Winning hasn’t come naturally for the Carolina Panthers. They lost 25 games over the last two seasons and made unwanted NFL history in 2023 for always trailing in the fourth quarter.
So when it comes time to finding three cut candidates ahead of the NFL training camp, it may be bottom-of-the-barrel stuff for this franchise. That's why it's potentially not good news for the NFL careers of guard Cade Mays, safety Jammie Robinson, and receiver Terrace Marshall Jr.
Panthers' G Cade Mays needs to turn things around
First, Mays is buried at No. 4 on the depth chart. That's not a good sign for any position, but especially at guard.
A sixth-round pick out of the University of Tennessee in 2022, Mays may have been pushed aside when the Panthers spent big dollars to acquire guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. The price tag was $153 million for the two players combined.
Mays played 434 snaps last season and had an underwhelming pass-blocking grade of 43.0, according to Pro Football Focus. However, his run-block number of 71.2 showed he has potential.
Still, the Panthers cashed out at the guard position. And Brady Christensen is getting backup center snaps, so there’s likely no pace for Mays there, either.
It’s good for Mays to have multiple-position ability, in terms of earning a roster spot. But the current list of backup players in front of him — Christensen, Ja'Tavion Sanders, Yosh Nijman, Andrew Raym, Chandler Zavala, and Jeremiah Crawford — looks like a brick wall that Mays won’t be able to run through.
Is time running out for WR Terrace Marshall Jr.?
He's gotten on the field, playing in 36 games during his three NFL seasons. And while 64 receptions for 767 yards isn't earth shattering, it shows he's capable of making some plays.
However, inconsistency has plagued him. The flashes of good stuff made those receiving totals happen. But they simply haven't come around often enough. And his so-so 56.6 receiving grade from Pro Football Focus tells something as well.
New Panthers' head coach Dave Canales told si.com that Marshall has been reliable. under his watch.
“He’s doing what we’re asking him to do,” Canales said. “You can see that this is a big man with speed in there. And I think that the more comfortable he’s getting with our system, with our concepts, the faster he looks. I’m really curious to see where he takes that this year. I know he’s had a couple of years here and hasn’t really produced to the potential of what people might think, but hopefully we’ll create an environment where he’s able to get onto our offense and show us something.”
And all of that sounds like optimism. Perhaps Marshall can find a home with guys like Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette and Jonathan Mingo. But for now, he's lingering around the dreaded cut conversation.
Safety Jammie Robinson has his work cut out
It’s not a complete trouble spot for Robinson. He’s ahead of Demani Richardson on the depth chart. However, he’s behind Xavier Woods and Sam Franklin Jr.
Also, the Panthers have Jordan Fuller in their starting plans at strong safety with free-agent signee Nick Scott and Alex Cook behind him.
Robinson will need to find a creative way to get noticed as the odds are stacked against him. A Day 3 pick in the 2023 draft, Robinson found little playing time on defense. He finished the season with 10 tackles and allowed all five of his receiver’s targets to be completed. However, he did make contributions on special teams.
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