CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Five players not normally on the radar to keep an eye on as the Carolina Panthers wrap up the regular-season today with a 1 p.m. game at Tampa Bay:
•QB Joe Webb: The third-string quarterback will be the backup to Cam Newton after Derek Anderson missed the week with a bug. It would be a surprise if Newton played the entire game. No need to risk the franchise quarterback in a meaningless game to an injury that could impact his offseason. Plus, the Panthers need to get a better feel for if Webb will be worth keeping around after his contract expires following the 2017 season. Webb hasn’t thrown a pass in a game that counted since a playoff game for the Minnesota Vikings after the 2012 season. His versatility as a receiver and special teams player has helped keep him viable. But with Anderson’s contract also expiring after next season, this could be a defining moment for Webb.
•RB Cameron Artis-Payne: There are no guarantees the second-year back out of Auburn will be active. He hasn’t played since a Week 5 loss to Tampa Bay in which he rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns because the role he and Jonathan Stewart play is the same. But Stewart will turn 30, an age when the production of running backs typically falls off, before next season. He’s also set to count $8.25 million against the 2017 salary cap. So if the Panthers have any thoughts -- and it’s far from a given they will -- of moving on from Stewart, they need to have confidence that Artis-Payne can be the guy until they draft or sign somebody else.
•WR Damiere Byrd: Wide receivers coach Ricky Proehl said the 5-foot-9, 175-pound speedster out of the University of South Carolina was going to be “someone to reckon’’ with in May. He said the 4.28 speed Byrd showed at Pro Day two years ago can’t help but catch your eye. But Byrd was on and off the practice squad until earlier this week when the Panthers placed Devin Funchess (knee) on injured reserve. He’s only been somebody for the Panthers to reckon with in practice. It’s not so much Byrd’s ability as a receiver you should keep an eye on today. It’s his ability as a kick returner. He showed flashes of being dangerous during the preseason, and Ted Ginn Jr., 31, isn’t getting any younger. Ginn averaged only 7.2 yards a punt return, the first time since 2009 he’s been under 10.2.
•TE Chris Manhertz: The Panthers know what Pro Bowler Greg Olsen and backup Ed Dickson can do at tight end. But they’re looking for a player who could take some of the load off of the 31-year-old Olsen going forward. Manhertz, a former college basketball player, looks the part at 6-foot-6 and 255 pounds. He had his first career catch last week against Atlanta. This game could be a chance to build on that and see if he is a viable option for the future.
•DE Larry Webster: He was signed off the practice squad this week because Charles Johnson (hamstring) won’t play. With Johnson and sack leader Mario Addison set to become free agents, the Panthers need to find depth at end going into next season. Webster may not be the answer, but today he should get opportunities to prove he might be with the position so thin.
