Four Panthers Who Need a Strong Showing vs Commanders

A few players to keep your eyes on today in Washington.

Football is officially back. Boy, does that feel good to say. This afternoon, the Carolina Panthers will kickoff preseason play in the nation's capitol against the Washington Commanders, which will be televised on FOX. 

The starters will get anywhere between 10-20 reps before the coaching staff turns it over to the young guys and those fighting for a roster spot. This is an important game for many on the roster, but I will have my eyes on four guys in particular.

QB Matt Corral

I know, I know. Corral has no chance to win the actual quarterback battle, but this is a big moment for him. He's going to get a ton of reps considering Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield are only going to get roughly one series each. These three preseason games will be his chance to show that he can be the franchise's future. Yes, he'll be going up against the threes and fours but it's still an NFL defense. 

LT Ikem Ekwonu

According to head coach Matt Rhule, Ekwonu has "a long way to go". At the same time, the staff is looking to increase his reps with the ones at left tackle and putting on a good show today could be the first step in him winning the starting job. To be honest, the Panthers need Ekwonu to win the left tackle job in order to get their best five, or most talented players, on the field. 

OL Deonte Brown

This is a massive preseason for Deonte Brown. He's spent much of the past year just getting into game shape. He hasn't repped much with the twos over the past two weeks and when he has, it hasn't been very promising. An uninspiring preseason could lead to him being cut after just one year and some change with the team.

CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver III

Thomas-Oliver has come a long way since his rookie year and is becoming more than just a special teams player. However, with the team drafting the speedy Kalon Barnes in the 7th round of the draft this year, STO could be in danger of losing a roster spot. I'm not exactly sure how many corners the Panthers will keep but I would imagine that STO is on the "bubble". A strong preseason could force the Panthers to keep one more corner than originally planned.

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