnson (that one would probably be less of a surprise to fans). They added a lot of talent to that room and should have DJ Wonnum fully healthy this time around to start the season.

right_turn_clyde: how many times will we see this in 25?

Hopefully more rushing touchdowns and less rushing attempts. I like Bryce Young’s willingness to take off and make a decision quick, but let’s not make it a regular thing. Thanks Dave!

ALLSTATSANDNOPLAY: What is the best movie you’ve ever seen that you hated the ending of?

Mine is either Million Dollar Baby or Chinatown.

Edit. Just thought of another one. Gone Baby Gone

Someone else said it in the comments, but The Village is definitely up on my list. I’d also go with Interstellar. I love that movie so much but the ending just didn’t do it AT ALL for me.

CluckNRoar: Has Scourton signed yet? Is he the only unsigned rookie?

He has not signed yet, and you can thank the Houston Texans for that. After signing WR Jayden Higgins to a fully guaranteed contract as a 2nd round pick, we’ll probably see future second rounders pushing for more guaranteed money because they’ve set a precedent now. I don’t hate it at all for the players, get the money when you can, but that’s the reason most likely why Nic Scourton is still unsigned. He’s the last Panthers draft pick left to sign, but he’s one of a handful of other 2025 2nd round picks who have also yet to sign. His fellow Texas A&M teammate and first round pick Shemar Stewart is also unsigned as of this writing.

Snarky_Comet: Is there a chance we pick Shaq back up, possibly on a cheap vet contract? Or has that ship sailed?

I absolutely think signing Shaq Thompson is still on the table. He definitely has an injury history, so I’m sure whatever contract he signs isn’t going to be anything huge, but he’d be a fine addition from a pure leadership standpoint. I think Carolina will sit on that idea for a bit though while they gauge what they have in the current group, and see what their overall health looks like going into the preseason.

sportswatcher: Two lists of who were the Panthers five worst mishandled players? One list of who improved significantly once they were released, traded, etc (left the team), and one list of who should not have been added to the team in the first place.

I’m going to add this one to my growing list of “separate article ideas”. Stay tuned in the off-season, but feel free to sound off below with YOUR takes on this one!

LouWillVille: Since it’s the boring part of the offseason this seems like an appropriate time as any to ask. As someone who recently moved to the city and adopted the Panthers as their team, can you give a summary of how the Panthers got to their current state? I never followed them closely but I loved some of the old players. Steve Smith, Kuechly, Cam, Norman, Olsen, the duo of DeAngelo and Stewart etc. They had the super bowl run and then it seems like they dropped to the bottom of the league very quickly and have stayed there. Has it just been the inability to find a QB? Poor drafting? Ownership? Tepper doesn’t seem popular. Fill me in please.

The Panthers are mainly in their current state due to poor decisions following the 2015 Super Bowl season. Letting Josh Norman go turned CB into a major need that they decided to try and address with mid round draft picks. They got very lucky in 2015 with the health of their offensive line and the performance by Michael Oher as their left tackle, which all went the other direction when he got knocked out for the 2016 season and subsequently his career ending after that. In the following years, they never really made offensive line or weapons around Cam Newton a priority. As their top tier players started aging out and their drafting and free agency decisions were head scratchers at times, what was a strong core unit in 2015 looked very different come 2019. In 2020, they moved on from Cam Newton, and the staffs proceeded to try and band-aid the QB position with journeymen QBs, which could have worked had they stuck with the plan for more than one season at a time. Poor drafting and coaching maneuvers also followed all the way up until the 2024 Offseason. The Panthers very much have seemed to right the ship as far as their decision making, and they’ve been very intentional about their plans in each of the last two offseasons from a personnel and drafting standpoint. It also helps that David Tepper is now seemingly letting the football guys do football things.

That’s all for this week, Panthers fans. Enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend, be safe, be healthy, and KEEP POUNDING!
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Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...anthers-history-with-your-questions-this-week
 
Panthers make changes to the front office

NFL: NFL Draft

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers let go of a couple people involved in the scouting and drafting of players.

According to Joe Person of The Athletic, the Carolina Panthers have let a couple of people go from positions in player personnel. Director of Player Personnel Cole Spencer and college scout Robert Haines are out.


Some changes in the Panthers’ scouting department. Director of player personnel Cole Spencer and longtime college scout Robert Haines both have been let go, per league source.

— Joe Person (@josephperson) May 22, 2025​
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Spencer joined the Panthers as the team’s Director of College Scouting in 2021 before getting promoted to his role as Director of Player Personnel in 2023. He was a scout at various levels in the Commanders organization for over 10 years prior to that. Robert Haines had been with the team for a very long time but I’m struggling to find specific details of his tenure.

Also, according to Person, the Panthers don’t intend to hire new people to fill the job titles but rather will absorb the job duties into other positions.


