Sunday’s NFL deadline for roster cuts hit, bringing the Carolina Panthers’ initial 53-man squad into focus, and man, there are some eyebrow-raising decisions. Dropping from 90 players, the final roster emerged, but the biggest talker? The tight end room, which is absolutely stacked with five guys, a move that immediately signals some potential shake-ups for the team.
No Surprises at QB and RB, But Some IR Moves
Let’s start where things were, honestly, pretty quiet. At quarterback, it was exactly what everyone expected: Bryce Young, Kenny Pickett, and Haynes King are locked in. The only real question was if King’s hamstring injury would send him to injured reserve, but nope, he’s active for Week One. You gotta wonder if they’ll even use him for some short-yardage plays down the line, that would be a curveball!
Running back also held few shocks. Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks are the main guys, joined by AJ Dillon. Trevor Etienne, though, is headed to IR with a return designation, thanks to that ankle injury from the preseason finale. Dillon steps up to handle third running back duties and special teams, which makes total sense given the situation.
Wide Receivers See Some Cuts, Practice Squad Calls Incoming
The wide receiver group ended up with six players: Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, Xavier Legette, Brycen Tremayne, Jimmy Horn Jr., and John Metchie III. Most of these guys were expected, but a couple of veterans and fan favorites missed the cut. David Moore, who’s been around for a couple seasons doing a bit of everything, didn’t make the final 53. He’s definitely a practice squad candidate, you’d think. Then there’s Ja’Seem Reed, a real training camp favorite, who apparently didn’t do enough to stick. If he clears waivers, and he probably will, he’s a shoe-in for the practice squad. It’s tough, but that’s the business, right?
Five Tight Ends?! And The Trading Block is Heating Up
Now, this is where things get wild. The Panthers kept *five* tight ends: Tommy Tremble, Mitchell Evans, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Feleipe Franks, and Darren Waller. Five tight ends, people! That is a *lot* of tight ends for an NFL roster, and it definitely doesn’t feel like this group is going to stay this big heading into the regular season. The buzz is already out there that the Panthers are reportedly shopping Ja’Tavion Sanders. Honestly, you gotta expect them to take the best offer available for him sometime this week. Sanders and Waller are straight-up redundant, so it makes total sense they’d move one of them, especially since the Panthers clearly have plans for Waller. And yeah, Franks made it for his special teams skills. Also, Waller wearing number 35? Yeah, that’s weird, man.
This initial 53-man roster means the Panthers are officially geared up for the regular season, but don’t take your eyes off that tight end situation. With Sanders on the trade block, the real action might be getting started. Let’s see what kind of moves shake out before Week One kicks off!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Cat Scratch Reader.
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