The Carolina Panthers are gearing up for a season in which they just may surprise people.
They finished 7-10 and missed the playoffs last season, but their roster for the 2023 campaign seems to have the making of one that could be surprisingly competitive.
That roster starts with new quarterback Bryce Young, who was the No. 1 pick in last month’s draft, and includes running back Miles Sanders and wide receivers DJ Chark and Adam Thielen.
Depth behind Young will be key, and on Thursday, Carolina released reserve QB Jacob Eason.
The #Panthers have released reserve QB Jacob Eason and WR Preston Williams.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 18, 2023
Eason played his college ball first at the University of Georgia and then at the University of Washington, and as a junior with the Huskies he threw for 3,132 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Eason was a fourth-round draft pick in 2020 by the Indianapolis Colts, and he spent his rookie season on the sideline as a third-stringer behind Philip Rivers and Jacoby Brissett.
He finally got onto the field for a regular-season game in 2021, only to be waived in October and signed by the Seattle Seahawks for the rest of the season.
The Panthers signed Eason last summer, and after both Baker Mayfield and P.J. Walker got hurt, he played in Week 6.
As of now, the Panthers’ backup behind Young is a very good one: Andy Dalton, a 12-year veteran who started 14 games for the New Orleans Saints last season and had a passer rating of 95.2.
With Derek Carr under center, the Saints are the early favorite to win the NFC South, but with the relative lack of depth in the conference, the Panthers could make the playoffs if Young does well as a rookie.
