The Carolina Panthers are solid at left and right tackle with Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton, but there are concerns about the depth behind them.
Veteran swing tackle Yosh Nijman, who joined the team this offseason, has yet to take part in any training camp practices due to a leg injury. Head coach Dave Canales has indicated that Nijman’s return is still a ways off. “Yosh has probably got a ways to go,” Canales said. “He’s still working through some issues. He just had a reinforcement surgery on his leg, and we need to be cautious with players coming off such procedures. He’s part of our progression, and we’ll continue to gradually ramp him up.”
Additionally, offensive tackle Badara Traore sustained a knee injury during the preseason game against New England, and there is no current timeline for his return. This situation opens up an opportunity for Ricky Lee to step in as the swing tackle for now. According to Canales, Lee has made a strong impression.
“He had an excellent preseason game. I was really pleased with his performance. He’s been competing well this camp, even going up against Jadeveon Clowney, which is a good challenge. He looked comfortable in the game and played well. There’s still room for improvement, but he definitely made progress.”