I know I’ve been giving Pat Y of Charlotte.com a lot of grief lately but he makes it too easy. His latest post calls out four players who have something to prove during tonight’s preseason game against the Giants (8:00pm): Kerry Colbert, David Carr, Eric Shelton and CJ Wilson. I think he is about half right.

Calling out Kerry Colbert is low hanging fruit. That’s like saying the key to the Panthers winning this year is scoring more points than its opponent. Colbert has been under the microscope in camp and for good reason. He was expected to contribute last season but put up only 5 catches and ended up being inactive the last four games. Many people think he is fighting for a starting spot but I think he is fighting for a roster spot. He has some tough competition in Taye Biddle, Kevin Youngblood and Chris Horn; all capable of taking his job. There will also be some focus on Drew Carter but I think his ability to stretch the field gives him the edge over Colbert.

I don’t think David Carr has much to prove tonight. He will certainly want to perform well to gain his teammates confidence but if he doesn’t I don’t think it will change much. Brett Basanez has been playing well but if a replacement is needed during the season you know Fax will go for the experienced Carr first. Speaking of Basanez I’m sure he will see plenty of action tonight and I look forward to seeing how he does. Don’t be surprised if he outplays Carr.

I agree Eric Shelton has something to prove. Since being drafted in the second round in 2005 he’s missed most of his two seasons due to injuries. So the first question is "Has he lost any of his power?" I think the Panthers will have a need for a goal line back who can power it in from the three yard line. If Shelton can show a nose for the end zone he could secure a spot on the roster.

CJ Wilson is low hanging fruit as well. Every 7th round draft pick in the league has something to prove and cannot start proving it soon enough. If you’re going to focus on the safety position I say keep an eye on Deke Cooper. He is in line to be the starting FS and I’m not sure he can handle it yet. He should get plenty of action tonight because the Panthers have to decide real soon if they need more help back there.

Another player to watch is Dante Rosario, the TE drafted to serve in the H-back role. This position is new to the Panthers so I will be interested to see what formations he lines up in and what plays are called for him. Will he get opportunities in the red zone. We know the Panthers struggled in the red zone with options last year so it will be interesting to see what plays are called in this situation. With the emmergence of Jeff King Rosario's roster spot is no guarantee.

Finally, I want to see what TE Jeff King does. He has been getting a lot of play calls in TC and has looked good. I want to see that translate into catches on the field. I want to see if he has the speed to stretch the middle of field and keep the safety from cheating up to stop the run.

What players are you looking forward to seeing tonight?