Two Panthers Offensive Weapons Named Surprise Cut Candidates After NFL Draft

The Carolina Panthers entered this offseason with the intention of improving on the offensive side of the ball. Last season, the Panthers had a dysfunctional offense lacking in playmakers for young quarterback Bryce Young. New general manager Dan Morgan and new head coach Dave Canales made it a priority to add as many offensive weapons as they could this spring.

And they mostly accomplished their goal. Not only did they reshape the offensive line with the additions of Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt, but they also selected WR Xavier Legette with their first pick in the draft, traded for Diontae Johnson, and brought in rookie RB Jonathon Brooks and veteran rusher Rashaad Penny.

As exciting as these additions are for Panthers fans, they also mean more departures will be coming. In fact, Ari Meirov identified two Panthers who are likely gone before the season starts.

Those names are veteran running back Miles Sanders and former second-round pick Terrace Marshall.

Miles Sanders and Terrace Marshall Are Cut Candidates for Panthers

In his list of trade and cut candidates, Meirov had both Panthers, which makes plenty of sense. Marshall has already asked for a trade last season, he is entering the final year of his rookie contract and he will be behind Legette, Johnson, Adam Thielen, and Jonathan Mingo on the depth chart. If the Panthers can get anything in return for him, it makes sense for both sides to move on.

Sanders is similarly behind a stacked group. After having a career season with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022, Sanders failed to replicate his production in Carolina, finishing with career lows in carries and yards in 2023. Now, he is behind Chuba Hubbard, Jonathon Brooks, and Rashaad Penny in the pecking order, while only entering the second year of his four-year, $25.4 million deal. He is presumably more of a cut candidate at this stage of his career.

Whether the Panthers will choose to move on from Sanders and Marshall remains to be seen. It certainly makes more sense, however, to allocate their resources elsewhere considering how crowded their receiver and running back rooms are.

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