Norris Thornburg

Predicting the 53-Man Roster: Pre-Training Camp

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Training camp begins today, and everyone is anxious for the players to take the field. There will be a lot of training camp battles for only a few open spots. Obviously, there will be other players brought in after cuts and injuries, but this article will revolve around cutting the current 90-man roster down to 53.

QB

Cam Newton

Will Grier

Kyle Allen

Taylor Heinicke

Explanation– Heinecke is a good backup, but it’s a toss up between him and Allen. I went with the guy I thought would be a better emergency quarterback. Also, with the team putting more emphasis on having a contingency plan in case Cam gets hurt, I feel they’ll keep three QBs instead of two.

RB

Christian McCaffrey

Jordan Scarlett

Elijah Holyfield

Cameron Artis-Payne

Reggie Bonnafon

Explanation– The easy pick would be Artis-Payne as the back up and Scarlett as the RB3, but I feel like they’ll keep Scarlett due to his upside as a bruiser (and lower contract) and Holyfield because he has a similar skill set to CMC. If they put either of those players on the practice squad, they’d be snatched up.

FB

Alex Armah

Explanation– Keeping Armah will pay dividends in the run game.

WR

DJ Moore

Curtis Samuel

Jarius Wright

Torrey Smith

Chris Hogan

Jaydon Mickens

Aldrick Robinson

DeAndrew White

Rashad Ross

Andre Levrone

Damion Jeanpiere

Terry Godwin

Explanation– I picked our top five receivers and a returner. It was a toss up between Mickens, Robinson and Ross. I chose Mickens due to his explosive return game. I also believe that Terry Godwin will end up on the practice squad and develop into a nice slot receiver for the future.

TE

Greg Olsen

Ian Thomas

Chris Manhertz

Ethan Wolf

Jason Vander Laan

Cole Hunt

Temarrick Hemingway

Marcus Baugh

Explanation– This is an easy one. Keeping Manhertz as the third tight end, mirrors what they’ve done every year. Keeping Manhertz as a blocker will have a ton of benefits for the offense. We know he can catch passes from McCaffrey too. 

OT

Greg Little

Taylor Moton

Daryl Williams

Dillon Gordon

Dennis Daley

Explanation– This could look a little different if Little wins the left tackle spot (like we all hope) and they move Williams inside. If Williams moves inside, I think Daley stays on the roster. If not, he will go to the practice squad.

C

Matt Paradis

Tyler Larsen

Parker Collins

Explanation– Just keeping the top two centers. Carolina loves Larsen’s versatility as well.

OG

Trai Turner

Greg Van Roten

Kitt O’Brien

Dorian Johnson

Norman Price

Kofi Amichia

Brandon Greene

Taylor Hearn

Explanation– This will look a little different if Williams moves to the inside. If he does, I think Dorian Johnson will be gone.

DE

Mario Addison

Bruce Irvin

Efe Obada

Marquis Haynes

Brian Cox

Explanation– It was a toss up between Haynes and Cox, but Haynes fits in the 3-4 scheme better than Cox. Also, Efe Obada bulked up so he can move inside when needed. Sorry Brian!

DT

Kawann Short

Dontari Poe

Gerald McCoy

Kyle Love

Vernon Butler

Woodrow Hamilton

Bijhon Jackson

Destiny Vaeao

Explanation– Going with the top five players here, and they have the most versatility. McCoy, Short and Butler would be a good rotation at DE in the 3-4 sets, too. This whole defense looks very talented.

LB

Brian Burns

Luke Kuechly

Shaq Thompson

Jermaine Carter

Jared Norris

Christian Miller

Andre Smith

Jordan Kunaszyk

Jonathan Celestin

Brandon Chubb

Sione Teuhema

Antoine Williams

Explanation– Christian Miller is a first round talent and I believe he will beat out Andre Smith for this roster spot. I also believe he will get plenty of opportunities to prove himself this year. Jermaine Carter will thrive more in this defensive scheme than last years.

CB

James Bradberry

Donte Jackson

Javien Elliott

Ross Cockrell

Kevon Seymour

Corn Elder

Cole Luke

Lorenzo Doss

Josh Thornton

Explanation– Sorry, Miami fans. Corn just didn’t make the cut. When given the opportunities last season, Corn struggled. It’s possible that he figures the game out this year, but he better hurry. Seymour and Cockrell are coming back from injury, and that gives us great depth at a position where we need it.

