Now that the Carolina Panthers have trimmed their roster to 53, we can safely take a look at specific areas where the Panthers are extremely talented and the areas that are in need of improvement. Of course, the 53 man roster will probably have a few changes made over the next two days as free agents that were released from other teams have a chance to land in Carolina. But until then, here is how it is shaping up.

The Good News

Wide Receivers – The Panthers decided to keep six wide receivers on the roster this year at the expense of the running backs position, releasing Brandon Wegher in the process. The good news for the Panthers is that from top to bottom, this is the most talented the wide receivers corps have ever been. Yes, I am well aware of the days of Moose and Smith, but the depth at the position today surpasses anything the Carolina Panthers have ever had. Cam Newton has more weapons this year than last year. Considering he was the NFL MVP last season, one cannot help but get excited about the possibilities in 2016.

Benjamin, Funchess, Brown, and Ginn are all capable of gashing a defense. Throw in Byrd and Bersin for depth, and it is easy to see why I have zero concerns about this group.

Linebackers – I suspected a few weeks ago that the Panthers would keep seven linebackers, and sure enough they did. Gettleman loves linebackers for their versatility on defense but also on special teams. Again, this is the deepest and most talented group of linebackers the Carolina Panthers have ever had. The mere fact that rookie Jeremy Cash in itself speaks volumes about the young player from Duke. He will be groomed behind Thomas Davis and Shaq Thompson as an outside linebacker and could see significant playing time as early as next season.

Also, don’t sleep on second year player David Mayo. Mayo may have shown the most improvement on the defensive side of the ball. Considering AJ Klein is an unrestricted free agent after this season, Mayo’s development is crucial.

Defensive Tackles – Depth at defensive tackle was a huge problem for the Carolina Panthers last season. Remember those multiple late game defensive collapses like in New York? A big contributor to the defensive meltdowns started with a gassed interior defensive line. Once QB pressure was no longer coming from the middle, every other piece of the defense fell like dominoes. The good news here is that the Panthers now have much more talented depth.

Acquiring defensive tackle Paul Soliai as a free agent from Atlanta this offseason has gone mostly under the radar, but this signing is as important as any other free agent acquisition in recent memory. Throw in rookie first round pick Vernon Butler who is already starting to show flashes, and weakness from last year is now a strength.

However, there is some bad news, and it is on page two.