Injuries are a part of football. The leagues best General Managers are able to prepare their rosters for the eventual losses caused by the grueling season. Over the course of the last three off seasons Panthers' General Manager, Dave Gettleman, has been quietly assembling a quality roster with greater depth than any Panthers' team in recent memory.
Last week we took a look at the defensive depth and came away feeling confident with the majority of the depth at each position group. In a poll of 1,000+ votes over 50% of you voted that the safeties had the weakest positional depth. It will be interesting to see how things shake out at safety, but I don't believe that the depth at the safety group is weak. There are mixed feelings about Colin Jones as a starter, but he has a sure spot on the team as a special teams ace and has starting experience. Robert Lester also earned some starting experience as a rookie, plus was a fan favorite as a URFA out of Alabama two years ago. With Kurt Coleman as the underdog to start over Roman Harper, depth isn't the concern. I believe with Harper as a starter the safeties are considered the weakest starting position on the defense, and that was more reflected in the poll. After struggling to deal with the surprising loss of Greg Hardy last season, the Panthers unit has been retooled and appears ready to reclaim it's status as an elite defense in 2015.
In part two of this mini-series we look at which offensive players could be called into action if the starter happens to go down, and how comfortable the team should feel about them.
Next Man Up... QB - Derek Anderson
Derek Anderson is exactly what an NFL team wants in a backup QB; Derek arrived in Carolina in 2011 at just 28 years old with 45 starts, 9,000 passing yards and 1 pro-bowl selection under his belt, yet at this point in his career it was clear he was not a starting caliber NFL quarterback. With a 71 career passer rating and a 1 to 1 TD/INT ratio, Derek's days as a starter were behind him. Offered a new type of opportunity, Derek was happy to come to Carolina and be a part of the group that has fostered Cam Newton's growth. Derek has been a quality teammate, a positive voice in Cam's ear and most importantly he won his only 2 starts filling in for Cam. Derek Anderson is not a 'good quarterback', but he is capable of filling in and if the rest of the roster is healthy the Panthers should have no problem being competitive with Derek at quarterback.
Next Man Up... OT - Jonathan Martin
Jonathan Martin is a 25 year old, former 2nd round pick, Stanford educated young man. Martin is listed as the backup left tackle and is also a potential starter at RT. Coming out of college he was heralded as an elite prospect with solid technique and a gifted athlete. Walter football compared Martin to our franchise LT Jordan Gross and said he could go as early as 8th overall in the 2012 NFL draft. NFL.com called him and an "NFL ready tackle who possess all the traits". Jonathan Martin was selected 42nd overall and went on to start all 16 games as a rookie at right tackle with the Dolphins in 2012. Martin's future was looking good until the following summer of 2013; Richie Ingonito infested the Dolphins locker room and Martin was one of the main targets of bulling. He left the team after 7 starts at left tackle and was released at the end of the season. In 2014 Martin reunited with his former college coach for a fresh start and proceeded to started nine games at right tackle for the 49ers. Unfortunately Martin wasn't quiet the player he looked like he could be as a rookie, and was not resigned.
Jonathan Martin has a lot in common with Stephen Hill and should be receiving as much attention as anyone else on the roster. Both are former second round selections at positions of major weakness, both have all the physical gifts you could ask for, and both are coming from bad situations. Martin, like Hill, posses the legitimate opportunity to become a quality contributor at a position of need or may not make the final 53 man roster all together. Surrounded by a family atmosphere in one of the best locker rooms the NFL has to offer, Martin may blossom into the franchise left tackle Cam Newton needs. Only time will tell if Martin will boom or bust, but I'm happy to have him on the roster. There is the possibility that the entire offensive position collapses like last season. Oher continues to struggle, Martin never regains form, Remmers was an anomaly and our 4th round rookie struggles are all legitamit concerns, but the tackle position still looks a lot better than in 2014.
