CHARLOTTE — Throughout the offseason, the Panthers have enjoyed incredible depth at the wide receiver position.

This weekend, it becomes a problem.

The Panthers have at least eight legitimate options to make the roster, at a spot where they can keep six or seven, maximum. So what has been a luxury now creates a headache for the next 48 hours.

"Extremely difficult. Exactly what we want," Panthers head coach Dave Canales said after his team wrapped up a 3-1 preseason with a 16-13 win over the Texans.

The first part of this weekend's business at the position is easy enough, as Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, and Xavier Legette didn't play Friday night, and they were safe anyway.

The rest of the depth chart is up in the air, with players including David Moore, Ja'seem Reed, special teams mainstay Brycen Tremayne, Jimmy Horn Jr., and John Metchie III competing for three or four jobs. The math is complicated by the fact they might keep three quarterbacks (to make room for rookie Haynes King) or a fourth running back (to make space for returner Trevor Etienne and veteran AJ Dillon).

"We want to have those conversations," Canales said. "All those guys have really had an amazing camp."

Each of them has their case going into the weekend.

Metchie led the team in preseason receiving, with 11 catches for 129 yards and a touchdown. Moore's a known commodity, having been with Canales on three teams now. Reed developed after spending last year on the practice squad. Tremayne is one of the best special teams players on the roster, and Horn has explosive speed, which began to show up more often in the last few weeks, as he showed an ability on returns.

"So it's a great room. Love the competition, love the way the guys are making the decisions really hard on us."

Backup quarterback Kenny Pickett, who got the start Friday night and worked with most of the players in question, said the differences between them stood out as the preseason went on.

"You saw them do things they do really well," Pickett said. "Jimmy's speed jumps off the table like, he's a different cat in that sense. Metchie does a great job of finding zones and getting open. Ja'seem has great route running and creates separation, can get down the field. BT does an unbelievable job, everything that we asked him to do, blocking, catching.

"It's an unbelievable room, and I think that first week I said I want it to be a hard decision. I hope all those guys ball out. I think they all did."

Pieckett's been in other places, and seen good groups. But he acknowledged that this one was particularly deep in legitimate options.

"It's a great group," he said. "Everybody does different things really well. I think Brad (Idzik) does a good job of putting them in positions to succeed. I think that's what great coaching is all about: setting your players up for success. So I think he's done an awesome job, and these guys come in every day and execute."

For a player like Reed, who has stood out consistently in practice, he's done everything he can do at this point.

"I think I displayed what I wanted to with my route-craft and my development in the scheme," Reed said. "Honestly, it is a competitive room, but I just focus on me and whatever happens happens, and I'm blessed either way and just thank God.

"Just what I put on film, training camp and what I've been doing in practice and games, I think it just speaks for itself, and like I said, whatever happens happens."

Perhaps the most complicated decision involves the player Canales is most comfortable with.

The 31-year-old Moore has done a bit of everything for his coach, whether it's playing multiple positions, being a deep threat when he was younger (though he can still get downfield), or being a contributor on special teams. He's made plays in the preseason, regular season, and in the playoffs for Canales.

But Friday night, he was part of a lot of coverage units as they take a last look at how he fits into the big picture.

"David Moore has been just consistent throughout the whole time," Canales said. "He was able to play some special teams today, to kind of show what he can do in that regard. We hadn't given him a lot of opps, but we wanted him to get out there because we just want to see. We think of him in that realm like Brycen Tremayne, an impact player on special teams who we also trust offensively, and we wanted to get him out there and give him one more opportunity."

Moore laughed when asked about that, because as a former seventh-round pick from Division II East Central (Oklahoma), there is no job that's beneath his background.

"I came in the seventh round, so I knew from a rookie I was gonna be a special teamer my whole career," Moore said. "And I love special teams. Special teams are special to me. So as much as I can get out there on the field and contribute, whether it's special teams or offense, I always love to do it. So I love how in training camp Tracy (Smith, the special teams coordinator) got me in there and a lot of special teams reps, and it was fun, man."

So Moore talked about how "exciting" this weekend was going to be, although others may have different words for it.

"You know me, man, I take it day by day," he said. "I think, as the receiver room goes, you know I've learned a lot from these guys. I know a lot of them learned from me, and I think we've all been there for each other, and we've all made our room pretty special, so it meant a lot to me.

"Exciting and anxious, it's both, but more exciting."

And because of that, the elder of the room had a grin on his face like a rookie when he talked about it all.

When he's finished with football, he's going back to his ranch in Texas to look after his cows, but he's not ready for that to start this weekend.

"Oh, hell no," Moore said. "I love this game, man. I don't ever want to give it up until my knees or my body says 'I'm done.'"

"The ranch can wait for sure."

Moore's got plenty of acres there. There isn't room for all of his herd here. Stay tuned.