What to make of the Panthers holding out their starters during preseason play

As the preseason reaches its conclusion, the Carolina Panthers have one more game to give their younger players and camp bodies a shot at their initial 53-man roster. Many guys have shown out in the first two games of the summer and have made their respective cases to stick around this fall.

But, the preseason has yet to feature the projected starting units on both offense and defense. This has been one of the most controversial subjects amongst the Panthers faithful for the last few weeks, and will continue to be as we head into the finale against the Buffalo Bills.

Understandably, fans want to see their favorite players on the field during the exhibition play. They’re anxious to watch how the new faces are gelling with the new coaching staff, particularly during this somewhat fresh start for the organization.

This anxiety also stems from fans who have not been able to see head coach Dave Canales’ offense during training camp practices, only reading the reviews and tweets from each session. They want to know if there is a difference between last year’s disastrous offering and feel excitement and optimism about what this group could grow into.

Now, that isn’t to say the preseason doesn’t matter. But for the most part, nothing significant is revealed until center Austin Corbett snaps the ball to quarterback Bryce Young in New Orleans to start their season on Sept. 8.

And that’s the point—fans and media alike have yet to see the starters on the field during an actual, live football game.

There is concern that with the lack of in-game reps, the starting offense may start slow. The reality, though, is that the unit should be expected to start slow.

Carolina has installed hefty new pieces along the offensive line and have sprinkled in a few exciting rookies at the skill positions. Not to mention this is a new system being implemented—and it takes time to get adjusted, regardless of how many reps a starter may have during the summer.

The significant factor that has played into not seeing the starters is the roster’s health as a whole. Canales, on a number of occasions, has told reporters that he and his staff want a full and fair look at the groups.

“Really just looking at the guys, the health of the whole unit,” he said after Saturday’s loss to the New York Jets. “We’re gonna get more people back. So, again, this week would be another week to evaluate. We’re gonna have more of those guys that would be playing with that starting group. So this could be a good opportunity for that this week.

“But again—it all depends on how practice goes, it all depends on the depth of the guys we have to finish games. Again, that’s really just where my head was at. If we throw a group out there, but we’re missing a bunch of pieces, it’s not really giving us the full look at working together and doing that. I wanna make sure that they’re able to do that together.”

Each head coach approaches the preseason differently. Los Angeles’ Sean McVay rarely plays his starters. Buffalo’s Sean McDermott tends to play his in every preseason game for about one to two drives.

While it’s understandable that playing time is important for the established veterans, no matter what the record was the year before, we must respect Canales’ process here.

The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator seems to have a lot of confidence in his players and the system he runs. And if it’s any consolation—the scheme and system itself are much different and look to be more efficient than whatever we saw this past season in Carolina.

Week 3 of the preseason is typically saved for a dress rehearsal game for the team’s starters. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday’s practices will be key for Canales in his decision on who plays Saturday in Buffalo.

So, let’s put those conspiracy theories to bed. Patience is not only a key to this process, but for the franchise as a whole at the beginning of this chapter.

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