Carolina Panthers make multiple cuts to get roster under 85-player limit

The Carolina Panthers made their first round of roster cuts this preseason with a few days to spare before the deadline. The first roster cutdown date is Aug. 16, although the Panthers managed to decide on their first batch of cuts with time to spare. The Panthers have cut three offensive players and two defensive players with their first cuts of the season.

Carolina Panthers make first roster cuts

“The team announced that they have cut running back Darius Bradwell, tight end Nate Becker, linebacker Kamal Martin, offensive lineman Wyatt Miller, and cornerback Chris Westry on Sunday. The move leaves them at the 85-player limit that all teams must reach by Tuesday afternoon,” explained Pro Football Talk‘s Josh Alper.

Four of the five players have had NFL game experience, with Bradwell, Becker and Westry all appearing in games for teams other than Carolina. Martin saw action in six games for the Panthers last season at linebacker, and recorded two tackles in his playing time.

The move comes two full days ahead of the actual cut deadline, indicating that the Panthers were confident in their roster moves as they continue with the preseason. In another week, NFL teams will be forced to cut their squad down another five players to 80 total — before the final cut date of Aug. 30 requires the roster to be finalized at just 53 players.

The Panthers opened their preseason games with a win over the Washington Commanders on Saturday, winning 23-21. Carolina controlled the early portions of the game, leading 20-6 by the end of the third quarter. Carolina’s next step is travelling to the New England Patriots, where they will share two joint practices before their matchup on Friday.

Their final matchup of the preseason will be against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 26, and the team will have to cut 27 more players following that game to finalize their roster for the season.