How Panthers compare to rest of NFL with players 30 or older before training camp
The Carolina Panthers have undergone a youth movement under general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales.
Entering next week’s training camp, the Panthers have just four non-specialists who are over the age of 30. As of this past Thursday, that total ranked as the third lowest among the league’s 32 teams, based on data collected from ESPN’s team roster pages.
With the data collection, The Charlotte Observer found that the league average for non-specialists age 30 or older was 7.7 on a 91-man roster (including an NFL International Pathway Program exempt player), with the Washington Commanders having the highest total (15) and the Miami Dolphins having the lowest with two (with none on offense). The Green Bay Packers, who historically develop from within, are the only other team with fewer non-specialists 30 or older (three) than the Panthers’ quartet of aging veterans.
The Panthers’ two eldest players are specialists: long snapper JJ Jansen (40) and punter Sam Martin (36). But the study was conducted using only players on offense and defense to put a focus on positions that typically don’t have the same staying power and durability as the specialist positions.
Here’s a look at the Panthers’ four non-specialists who are 30 or older entering training camp:
Note: Pro Bowl right guard Robert Hunt will turn 30 on Aug. 25. Hunt was not part of last week’s study or this list as he doesn’t turn 30 until after the start of camp.
Taylor Moton
Age at the start of camp: 31 (turns 32 on Aug. 18)
Projected 2026 role: Starting right tackle
Potential successor on roster: Monroe Freeling
Analysis: Moton is solidified as the Panthers’ starting right tackle in 2026. He’s also the oldest and longest-tenured non-specialist on the squad heading into camp.
Moton signed a two-year extension with the team last summer, and he will look to make good on the first year of that deal this fall. The 2017 second-round pick has lost his iron man moniker after missing four games due to injuries over the past two years, but when he is on the field, Moton is about as reliable and consistent as they come. He’s a leader in the locker room and someone from whom Freeling, this year’s first-round pick, can learn as a rookie.
Freeling’s future is likely to land at left tackle, but the unknown recovery timeline of Ickey Ekwonu (patellar surgery) could shake things up, especially if Carolina re-signs the 2022 first-round pick. Moton has no guaranteed money left on his contract next season, giving the Panthers a potential “out” in his deal if he underperforms this year.
The veteran could be replaced long-term by Freeling or Ekwonu, if the latter takes a team-friendly deal in free agency next year.
Nick Scott
Age at start of camp: 31
Projected 2026 role: Starting safety
Potential successor(s) on roster: Lathan Ransom/Zakee Wheatley
Analysis: The Panthers will enter training camp with one defender who is 30 or older. That total is tied with the Las Vegas Raiders — who have five non-specialists who are 30 or over in total — for the fewest in that age range on defense in the NFL.
Scott, one of the two incumbent starters at safety, will help lead the secondary during training camp. While Carolina could open up a competition at Scott’s spot this summer, he’s more than likely to land with the first-team defense in Week 1. Ransom, a 2025 fourth-round pick, and Wheatley, one of the team’s two fifth-round picks this year, will try to carve out some playing time around Scott and Tre’von Moehrig during the exhibition slate.
Scott is entering his third season with the Panthers. Last year, he greatly improved over his ineffectiveness in 2024. He is also a favorite of the defensive coaching staff, particularly defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley.
David Moore
Age at start of camp: 31
Projected 2026 role: Depth wide receiver
Potential successor(s) on roster: Brycen Tremayne/Jimmy Horn Jr./John Metchie/Ja’seem Reed
Analysis: Like Scott, Moore is a favorite of the coaching staff. The journeyman wideout is also entering his third season with the team, and he is looked at as a mentor for the younger receivers around him.
Moore was limited to four games last season because of a major elbow injury. But in 2024, he became a target that quarterback Bryce Young could rely upon. This spring, Young and Moore connected regularly during OTAs and mandatory minicamp. The duo put together a prolific highlight reel in front of media during those workouts.
Moore will be competing with the likes of Tremayne, Horn, Metchie and Reed for a main roster spot this summer. If his chemistry with Young carries over to camp, he should be a safe bet for the depth chart.
Will Grier
Age at start of camp: 31
Projected 2026 role: Potential practice-squad QB
Potential successor on roster: Haynes King
Analysis: Grier, a 2019 third-round pick of the Panthers, is back in Carolina. The well-traveled QB has mostly worked on practice squads since leaving Charlotte in 2021.
The hometown product will be a camp arm behind Young and backup Kenny Pickett this summer. He will compete with King, an undrafted rookie, to be the team’s third-string passer during the regular season. That job will likely be designated for the practice squad, but that sure beats being jobless to start the season.
Grier and King should get plenty of playing time in the preseason. If Grier can lean on his experience, he’ll have a shot at sticking around beyond the exhibition schedule.
This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 5:30 AM with the headline "How Panthers compare to rest of NFL with players 30 or older before training camp."
