3 Panthers to Keep an Eye on in Preseason Matchup Against Bills
The Carolina Panthers will head into their second preseason game on Friday night against the Buffalo Bills.
For many players on the team -- these four preseason games could make-or-break their future in the NFL. Carolina decided to sit all of their starters in their first preseason game, and they'll hold out Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly against Buffalo.
This gives ample opportunity to the younger players and the lesser-known veterans on the roster. There are plenty of battles for roster spots that will happen, but here are three players in specific to look out for.
Jordan Scarlett (RB)
Jordan Scarlett is a downhill running back that played four seasons of college football at Florida. He's missed a large amount of training camp and also missed the preseason opener because of a back injury. He will likely see the field against Buffalo, and he'll have to prove his worth over Cameron Artis-Payne and Elijah Holyfield.
Scarlett finished his final season at Florida with 131 carries, 776 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. He wasn't much of a pass-catcher -- but that role will be primarily consumed by Christian McCaffrey. Scarlett told the Charlotte Observer that he's more of a goal line back, and now he has to go out there and prove it.
“I’m a very physical back, I can run between the tackles very well — and Christian can, too — but he’s more of an every-down back,” Scarlett said. “I think they kind of want me to take the load off of him as far as short yardage-wise, goal line. I’m very comfortable with that.”
Joey Slye (K)
The Panthers have had a sense of security at the kicker position because of Graham Gano, but his recent injury has brought some questions up. Subsequently, the Panthers signed the second-year kicker Joey Slye -- who had an incredible preseason game against the Bears.
Slye's story is inspirational, and he has been welcomed with open arms in the Panthers' locker room. Against Chicago, he was able to connect on all three of his field goals, while making both of his extra point attempts. His longest kick of the day was 55 yards and he impressed everyone watching with it.
He discussed his power in his leg to reporters, but it also brings up concerns with his accuracy.
“Ultimately, I’ve got a big leg," Slye said. "And that’s why everyone says that accuracy has always been an issue.”
Terry Godwin (WR)
One of the more interesting stories coming from the first preseason game was Terry Godwin. The 5-foot-11, 185 pound wide receiver out of Georgia made some serious noise in the return game. The Panthers have desperately looking for a reliable returner -- and Godwin showed a small sample of why he could be that guy.
He returned a 57-yard punt return for a touchdown against the Bears, followed by a 22-yard punt return. He also returned a kick for 24 yards, along with one catch for 10 yards.
Is this special teams production sustainable for the rookie? That answer is unclear at the moment, but he will continue to be given opportunities to prove himself.