S

Eric Reid

Rashaan Gaulden

Colin Jones

Quin Blanding

Corion Ballard

Kia Nacua

Damian Parms 

Explanation– Jones is a special teams ace and an above average (barely) safety. Blanding was my dark horse pick to make the 53-man roster in my article “The Guys That No One is Talking About” and I still feel that way. The guy is a tackling machine, and I dont feel like any other safety on the roster can beat him out of that last spot.

K

Graham Gano

P

Michael Palardy

LS

JJ Jansen

Again, this could change based on training camp battles, injuries and transactions. However, this is how I feel that the roster will shake out after the smoke clears. Be on the lookout for an article before cuts, that gives my “Post-Training Camp” roster predictions. #KeepPounding #4MR #WhatARush

By: Norris Thornburg July 25, 2019

5 Reasons the Carolina Panthers Won’t Make the Playoffs

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Training camp starts tomorrow and there’s plenty of excitement surrounding the Panthers. Fans have just watched the team on Amazon Prime’s “All or Nothing” and saw an in-depth look into Carolina’s 2018 season. There’s a lot to be excited about. On paper, this team looks like a contender. They need to take it game by game, but the ultimate goal is to make the playoffs to have a chance at a Super Bowl. However, in the NFL, it’s rare that things go as planned. Here are five reasons that Carolina won’t make the playoffs:

1. Injuries to Key Players

Over the last couple of years, the injury bug has hit the Panthers pretty hard. If, God forbid, it continues to bite Carolina and no one steps up, it’s going to be a long season. Especially if Cam Newton gets hurt again. This season almost solely depends on Cam’s health. Cam’s health might also depend on the health of his offensive line, as we saw last season. Hopefully, the injuries will be kept to a minimum.

2. Miles Traveled 

Carolina will be traveling 22,008 miles for away games this season, which is enough for eighth most in the league. By comparison, last season Carolina only traveled a little over 6,000 miles all season, which was the least amount in the league. Traveling long distances takes a toll on teams, but it’s a part of the game. The good news is, 8,000 of those miles are to and from London. Take those 8,000 miles away, and they only travel 14,008 miles this season, which would’ve been good enough for 20th. More good news: Carolina’s bye week comes right after the London trip, so they’ll have time to rest. With any luck, this won’t hurt the team too much.

3. Rough Second Half Schedule

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Week 10 starts a rough stretch for Carolina. In that eight game stretch, they play the Packers, Redskins, Colts, Seahawks, Falcons twice and Saints twice. Carolina has the ability to beat any of those teams, but this is still a tough stretch. The Packers aren’t the same team as in year’s past, but they still have Aaron Rodgers. Seahawks still have Russell Wilson. Colts played well last season in Andrew Luck’s return. With the Falcons and the Saints, division games are always tough. Especially against these two teams. The hope, as always, is that Carolina gets a fast start in the season and gains momentum heading into the second half of the season.

4. Mistakes

If Carolina wants to make the playoffs, they need to limit their mistakes. Prior to Cam’s injury, it appeared that he had a handle on Norv Turner’s efficient offense. He only had 4 interceptions before the Pittsburgh game, where he hurt his shoulder. A healthy Cam who can stay efficient would be a huge plus. The offense as a whole needs to limit the turnovers. The defense needs to be in position to make plays and cause turnovers. If this doesn’t happen, it will be long season.

5. Lack of Chemistry

Sometimes, teams just don’t have the chemistry that they had the previous year. New players come in via draft and free agency and sometimes their personalities don’t mesh well with the core. There isn’t any information that has been given to say this is happening, but it could.

This article isn’t designed to be disrespectful to Carolina, but quite the opposite. They will make the playoffs as long as none of these things happen. Here’s to hoping that nothing keeps them from achieving their dream of a Lombardi Trophy.

#KeepPounding #4MR #WhatARush

By: Norris Thornburg July 24, 2019

5 Reasons the Carolina Panthers Will Make the Playoffs

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Training camp starts tomorrow and there’s a lot of excitement surrounding the Carolina Panthers. Fans have just watched the team on Amazon Prime’s “All or Nothing” and got an in-depth look inside the 2018 Panthers. There seems to be a lot of buzz about this team, even from national news outlets. Hopefully, everything will click with the team and they’ll get back to being in contention for a Super Bowl. Here are five reasons that the Panthers will make the playoffs.

1. Ron Rivera