If there's one word that should define the Carolina Panthers season in 2024, it has to be player development.
Sure, it would be nice to see the team put it all together, win more games than they lose, and represent their division in the playoffs like the Houston Texans last season, but if the team can simply settle on a few long-term starters to build around into the future, that would be a pretty productive use of everyone's time.
But what about the older veterans who are already as good as they will ever be right now, specifically the ones who are sitting on the roster bubble? Well, these players need to be focused on closest of all, as how they perform this preseason – or how the younger players around them play – could define their careers moving forward, including a former star free agent running back and a veteran kicker who is actively giving up snaps to a promising UDFA in the pursuit of a new contract.
Two players on the preseason bubble for the Panthers
1. Eddy Pineiro
Who will be the Panthers' kicker come Week 1? Well, right now, that question comes down to dollars and cents as much as on-field performance, as incumbent starter Eddy Pineiro is currently holding out for a new deal.
Discussing his decision to stay away from the kicking tee with The Athletic, Pineiro noted that the decision is strictly business, as after watching former star Panthers players like Brian Burns and Christian McCaffrey get traded, he wants to make sure he is fairly compensated for his talents.
“I don't feel disrespected because I know it's a business. I know the business side of it,” Pineiro told The Athletic. “Look at Brian Burns, Christian McCaffrey, all those guys got traded. Sometimes you look back, you're like, wow. I wouldn't be the first or the last guy out of here.”
Now sure, could everything work out well for Pineiro? Totally, but considering he isn't the only kicker on the Panthers roster and the whole point of training camp is to evaluate talent, Pineiro is giving UDFA Harrison Mevis plenty of chances to impress Carolina this summer.
If the man affectionately known as “Thicker the Kicker” can dazzle fans and coaches alike with his massive leg and prove himself an ace on field goal while proving automatic on the extra point, who knows? Maybe a team like the Panthers, who would be lucky to make the playoff this season, would opt to go with the younger option on a three-year, UDFA contract and ship Pineiro off for a late Day 3 pick. Why? Because the NFL is a business and considering there are only 32 starting kickers in the league, teams typically have more leverage over them than other positions of similar importance.
2. Miles Sanders
When Miles Sanders signed with the Panthers after a successful career with the Philadelphia Eagles, it felt like a pretty good get for Carolina.
At the time, the team needed to find a full-time replacement for McCaffrey, had a rookie quarterback, and ultimately needed some firepower to elevate their offense into the future; factor in the presence of Frank Reich, Sanders' former offensive coordinator, and the future was looking up for all parties involved.
… except here's the thing: the partnership between the Panthers and Sanders just never came together, especially once his former fellow Eagles alumni was fired at head coach.
Taking the field in the first season of a four-year, $25.4 million contract, Sanders looked like a shell of his former self. He only ended up only starting six games versus 16 appearances and was lapped by 2021 fourth-round pick Chuba Hubbard pretty much across the board, with the Penn State product setting new career lows across the board in terms of production.
While the idea of the Panthers releasing Sanders in Year 2 feels rather unlikely, as $13 million of his contract is guaranteed, when you consider that the team likely drafted their long-term starter in Jonathon Brooks and added another ex-Eagles in Rashaad Penny for about a week before he retired, how honestly, how big of a role could Sanders fill in 2024?
Would he be willing to play a third down back role with the Panthers bruisers leading the way on early downs?
If Sanders really struggles this offseason, who knows maybe he could be outright released and afforded a chance to find a new home elsewhere, but if he instead shows some flashes of his former glory, an exit could still be on the books too, as even a late round pick could be worth making a deal for considering where the Panthers presently stand in the NFC.
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