I’m told both of these positions will be absorbed internally. So no immediate plans to replace either Cole Spencer or Robert Haines.

— Joe Person (@josephperson) May 22, 2025​
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Person notes that the timing is a little strange with it being nearly a month since the draft, but I think that’s probably more a result of internal reviews of the organizational structure taking some time after the chaos of the draft to come to the conclusion that those two were no longer needed.

If I had to guess, I think the most likely reason for this is that the front office felt there was some redundancy in personnel roles and that they could get a more streamlined process with fewer people involved. With how much analytic information is being tracked at the college level and how many resources there are for prospect information on the world wide web, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a lot of teams to cut back the amount of resources they devote to boots on the ground scouting.

Maybe it’s something more salacious, but we’ll probably never know.
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Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...ina-panthers-make-changes-to-the-front-office
 
Memorial Day Open Thread

Falcons v Panthers

Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Hang out with chosen family as we remember the meaning of this holiday

The last Monday of May, less commonly remembered as Military Appreciation Month, is Memorial Day. While many people view it as simply a three-day weekend that kicks off summer it is more properly observed as a day of remembrance and honor for members of the American armed forces who died while serving.

This is not a football holiday but we are a community of football fans who are bound by more than just this sport. This holiday open thread is a space to share your plans for the day or any stories you may have of loved ones that you want to remember on this day.

Usually we say that s long as it’s allowed by the site’s ToS, it’s fair game here. But let’s try to keep it on topic today.

This is now an open thread!
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Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/2025/5/26/24437147/memorial-day-open-thread
 
Brian Asks: Final Week of May Edition

NFL: Scouting Combine

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Come ask all your burning fan questions in part one of our weekly mailbag!

Hello CSR! Welcome to Brian Asks, part one of your weekly Panthers fan mailbag for everyone! I hope you all got to enjoy some family time and (hopefully) nice weather over the Memorial Day holiday weekend! Once again, we’re back with another edition of the mailbag. You all know the drill, you comment down below with whatever questions or discussion topics you’d like. They can be Panthers related, football related, or even completely off topic! I’ll answer your questions and highlight the best responses I like later on in part two, Brian Answers, later this week.

Just as an aside, I want to thank everyone who has continued to participate in this weekly exercise. I’ve gotten a few questions asking if we can keep this up during the dead part of the offseason. Well, so far we have, so keep on commenting and drumming up discussion. CSR wouldn’t be the community it is without our loyal commenters.

KEEP POUNDING!
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Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/2025/5/27/24437887/brian-asks-final-week-of-may-edition
 
Reacts Results: Fans are, unsurprisingly, ready to start the season

NFL: DEC 22 Cardinals at Panthers


Football can’t get here son enough now that we’re in the deep off season

Fans of the Carolina Panthers are ready for football to start in Charlotte, per last week’s Panthers Reacts survey. We asked y’all which of four games you were most looking forward to this season. The answer was mildly mixed, but a strong plurality of y’all are more than ready for the Panthers Week 3 home opener vs the Atlanta Falcons.



The Buffalo Bills game in Week 9 represents the strongest opponent the Panthers are likely to face at home, so it’s no surprise that fans are excited for that contest, as well. Otherwise, the heavy divisional play that starts Week 10 vs the New Orleans Saints and the Panthers return to prime time in Week 12 at the San Francisco 49ers are taking a back seat for now.

I’m sure folks will be excited for those games when the time comes, but the early dirty bird is got the worm in this poll.
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Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...-are-unsurprisingly-ready-to-start-the-season
 
Optimism abounds as the Panthers start OTAs

NFL: JUL 29 Carolina Panthers Training Camp

Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Key players and members of the Panthers coaching staff spoke after the first da

The Carolina Panthers started their Organized Team Activities on Thursday. With that, top members of the coaching staff and a couple players spoke with the media, as you might expect, everyone is very excited.

Xavier Legette and Bryce Young both got in front of the press to talk about going into their second and third year’s respectively. Legette talked about meeting with wide receivers coach Rob Moore and offensive coordinator Brad Idzik right after the season to review his rookie year and talk about what went right and wrong. He clearly was beating himself up about some big drops he had in the later parts of the season and has spent a lot of time this offseason working on catching the ball with his hands. He was asked about the selection of Tetairoa McMillan and had nothing but glowing things to say.

Young sounds more and more like a leader when he gets in front of the media. He talked about the excitement surrounding the team with them having a second consecutive offseason with the same system. He talked about the growth of Legette and why he thought so highly of McMillan leading up to the draft.

The coaches didn’t give a whole lot of juicy nuggets, but you can tell they’re jazzed up for the growth of the team. Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero spoke highly of the new additions to the front lines. He heaped praise on outside linebackers coach AC Carter and how he’s developing the rookie pass rushers, both with his own coaching and how he set them up in the locker room. Nic Scourton is sitting next to DJ Wonnum and Princely Umanmielen is set up next to Patrick Jones II.

Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik got one of several attempts at gotcha questions, particularly surrounding the drafting of McMillan with Legette on the roster as if there can’t be multiple good receivers. He was also asked (by the same reporter) about his confidence in Bryce Young, and he had nothing but good things to say about all of them. He talked about studying other games and maybe borrowing a few things he sees while watching.

Dave Canales talked about how freeing it is to be able to focus on simply getting better instead of ironing out logistical things with how practice works. Jalen Coker and Derrick Brown are working off to the side right now as they work on some injuries. DJ Wonnum had a back flare up so he’s taking it easy. The Panthers will be be holding a joint practice with the Texans before the second week of the preseason. Most of the rest of his time in front of the media was spent talking about his excitement over the continuity of the group and the system.

Xavier Legette was the central focus of a lot of the questions for everyone except Evero, which I thought was a little surprising. He’s kind of emerged as a Panthers main character. There were also a lot of questions regarding Legette and McMillan as if there would be some sort of controversy there, but those were swiftly dismissed by all who were asked.

The Panthers haven’t had an offseason with an incumbent coaching staff since 2022. Everyone is excited about their team during the offseason, but the Panthers have genuine cause for that excitement, and it’s fun to hear them talk about it.
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Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...m-abounds-as-the-carolina-panthers-start-otas
 
Panthers Reacts Survey: Which rookie will have the biggest impact on the defense?

2025 NFL Draft - Rounds 2 & 3

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

With four rookies, each at positions of need, Carolina is poised for significant change

Eyes are split in the Carolinas this offseason, as continued improvement from quarterback Bryce Young and a nowhere-to-go-but-up attitude towards the defense vie for attention as the likeliest reason the Carolina Panthers could make a competitive leap forwards in 2025.

This week we're going to focus on the defense. The Panthers' 2025 draft class included four defensive players, edges Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen, safety Lathan Ransom, and defensive tackle Cam Jackson. Every position group on this defense was in need of upgrades, so each rookie is, by default, addressing a position of need.

By draft position, Scourton and Umanmielen are expected to be the most talented as Round 2 and Round 3 picks, respectively. Ransom, meanwhile, is one of only four safeties expected to make the roster. Jackson plays at a position that may have have seeing the field earlier than most rookies. Each player will have the opportunity to play and make an impact on the Panthers defense sooner rather than later.

This week's question is simple: which rookie will have the biggest impact on the Panthers defense in 2025?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Carolina Panthers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
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Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...pact-defense-nic-scourton-princely-umanmielen
 
Xavier Legette knows what he needs to do to improve on his rookie season

Carolina Panthers v Philadelphia Eagles

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

The Panthers second year wide receiver has spoken openly about his struggles and path to improvement.

Carolina Panthers second year wide receiver Xavier Legette has been a focal point for the media in the offseason and at OTAs. His southern charm and accent is always a joy to listen to, and he’s been open discussing his play on the field and the new look wide receiver room.

Legette was very critical of his own play late last season and doubled down when asked about it during his press conference saying he didn’t think he was too hard on himself because he felt he cost the team games with his drops. He apparently sat down with wide receivers coach Rob Moore and offensive coordinator Brad Idzik to discuss what went right and wrong last season. When asked what he prioritized this offseason, Legette talked about catching the ball with his hands away from his body.


Xavier Legette said he sat down with #Panthers WR Coach Rob Moore and Brad (Idzik) to go through last year’s film.

What they found?

Getting open wasn’t an issue. It’s honing in on dropped passes.

Legette said a point of focus in the offseason has been catching w/ his hands. pic.twitter.com/RD1Jz9RqNB

— DaShawn Brown (@DaShawnWSOC9) May 27, 2025​
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Xavier Legette says that this offseason, he focused on catching more with his hands vs his body. #Panthers pic.twitter.com/RWgbNzsxsF

— Sheena Quick (@Sheena_Marie3) May 27, 2025​
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Legette went on to say that being confident was the most important factor affecting whether or not he’d catch the ball away from his body.

He was also asked a lot of questions about the selection of Tetairoa McMillan. He expressed nothing but excitement for the selection and said he was aware it was a possibility before draft night. If anything, the extra attention McMillan draws should make life easier for Legette on the other side of the field.


Some interesting stuff from Xavier Legette today. Says he’s working on making more hands catches after last year‘s drops. Also doesn’t view Tetairoa McMillan and himself as a 1st and 2nd WR situation. pic.twitter.com/ZgazLDr8F5

— Joe Person (@josephperson) May 27, 2025​
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Legette has the self awareness and the situation to have a big year two. If the hands improve along with a better mastery of the offense and the NFL game, the former Gamecock can be a dangerous weapon for the Panthers next season.
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Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...e-needs-to-do-to-improve-on-his-rookie-season
 
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