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Defensive back Colin Jones is dealing with a severe groin injury, adding another chapter to a Carolina Panthers’ preseason that seemingly won’t end.
Jones hasn’t been on the field since the Panthers’ first joint practice with the Dolphins a week and a half ago. That’s the same day receiver Kelvin Benjamin tore his ACL and Devin Funchess tweaked his hamstring.
When asked about the severity of Jones’ injury Monday, coach Ron Rivera said it was “much more than a tweak.”
The Panthers are sending Jones to a specialist, and Rivera said there is some concern about a torn muscle.
A safety, nickel cornerback and special teams ‘ace,’ Jones is one of the most versatile players on the roster. If he’s going to miss significant time, it could open a spot at safety.
“We’ve got a couple guys that are battling for that backup position, so we’ll see. But for the most part, it’s really going to be whose role is going to play on special teams,” Rivera said.
Including Jones, the Panthers currently have seven safeties. Roman Harper, Kurt Coleman and Tre Boston are safe, which leaves Robert Lester, Marcus Ball and Dean Marlowe. The undrafted James Madison product has seen an uptick in playing time since Jones’ injury, but Sunday, Rivera made it sound like Marlowe was practice squad bound.
Yet snap counts from the Panthers’ past two preseason games look like this:
| Snaps vs MIA & NE | Defense | Special Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Dean Marlowe | 58 | 27 |
| Marcus Ball | 19 | 18 |
| Robert Lester | 24 | 6 |
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