One of the big position battles for the Carolina Panthers in 2012 is at the CB position. The players that are in this competition are Captain Munnerlyn, Brandon Hogan, and Josh Norman. Captain Munnerlyn has been the starter but the Panthers are looking to move him to nickelback. Ideally the Panthers would prefer either Brandon Hogan or Josh Norman to win the starting job because Captain Munnerlyn is a undersized corner to be a starter. Currently Captain Munnerlyn has been working with the first-team because Brandon Hogan and Josh Norman have been injured.
Brandon Hogan was drafted in the 2011 NFL draft in the fourth round out of West Virginia. He slid to the fourth round in the draft because he had a knee injury but his potential is very high if he can stay healthy. Brandon Hogan only participated in a couple games last year with zero starts. Brandon Hogan has been held out of almost all of the off-season activities this year because he has been recovering slowly from knee injury. I would consider him a long shot to win the starting job however, I expect him to be a solid contributor during the 2012 campaign.
Josh Norman was selected in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL draft out of Coastal Carolina. He was considered a top prospect coming out of the NFL draft, so his potential is great. During practice on August 14 Josh Norman had four interceptions which showcases his potential. He possesses the size to be NFL starter unlike Captain Munnerlyn. Tonight August 17 against the Miami Dolphins Josh Norman has an opportunity to participate in his first NFL preseason game. Captain Munnerlyn will start the game but Josh Norman should get multiple opportunities to show if he is ready to be a NFL starter.
Overall I am very excited to see how this competition plays out. In my opinion I believe Josh Norman will win the starting job because he possesses the size and ball hawking skills that are required to be a starter in the NFL. Tonight's preseason game against the Miami Dolphins should give us a glimpse if this will become a reality. If you are in the local market you can watch the Panthers preseason game tonight August 17 against the Miami Dolphins at 8 PM EST on Fox.
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