DOWN

 

Battle for 4th TE

 

This includes Lucas, who’s not necessarily the young guy the Panthers hoped to groom for life after Greg Olsen.

Beau Sandland and Braxton Deaver each flashed at times as pass catchers in the spring and at training camp, but Carolina’s offense asks TEs to do more than “run around and catch the ball.”

Sandland, who’s struggled as a blocker, finally saw his first target of the preseason on Friday but dropped the ball.

Deaver, who had a 15-yard reception against the Titans, played three snaps on special teams and never checked in on offense.

 

WR Kevin Norwood

 

So much for the positive momentum he took out of last week’s game. Norwood followed up his touchdown in Tennessee with a clunker in Carolina.

In what may have been his final shot to make an argument for one of the last WR spots, Norwood’s first target ended up in the hands of Patriots’ S Duron Harmon. Norwood never turned his head around for the ball from QB Derek Anderson. It may have been miscommunication or a bad throw, but Norwood then missed a tackle after the interception.

Then, late in the third, Anderson threw a perfect deep ball that hit Norwood’s outstretched hands and fell to the ground.

 

 

G Jordan Rigsbee

 

Coaches were impressed with the undrafted rookie’s preseason debut against the Ravens, but he’s since faded.

When starter Trai Turner left in the third quarter with a stinger, Tyler Larsen was the first G off the bench. Rigsbee, who lined up with the second team in Tennessee, didn’t play one snap against New England. So unless he’s hampered by an injury we don’t know about, it appears he’s fallen out of favor quickly.