Hunter

Cantwell

Cantwell would have competed for the No. 3 QB job in Jacksonville had the Jaguars been able to guarantee they would keep three quarterbacks. A former Louisville star, Cantwell spent three seasons on the practice squads of the Panthers and Ravens. He never attempted a pass in a regular-season NFL game.

Gantt also noted that Hunter Cantwell, a practice squadder last year, showed the biggest arm. Late-round pick Tony Pike appeared “very raw.” Matt Moore’s experience and salary still give him a decisive edge in the competition.

Carolina has had modest success with undrafted rookie quarterbacks (see Brett Basanez, Matt Moore), and Cantwell has an NFL arm. Brian Brohm’s successor has a big windup delivery, however, and lacks any sort of mobility.

Caldwell takes Jake Delhomme’s (injured reserve, finger) spot on the roster. He will be the No. 3 quarterback behind Matt Moore and A.J. Feeley. Cantwell projects as a backup at best.

The Charlotte Observer has cautioned all offseason not to overlook strong-armed Hunter Cantwell, but ESPN’s Pat Yasinskas insists “there’s no doubt” Clausen will open the season as Matt Moore’s top backup. This appears to be a case of veteran loving head coach John Fox making the rookie pay his dues before climbing the depth chart.

This is no surprise considering Clausen failed to leapfrog Cantwell during spring practices. He’ll need a strong camp to land the primary backup job.

The Panthers’ coaching staff tried to push Cantwell as legitimate competition for No. 48 overall pick Jimmy Clausen in the spring, but Clausen beat out the ineffective passer handily in camp and preseason. Cantwell proved such a non-factor that the team will keep late-round rookie Tony Pike over him. It’s another example of why we’re always skeptical of “coachspeak.”

Cantwell never came close to making the Panthers’ roster last summer after coaches spent the offseason singing his praises. Steele, undrafted out of Memphis last spring, has an outside chance to make the 2011 roster if Willis McGahee is cut, as expected.

Anquan Boldin, who entered Florida State as a quarterback, will be the emergency third QB this year. Cantwell is no longer worth a stash even in the deepest of Dynasty leagues despite the hype lavished on him by Panthers coaches this offseason.

There’s a little bit of controversy here, as rookie Jimmy Clausen was widely expected to be Matt Moore’s backup on opening day. The Observer says the strong-armed Cantwell has earned the trust of coaches and teammates and is “closer than most would believe.”