Next Man Up... OG - Nate Chandler or Amini Silatolu
Chandler and Silatolu are some of the most debatable players on the roster; Silatolu is a former 2nd round pick taken before Alshon Jeffery and many other pro-bowl talents. Up to this point Silatolu has been a total bust and in his seven starts last season he gave up more sacks than Byron Bell, and impressively rare feat! Some believe Silatolu still has starter potential while others believe he doesn't belong on the field, I am in the later group.
Nate Chandler was the Panthers' former right tackle in 2014 and master of the lookout-block, If Chandler makes the field I expect to see more of his this unique technique in which after the defender runs right through Chandler, he yells "Look out!!!". No one used this technique more in 2014 than Nate Chandler. After switching from defensive tackle to right guard in 2013 with mediocre results, Chandler was moved to a more difficult position with disasterous results. For 2015 Chandler is a backup at right guard, and hopefully stays there. In all honestly these guys may be decent backups, or they may be some of the worst in the league.
For the last time, I give you a picture of 2014 starters Byron Bell, Amini Silatolu and Nate Chandler running through drills together....
Next Man Up.. Center - Mike Remmers?
It appears the Panthers are preparing to only keep nine offensive lineman and Daryl Williams has a legit chance to start at RT. Mike Remmers is currently the Panthers starting right tackle but has been seeing snaps at center just in case of a Kalil injury. If Remmers was an okay right tackle, it is possible he could be an okay backup center. This is one of the unknowns on the team; I'd consider Kalil the 3rd least replaceable player on the team behind Luke and Cam, I hope he stays health.
Next Man Up... RB - Cameron Artis-Payne and Fozzy Whittaker
Lets face it, there is no way Jonathan Stewart starts 16 games, one of not both of these two gentleman will start at running back in 2015. Artis-Payne was a consistent but overlooked college RB, despite running for 1,600 yards and 13 TDs in 2014 he didn't display the speed or athleticism of an elite running back and fell to the 5th round and into the Panthers lap. Fozzy Whittaker was acquired last season after the famous Tyler Gaffney event, Fozzy filled in nicely when injuries struck last year and by week 17 had taken the role of #2 back. Both seem like serviceable, well rounded back ups that should have the ability to do anything you ask, but probably won't wow you. The way running backs seem to consistently pop up out of nowhere these days, I'm really not concerned about finding productive backs.
Next Man Up.. WR - All of them
What a difference one year makes; At this time last year the Panthers receiving core was a complete mess and full of questions. Fortunately there has been a large infusion of quality young receivers in the league the past two season and the Panthers have been one of the beneficiaries, added three new guys of their own. Just twelve months later there is still a chance the group could bust, but a big boom seems imminent. This is a deep and talented group with multiple players truly competing to get on the field. I'm excited to see how this section of the depth chart shakes out and don't believe that any one player is irreplaceable. With KB, Funchess, Brown, Hill, Ginn, Cotchery, and many others, the WR position looks solid throughout.
Next Man Up... TE - Brandon Williams
Old 'swoll bones'. Even among the NFL athletes there are some freaks who take things to another level. The Panthers are starting to accumulate a surprisingly large number of these athletes and Brandon Williams is the prime example, pictured at the top of the article. Williams is 6'4, 250 lbs, runs a 4.5 forty, is strong as an ox and looks like he was chiseled from stone. Brandon original went to the University of Oregon to play tight end for Chip Kelly, but was diagnosed with a back condition and shifted to basketball. After his college career he was cleared of his spinal condition and made an attempt to return to the game he loves. Spending three years on the roster behind Greg Olsen is a blessing and a curse; Williams may be turning into a very decent NFL tight end but he never gets to see the field. Williams may not be on the roster in 2016, or he may be in the pro-bowl. He is one of many boom or bust players on the roster in 2015. I'd really like to see him get on the field more often, but that doesn't seem likely without an injury as the Panthers' coaches seem very happy with Ed Dickson. Maybe the plan is to keep him quiet, sign him to a four year extension in the off season, and watch him explode next year.