What are the chances of Brenton Bersin making the 53-man roster this year? – Lucas via Twitter
The coaching staff has consistently praised the wide receiver throughout the preseason, with head coach Ron Rivera often saying that Bersin "has a chance." The Charlotte native and former Wofford College standout certainly improved those chances with his performance Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Performing in practice is one thing, but the Panthers already knew Bersin could get the job done in that setting after he spent the entire 2013 season on the practice squad. But the ultimate goal, of course, is transferring that to game day, and that's exactly what Bersin showed he can do Sunday. First, he made a sliding catch in traffic late in the first half. Then, late in the third quarter, he snagged a 16-yard touchdown that gave the Panthers a lead they'd never relinquish.
The battle for roster spots at receiver continues to be a heated one, with the Panthers likely to carry five or six. Most folks believe Kelvin Benjamin, Jerricho Cotchery and Jason Avant have spots wrapped up, and now Bersin is threatening to join them.
Hey Bryan, when are the first cuts? – Chris in Summerville, S.C.
In advance of the fourth preseason game, by August 26, the Panthers must trim their roster from 90 players to 75. That might not seem like a lot, but it means that Friday's game at New England will be the last for one out of every six players.
The deepest cut of all will come August 30, when rosters must be reduced to 53 for the regular season.
Who were the alumni that were announced before the Kansas City game? – Jim in Concord, N.C.
The Panthers honored 39 former players during an on-field ceremony prior to Sunday's game. That's simply too many names to list, but some notable ones include fan favorites "Hoov" (Brad Hoover) and "Moose" (Muhsin Muhammad) as well as recent retirees Jordan Gross, Travelle Wharton and Jeff Byers. Gross and Wharton belong to a large sub-group of alumni on-hand that have a role in Panthers-related media, among them Eugene Robinson, Mike Rucker and Kevin Donnalley. Former wide receivers and current Panthers employees Ricky Proehl (wide receivers coach) and Mark Carrier (player engagement director) also took part.
Will there be a position for Jordan Gross on the Panthers coaching staff? Hard to believe that the Panthers would not take advantage of his multiple years on the offensive line. – Paul in Indian Land, S.C.
Gross doesn't mind handing out advice to current offensive linemen if asked, but the Panthers already have a strong combo at the position in offensive line coach John Matsko and assistant Ray Brown. Besides, Gross is having too much fun with his new show on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel and his role as sideline reporter for the Panthers Radio Network to think about taking on the grind of a coaching role this soon after retirement.
Have they released the Panthers' uniform schedule for 2014? If so, where can I find it? Thanks, and Keep Pounding! – Steve in El Paso, Texas
We announced jersey colors for the season in the midst of training camp a couple of weeks ago. Here's a link to the color chart.
