The Carolina Panthers have already patched up one side of their offensive line this offseason, but the room for error is still thin.
That reality goes back to the team’s 2025 wild card loss to the Los Angeles Rams, a 34-31 defeat that also came with a major injury blow. Four-year pro Ikem Ekwonu suffered a ruptured patellar tendon and is still working his way back. Carolina responded by signing former Green Bay Packers left tackle Rasheed Walker to a one-year deal and using the 19th overall pick in April on University of Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling.
Then came another hit. Two months ago, longtime right tackle Taylor Moton was diagnosed with blood clots in his lung.
That changed the plan again, pushing Fleming into the picture for the right side while Walker was expected to handle left tackle. In mid-July, Morgan also brought back veteran blocker Brady Christensen, who spent five seasons in Charlotte and started 34 of 59 games at multiple spots.
With all 32 NFL teams needing to trim to 53 players by 6:00 pm ET on Sunday, the waiver and cut market is already taking shape. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report put together a list of available players and possible cap casualties, and one name that stands out is offensive lineman Cody Ford, whom the Cincinnati Bengals released on Monday.
“Offensive lineman Cody Ford has logged snaps at left guard,” said Knox, “right guard and offensive tackle since entering the NFL as a 2019 second-round pick of the Buffalo Bills…While the Bengals have decided to go in a different direction with their line depth, Ford’s experience and positional versatility make the 29-year-old an attractive option for rebuilding teams and contenders alike.”
Ford entered the league as a rookie in 2019 and immediately saw heavy work, starting 15 of Buffalo’s 16 regular-season games and a playoff matchup with the Houston Texans. Across six seasons with the Bills, Arizona Cardinals and Bengals, the 6-foot-3, 345-pound lineman has appeared in 83 games and made 27 starts. He also played in two more playoff games for Buffalo in 2021.
Last season, Ford was active for all 17 games with Zac Taylor’s team but did not start. He logged 73 offensive snaps and 73 on special teams, and he also caught a 21-yard pass from Joe Burrow in a Week 17 blowout win over the Arizona Cardinals.
For a Panthers team that could use another layer of protection up front, Ford’s ability to move around the line makes plenty of sense. And unlike some other options, Carolina wouldn’t have to wait to make the move.
In Other News...
Panthers Just Made Cutdown Day Tougher At One Key Position
The Panthers closed the preseason at 3-1, and the record only tells part of the story. What stood out most was how much depth Carolina seemed to uncover on the defensive side, along with encouraging work from players such as Feleipe Franks and Jimmy Horn Jr. as the roster began to take shape.
Wide receiver may end up being one of the trickiest calls of cutdown day. Several pass catchers made positive cases for themselves in August, giving the Panthers a genuinely crowded conversation at a spot where every final decision matters and the margin for error is thin. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers End Preseason With One Reason Fans Should Feel Better
The Panthers closed the preseason with a 16-13 home win over the Texans, and the box score looked a lot like what you would expect from a final tune-up in late August. Most of the work came from backups, the game stayed tight and points were hard to come by, but Carolina still left with a 3-1 preseason mark and a little more confidence heading into the real thing.
Kenny Pickett and Kyle Trask both got snaps, with Trask helping steady the offense through the air, while Miles Davis supplied the touchdown in a game shaped more by defense and field goals than big plays. The more encouraging sign for Carolina may have been what happened on the other side of the ball, where the Panthers limited Houston to 173 total yards and looked more like a team ready to carry some preseason momentum forward. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Preseason Win Just Made Several Roster Battles Tougher
The Panthers preseason win over the Texans did more than add another positive result to August. It gave the coaching staff one more live look at a handful of players fighting for jobs, and the defensive side of the ball had some performances that made the evaluation a little more complicated. Jared Harrison-Hunte flashed as a pass-rush presence, Trevin Wallace also made his mark with pressure, and the overall tape offered enough encouraging moments to keep several names in the conversation as the roster cut deadline approaches.
Peter Hansens role added another wrinkle to the night. With the linebackers coach handling defensive play-calling instead of the usual coordinator style, the game had a slightly different feel for a unit trying to sort out roles and responsibilities on the fly. For some backups, the inconsistency only made the path tougher, while for others the opportunity to stand out in a crowded competition was exactly what they needed. [Read more 🡒]