The dog days of summer are about to begin in Spartanburg as the Carolina Panthers are set to open up training camp on Wednesday morning on the campus of Wofford College.
As always, there are a few position battles that will be highlighted throughout training camp, so here are four of them to keep your eyes on.
Final WR spot: Damiere Byrd vs. Shi Smith
The Panthers have been waiting for Smith to come on as a receiver since he was drafted. By signing veteran Damiere Smith, it shows the team doesn't trust Smith to take that next step in his development and that competition is needed. I don't see a scenario in which both make the roster, so if I had to give a pre-training camp prediction, I would give the edge to the veteran.
Right Guard: Cade Mays vs. Justin McCray
Austin Corbett is still working his way back from an ACL injury that he suffered in the regular season finale in New Orleans. Justin McCray has prior experience working with offensive line coach James Campen in Green Bay (2017-18), Cleveland (2019), and Houston (2021). He has appeared in 76 career games and has made 26 starts, so from an experience standpoint, he has the advantage. That said, the Panthers really like Mays' potential and could view him as the better interim option.
Defensive End: Henry Anderson vs. DeShawn Williams
This isn't just a two-horse race, but it'll likely come down to these two. Regardless of how the battle goes, I expect we will see some sort of a rotation where each guy only appears in certain packages. Williams had the benefit of playing in Ejiro Evero's scheme last year in Denver and just so happened to have the best year of his career, tallying 37 tackles, 8 QB hits, 4.5 sacks, and four tackles for loss.
Outside Linebacker: Marquis Haynes Sr. vs. Yetur Gross-Matos
Much like the battled listed above, other names will be involved here. Amare Barno for sure, and perhaps DJ Johnson gets some reps on this side. This will seem like an uphill battle for Gross-Matos, who is a traditional 4-3 defensive end that is being asked to move to outside linebacker in a 3-4. It's a totally different world and one that will take some time for him to get accustomed to. In year's past, Haynes didn't get on the field all that much but when he did, he made his presence felt.
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