Biggest Questions Remaining After Panthers Trim Roster to 53 Players

Here's what we're still wondering after the Panthers finalized the roster.

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales on the field after the game | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After four preseason games and training camp sessions galore, the Carolina Panthers are locked in. They have the 53-man roster, though things can change. That was among the biggest questions facing this team all offseason, and it's been answered, but it also raises some more important questions.

What will the offense look like?

Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Brad Idzik on the field before the game | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Much of the surprise came from the defense, but that's largely a byproduct of having more talent there. Isaiah Simmons and Trevin Wallace were surprise cuts, but the Panthers have good players in their places. On offense, we still don't know a lot.

We know who's starting, but how will first-year play-caller Brad Idzik scheme to help his reconstructed offensive line? How will he use the two running backs? How does Darren Waller fit with the tight ends? What's Xavier Legette's role now?

How will Carolina work in recent newcomers?

Even if we assume (probably wrongly) that the Panthers won't make any more changes, they still have Darren Waller, Bobby Okereke, and Te-Rah Edwards on the team without having seen any of them in a preseason game. There is less than two weeks before Week 1.

Waller's been around the longest and he's practiced, so it's a matter of working him into the offense in practice before the game. But Edwards and Okereke are brand-new, so they have to learn the defense before fitting in. That's going to be a bigger issue for Okereke, who is now in line to start.

Does special teams matter that much?

The coaching staff has often said that fringe players need to step up on special teams to make the roster. In some ways, we saw that play out, like with Trevin Wallace being cut while Claudin Cherilus stuck around. But in other ways, special teams seemed to be disregarded.

Isaiah Simmons was one of the absolute best special teamers the Panthers had, and he was cut. They kept John Metchie over Ja'seem Reed despite Metchie not being that great on special teams, either. It matters more in the case of Simmons, but it's still surprising to see that and raises a question.

Are they ready?

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (left) and Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now that the Panthers have (more or less) finalized who they're bringing into Week 1 against the Chicago Bears, it's worth asking: is this group ready? That is not an easy opening matchup, and there's a ton of pressure on everyone.

There's still time to answer the question since the Panthers don't play again until September 13, but after a full preseason and roster cuts, we're still not sure if this team is quite ready to go out and win a season opener.