Dave Canales confirms suspicions about apparent position battle and what the Panthers aim to see from the competition
The Carolina Panthers have an open battle for the LB2 role alongside Devin Lloyd and head coach Dave Canales shared what he’s looking to see over the next few weeks of preseason action before announcing a starter.
The Carolina Panthers had audacious plans this offseason to rebuild the second level of the defense back to its former glory. The organization just watched as Luke Kuechly was inducted into the Hall of Fame this weekend, and the standard he set at linebacker looms large over everything Carolina does at the position.
As a former linebacker himself, general manager Dan Morgan understands how important it was to get that spot right after how the production the Panthers got from their linebackers last season fell short of expectations.
Morgan’s initial plan was to double-invest in the position and add two new starters. The Panthers landed one in Devin Lloyd, signing the 2025 Pro Bowler to a three-year, $42 million deal in free agency. Lloyd has already been working with Kuechly this offseason, studying tape and learning what it means to be a top-flight linebacker in Carolina. He’s already set a high bar for this position.
The second addition proved far more difficult. The Panthers wanted to pair a top free agent signing with a draft pick, ideally landing one early in the draft. The board never broke their way, and it took until Day 3 when Carolina selected Jackson Kuwatch, an intriguing developmental prospect the organization is high on. That leaves the Panthers still searching for their second starting linebacker heading into the season.
Dave Canales confirms the LB2 role is up for grabs between Trevin Wallace and Claudin Cherelus
When Trevin Wallace, the other projected starter alongside Lloyd, suited up and played in the team’s Hall of Fame Game last Thursday, it sent a clear signal. When the top starters sat out, Wallace did not. Canales confirmed after Monday’s practice that he made the decision to have Wallace and Claudin Cherelus compete for the starting job.
“We’ve needed both of them over the last two years with different injuries that have happened, both guys have had to step in there. They enter this with a lot of mutual respect,” Canales explained. “I can honestly say those guys really enjoy being around each other and challenging each other.”
Both players played 19 snaps during the Hall of Fame Game. Cherelus posted four tackles while Wallace finished with three. Neither performance was notable, but the fact that Canales is framing this as a healthy, open competition speaks volumes about how the coaching staff views this battle.
“With any of the guys, we tell them ‘You’re not competing each other, you’re competing to become your best,’” Canales added. “All of the other decisions take care of themselves. I see those guys approaching it that way. They want to help the team in whatever way they can and they’re challenging each other by how they play and finding an edge.”
What the Carolina Panthers’ coaching staff want to see in this competition
Both players have been on the roster for a while now, and neither has separated himself enough to lock down the LB2 role. That’s why the Panthers are really opening up this battle now to see who can bring the most consistency, physicality, and the ability to handle the responsibilities that come with starting next to a player of Lloyd’s caliber.
“Look, this is not a knock on anybody,” defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero said Monday. “This is just how highly we feel about both guys. Both guys, over the last few years, have grown a lot in terms of their play and both of them have done a good job of putting good tape out there. They’ve also found opportunities to get better from some of the things that hasn’t worked out their way. I just think that’s the nature of the beast.”
On Monday, Cherelus was wearing the green dot calling plays for the defense, according to ESPN’s Mike Kaye. After practice, safety Nick Scott shared the experience he had on the field with that change.
“All of those guys are just natural leaders,” Scott explained. “Their presence is just always felt when they get out there on the field. They make the plays that they are supposed to. That in and of itself is just pushing guys day in and day out. We got a really good of guys that are smart, physical, and know what kind of brand of football we want to play here. As long as those guys keep doing their jobs, pushing guys to the fullest, the best guy is going to be on the field.”
For a team that entered the offseason with plans to overhaul the position, this is not exactly how the Panthers drew it up. Lloyd checked one box as the team’s new linebacker centerpiece, but Morgan and the coaching staff envisioned a clear-cut second starter alongside him by now. Instead, the competition rolls on, and the next few preseason games will go a long way toward determining who earns that spot.
