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Things could be different for the Carolina Panthers this season if a certain receiver emerges. Also, it helps if quarterback Bryce Young reaches his potential. However, someone could get left out. And here are two surprise preseason roster cuts to watch for Week 1.
At the head of the list is receiver Hunter Renfrow. At one point, he looked like he could be heavily involved. But now it appears he may be getting lost in the mix. He got tabbed as a guy who could get cut, according to CBS Sports.
“Renfrow is attempting NFL comeback with the Panthers as he sat out all of last season,” Jeff Kerr wrote. “The former 1,000-yard receiver had just a combined 585 receiving yards since the 2021 season and is hoping for a resurgence in Carolina.
“The Panthers have a logjam at wide receiver, making it a long shot that Renfrow makes the team. He'll have to beat out David Moore and Brycen Tremayne to make the roster. If Renfrow doesn't make it, it will be due to special teams value.”
Panthers WR Hunter Renfrow trying to hang on
Maybe Dabo Swinney didn’t have it right. Renfrow said the Clemson University head coach talked him out of retirement, according to ESPN.
“He said, ‘Why would you not [play]?” Renfrow said. “You have the opportunity of a lifetime,” Renfrow recalled of Swinney's pep talk. “That's part of what makes him special. Pushing to get the best out of people, just believing in you even when you don't believe in yourself.”
Swinney pushed Hunter with a positive outlook.
“Hunter loves to play. He loves to compete,” said Swinney. “It doesn't matter if it's pickleball or trying to throw a frisbee. I mean, he just always wants to compete.'
“He just got in a place where he kind of lost his joy. He's always played for the love of the game, but it all stems from being healthy. So, it's been awesome to kind of see him find that again.”
However, the Panthers are set with three solid wide receivers in the starting lineup. Tetairoa McMillan leads the way, followed by veteran Adam Thielen and the emerging Xavier Legette. Also in the mix are Jalen Colker and David Moore. Renfrow might fit in as WR6, but that could also go to Jimmy Horn.
How many receivers will the Panthers keep?
And if the Panthers only keep six, Renfrow could be in trouble. Brycen Tremayne and Jacolby George are also in the mix if the Panthers go with seven wideouts. But that’s a lot, according to nytimes.com.
“Keeping seven receivers seems excessive,” Joseph Person wrote. “And it’s worth noting a lot can and will happen between now and the Aug. 26 roster cutdowns. I’m not sure how Dan Morgan and Canales will handle the bottom of the WR group. With his underneath route running, Renfrow brings a different element to the offense.
“But Canales has a history with Moore, who brings more special teams value than Renfrow. Then there’s Tremayne, who keeps making plays — including three catches for a team-high 46 yards Saturday. These tough decisions are a good problem.”
Earlier this summer, Bryce Young sang the praises of Renfrow, according to panthers.com.
“Someone that I've watched from afar, just being a fan of the game for a while,” Young said. “But getting to see it, having a locker next to him, going to be able to talk and see the things he sees, hear his mindset about how he attacks route running, it's been great for me and for the entire team just to be around.”
Still, Renfrow has his mind pointed toward making the team and playing.
“Having an appreciation of being back out here, being able to feel like I can run again, feel like I can go out there and have fun with my teammates again, be a part of a team, be a part of pushing towards something special,” Renfrow said.
RB Raheem Blackshear on the bubble?
Looking at the running back room, the top three appear to be locked in. That’s bad news for Blackshear, who stands behind presumed starter Chuba Hubbard along with Rico Dowdle and Trevor Etienne.
“Blackshear has been a contributor in Carolina since 2022, mostly as a returner,” Person wrote. “But his chances of making the team for a fourth year took a hit when the Panthers drafted Etienne, whose return experience and receiving skills lend themselves to the RB3 role. Roster math also plays into the decision to keep only three backs — specifically the plethora of quality receivers (which we’ll get to momentarily).”
It seems like Dowdle is the key piece for Blackshear. And Canales didn’t tip his hand when asked how he would use Dowdle this season, according to pantherswire.com.
“I don't wanna get into the specifics of it,” Canales said. “I think Rico has a lot of things he can do really well. He gives us some variety of play types that we can do. But I think just in general, as a starting point, he's exactly what we're looking for in our running backs.
“They run the runs the way they're supposed to be run—with discipline, they press the feet at the linemen, and once they get past that first level, they run with violence. He does those things.”
