Chinn’s playing linebacker for the Panthers partly out of necessity (there were veteran options in the secondary that didn’t exist in the linebacker room when he arrived), and partly because they want to capitalize on his versatility. So far, he’s proven himself able to take on multiple roles with the coverage ability and range that makes him useful in many ways.

Asked about Chinn’s eventual role, Panthers run game coordinator Al Holcomb just laughed.

“That’s a great question, and it’s a hard question,” Holcomb said. “This young man is so early in his career, there are a lot of questions about how big he’s going to be and how he grows as a player. We also have to see how the defense is shaped and how we develop a defense in Carolina, so we can’t say definitively what the role is.

“What he