Although the main attraction for tonight’s preseason finale between the Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Bills is quarterback Baker Mayfield and his first-team offense, there will be smaller battles worth keeping an eye on in this one. And those smaller battles will help determine what this 53-man roster looks like come Week 1.
So, here are the four most intriguing Panthers to watch with exhibition play winding down and the roster bubble almost set to burst.
QB PJ Walker
What’s done is done for Walker, as whatever he does in tonight’s game probably won’t affect his roster status. But what is his roster status?
Back on Aug. 8, head coach Matt Rhule told reporters he was planning on carrying three quarterbacks into the regular season. That statement, however, came when rookie Matt Corral wasn’t lost for the season with a Lisfranc injury.
If their 2022 third-rounder wasn’t stashed away on the injured reserve—it’d be him, Mayfield and backup Sam Darnold as those three passers Rhule hinted towards. So does Corral’s status now open the door for Walker to grab a spot or has it changed the staff’s thinking on how many passers they’ll bring over into the opener?
WR C.J. Saunders
Saunders was seemingly lost for the summer a few backs when he sustained a quad injury. What made matters more painful was that he had made a furious run at a roster spot in the time leading up to that unfortunate development.
Well, the 25-year-old made an improbable return to practice earlier this week and is somehow back in the thick of things in the wideout room. That wideout room, by the way, is awfully crowded—with Rashard Higgins, Shi Smith, Andre Roberts and Brandon Zylstra taking up space behind DJ Moore and Robbie Anderson.
Can Saunders finish the job and squeeze his way in with an eye-opening performance?
OL Cade Mays
Although their starting offensive line is pretty much set, the Panthers have to sort out their depth. And Cade Mays is making his case to be apart of it.
The 2022 sixth-rounder displayed his versatility against the New England Patriots last Friday, holding up well over 23 snaps at center and 19 snaps at right guard. Can the rookie keep using that flexibility to top his competitors on the chart in Cameron Erving, Michael Jordan, Dennis Daley and Deonte Brown?
CB Tae Hayes
Hayes has made the absolute most and more out of his opportunity with Carolina this summer.
The former USFL champion signed on early in training camp, as the team’s corners were dropping left and right and leaving the defense without bodies at the position. And this guy’s been anything but just a body, as he’s recorded nine tackles and three passes defensed—including a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown—in two weeks of preseason action.
Just as it is at receiver, the cornerback room is a tad stuffy at the moment—with Jaycee Horn, Donte Jackson, CJ Henderson and Keith Taylor Jr. already having spots locked up. Heck, even Stantley Thomas-Oliver III—who was recently heralded for his special teams presence by Rhule—seems to already have himself a jersey.
Will they find space for Hayes or, perhaps more appropriately, will Hayes keep making that space for himself?
