Why Two Undrafted Rookies Made the Panthers' Roster

A couple of young bucks on the o-line made it through cut day.

The Panthers set their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday and of those 53, two undrafted free agents made the cut - offensive linemen Ricky Lee (North Carolina A&T) and Nash Jensen (North Dakota State).

For Lee and Jensen to have a spot on the roster, the team had to part ways with veteran offensive tackle Cam Erving and move on from a couple of inside guys, including sixth-round draft pick Deonte Brown and veteran Justin McCray.

Part of this decision was made so that the team didn't have guaranteed money tied up in veterans who may or may not have a role down the road. The front office and head coach Frank Reich believe in offensive line coach James Campen to develop their younger assets in the room. 

Assuming the Panthers don't make any additions via the waiver wire or free agency, Lee will likely be the swing tackle. He played left tackle in college and has taken some reps there since landing in Carolina, but has primarily lined up on the right side behind Taylor Moton. 

As for Jensen, he's right in the mix for the starting right guard job along with Cade Mays and fourth-round draft pick Chandler Zavala. Although the battle is more between Mays/Zavala, there is a role for Jensen as a rotational guy. He had a strong training camp and looked the part in preseason play and it wouldn't be all that surprising to see him develop into a starter later in his career.

For these two to make the roster is impressive. In my mind, making the cut as a UDFA as an offensive lineman is harder to do than any other position. It's a massive jump from college to the NFL and it typically takes a year or two for linemen to figure it out. So for these guys to have shown enough in limited reps is a promising sign.

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