Part 8 of a position-by-position Panthers' training camp preview. Who's a lock, who will be in a battle and who’s a long shot?
After Josh Norman, Bené Benwikere, and Tre Boston added much-needed youth and speed to the back end of the Panthers' defense late last year, Dave Gettleman went on his annual offseason shopping spree for veterans. He yet again went searching for deals with guys like Charles Tillman, Kurt Coleman, and Chris Houston. But from that mix, this list needs to be trimmed nearly in half by the time final cuts roll around:
| Position | Name | Year | Games/Starts | Age | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | Bené Benwikere | 2 | 10/6 | 23 | 6-0 | 195 |
| CB | Carrington Byndom | 1 | 3/0 | 23 | 6-0 | 180 |
| CB | Chris Houston | 8 | 99/91 | 30 | 5-10 | 180 |
| CB | Josh Norman | 4 | 37/22 | 27 | 6-0 | 195 |
| CB | Garry Peters | R | 23 | 23 | 6-0 | 200 |
| CB | Charles Tillman | 13 | 156/137 | 34 | 6-2 | 210 |
| CB | Melvin White | 3 | 30/17 | 25 | 6-1 | 215 |
| CB | Teddy Williams | 4 | 17/0 | 27 | 6-1 | 210 |
| CB | Lou Young | 1 | 0 | 23 | 6-1 | 205 |
| S | Marcus Ball | 2 | 12/2 | 27 | 6-1 | 220 |
| S | Tre Boston | 2 | 11/5 | 23 | 6-1 | 210 |
| S | Kurt Coleman | 6 | 74/32 | 27 | 5-11 | 200 |
| S | Roman Harper | 10 | 124/120 | 32 | 6-1 | 205 |
| S | Colin Jones | 5 | 60/2 | 27 | 6-0 | 205 |
| S | Robert Lester | 3 | 13/4 | 26 | 6-1 | 215 |
| S | Dean Marlow | R | 0 | 22 | 6-1 | 205 |
Benwikere, Norman, Tillman, Boston, Coleman, Roman Harper, Colin Jones
Benwikere is a great fit at nickel, but he wants to win a job on the outside. To do that, he'll have to beat out Tillman, who's coming off two injury-shortened seasons in Chicago.
Harper will head into Spartanburg as the starter at strong safety, but he'll likely end up sharing snaps with Coleman.
Jones has improved each season since he came to Carolina in 2012. The Panthers love his versatility to help at safety, nickel, and on special teams.
Houston, Teddy Williams, Melvin White, Robert Lester, Carrington Byndom
If Houston can return from a toe injury that cost him all of 2014, he'd help raise the overall depth of this unit.
White, who slumped as a sophomore, has a lot to prove in Spartanburg.
Williams is perhaps the most interesting case on this list. A role as a special teams 'ace' is his best chance to stick around.
Lou Young, Garry Peters, Dean Marlowe, Marcus Ball
These guys need to make major impressions at camp to have any shot at making the roster, but a couple could land on the practice squad. The Panthers remain intrigued by Peters, who sat out the entire spring with a hamstring injury.
Coming Saturday: Special teams