CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- With free agency and the draft in the rearview mirror, and OTAs and minicamps in full swing, here’s a starting lineup projection for the Carolina Panthers:
OFFENSE
QB: Cam Newton: This will be a big season of adjustments for the 2015 NFL MVP, coming off surgery to repair a partially torn rotator cuff and coming into an offense that will depend less on him to run.
RB: Jonathan Stewart: For all the fuss about first-round draft pick Christian McCaffrey, the Panthers thought enough of Stewart as the starter to give him a one-year extension through 2018 at the age of 30.
Slot WR: Curtis Samuel: I could have gone fullback here, but the Panthers selected Samuel in the second round to create defensive mismatches as a slot receiver who also can line up in the backfield.
LT: Matt Kalil: The Panthers finally spent some money, a five-year, $55.5 million deal, to protect Cam Newton’s blind side.
LG: Andrew Norwell: The former Ohio State lineman is an example for any undrafted free agent hoping to make a name for himself in the NFL.
C: Ryan Kalil: Should return to Pro Bowl form after undergoing offseason surgery on his shoulder that ended his 2016 season prematurely.
RG: Trai Turner: Has been a Pro Bowl-caliber anchor on the right side since being selected in the third round of the 2014 draft.
RT: Michael Oher: He’s the front-runner if cleared from the concussion protocol. If not, it comes down to Daryl Williams and second-round pick Taylor Moton.
TE: Greg Olsen: That he’s the first tight end in NFL history to record three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons pretty much sums up his importance.
WR: Kelvin Benjamin: While his weight is somewhat of a concern for coach Ron Rivera, the 6-foot-5 Benjamin still creates huge mismatches for cornerbacks with his size.
WR: Devin Funchess: The word "potential" has been used on the 2015 second-round pick out of Michigan since he arrived, but now it’s time to fulfill it.
DEFENSE (4-3)
DE: Charles Johnson: Offseason back surgery has to be a concern, but when healthy he was Carolina’s most consistent defensive lineman last season.
DT: Star Lotulelei: A big run-stopper who will be playing for his future as he enters the final year of his rookie deal, including the fifth-year option.
DT: Kawann Short: Signing him to a long-term deal before the start of offseason workouts was one of the biggest offseason moves.
DE: Julius Peppers: The team’s all-time sack leader returned at the age of 37 to finish his career where it began as the second pick of the 2002 draft, but this is more than a farewell tour. He still can cause havoc on quarterbacks.
LB: Thomas Davis: He’s a 34-year-old who keeps playing like a 24-year-old, making the Pro Bowl the past two seasons.
MLB: Luke Kuechly: The only question about the 2013 NFL Defensive Player of the Year is whether he can avoid suffering a concussion for the third straight year.
LB: Shaq Thompson: Started showing his dynamic ability in run and pass coverage last season -- and why the Panthers made what many considered a tweener (safety/linebacker) the 25th pick of the 2015 draft.
CB: James Bradberry: He showed why the Panthers drafted him in the second round last year to replace Pro Bowler Josh Norman, finishing as Pro Football Focus’ highest-rated rookie corner with a grade of 82.6.
FS: Kurt Coleman: After a year at strong safety, he’s returning to the position where he led Carolina in interceptions with seven in 2015.
SS: Mike Adams: At 36, the free-agent acquisition is playing his best football, making the Pro Bowl in two of his past three seasons.
CB: Daryl Worley: He showed the most improvement from start to finish last season, but the Panthers have an option in nickelback Captain Munnerlyn if he struggles.
SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Graham Gano: The Panthers used a seventh-round pick on Georgia Tech’s Harrison Butker, so this could change with Gano coming off a year of big misses and offseason foot surgery.
P: Andy Lee: He’s a Pro Bowl-caliber punter who should be back to full strength after a season-ending hamstring injury.
KR: Fozzy Whittaker: Don’t be surprised if super-fast third-year wide receiver Damiere Byrd fills this role.
PR: Christian McCaffrey: One of the things that made him attractive as the No. 8 pick was his flexibility to return punts, filling the role of Ted Ginn Jr. (now with New Orleans).