CHARLOTTE — If anyone has recommendations for their favorite barbecue place in Charlotte, Krys Barnes is soliciting suggestions.

"I have not had any yet," Barnes admitted, shaking his head in resignation. "I heard about it, but I haven't had a chance to really venture out too far. I haven't heard of any like go-to spots or anything like that yet."

Granted, he's been busy.

The veteran linebacker signed with the Carolina Panthers mid-way through training camp, providing experience to a unit that lost incumbent starter Josey Jewell at the beginning of camp, and has been looking for depth in the interim.

He was immediately thrown into the fire, primarily running with the 2's and 3's behind Christian Rozeboom and Trevin Wallace. And when Wallace was unable to practice against the Texans due to a personal matter, the entire unit shifted for the day, giving Barnes extra reps; he took advantage, making a handful of noteworthy hits and picking off Davis Mills during a team drill.

But performing under pressure and on the clock is nothing new for the UCLA product.

Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2020 by the Green Bay Packers, Barnes was initially waived during roster cuts and signed to the practice squad. Ahead of the Packers' Week 2 game that season, Barnes was activated to the roster and named the starter.

By season's end, he had played in 13 games, starting 10, and finishing second on the team in total tackles with 80.

"I think it helped tremendously," Barnes said this week, thinking back on that time when he was tapped to lead a defense on a playoff team as an untested rookie. "I think for my career, honestly, and I think COVID was honestly kind of a help to that, to be honest.

"I might be one of the few to say that it was a positive, just from the standpoint of it being like there was no fans, there was none of that outside noise, so the games were more so—you (can) have that distraction or that extra elements where it could distract you. So it allowed me to be more so focused, and it's allowed me to do my job."

It was an unusual year, but it laid a foundation that Barnes feels has served him well now through five seasons and counting.

"I never try to get too high or get too low in any situation, it might be," said Barnes. "I think that allows me to kind of stay focused on each play, every drive, no matter what it is, I'm able to reset and log back in."

After three years in Green Bay, Barnes tested the free agency market, landing with the Arizona Cardinals. When Arizona signed Mack Wilson in 2024, it usurped most of Barnes' starting opportunities at MIKE. The two years in the desert, though, helped marry the instinctual play that came with playing as a rookie with the experience and maturity that only come with time.

"I think that's what helped me stay around so long, is my intellect," said Barnes. "I think I do a good job of taking notes, asking the right questions, have a good understanding of the defense, coming with that though, I feel like, yes, know my job, be a master of my job, but it helps me out when I know not just my job but the guy to the left of me the the D-line, the DBs."

And when Barnes arrived in Charlotte early this month, he was thrown right into the fire once again, where he's become most comfortable over the years.

Coaches immediately put Barnes in the green dot, having him call the plays on the defense when he was on the field in practice and all three preseason games, during which he played 29 (42%), 32 (47%), and 24 (49%) snaps, respectively.

"A really good demeanor, you know, he's a guy who's called this defense before," Dave Canales explained earlier this week. "It's very similar to what he's done before, but there are nuances, so those are kind of things that we're still working through.

"But I think just being able to stand in front of the huddle, communicate it well, and then just running and hitting, playing physical type of football, and was very usable on special teams as well, so I'm glad he had the opportunity to come here."

Added linebacker Jon Rhattigan, who has been on the field often with Barnes, "He's done great because he's experienced with the green dot and he's played in a similar system, so I think he had some familiarity with everything and obviously every defense is going to have their nuances, but he's certainly done a good job and like I said, he's a veteran in this league, so he's seen a lot and he knows how to handle a situation like this that he's come into."

Having the ability to call the defense provides incalculable value. This is a person coaches are entrusting with not only passing along the play, but also putting themselves and 11 other guys into the right position to make the play. It's something most linebackers are asked to do at some point or another, but those who do it really well are rare.

Krys Barnes has only been with the Panthers for three weeks, but his hope and goal was to show that he could be that guy.

"(Calling plays) it feels, it's like home to me," shared Barnes. "I want them to see that I'm able to command the defense. I'm able to be in the right spot, align right, have my eyes right, and…ultimately just show them that they can trust me whenever I'm out there on the field, and whatever capacity that might be, special teams too.

"So the experience I've had now seeing different plays, seeing different formations, being in multiple different defenses now, I feel like I have a better understanding of where I need to be, what our weak areas are, what our strengths are, it's overall understanding. So I feel like I bring a lot to this team.

"Obviously, I got to go out there and show that too, and also continue to prove that, if it is here and I would like to be here because it really is a great organization, even though I've only been here two weeks, but you can feel the culture here is pretty amazing."

Now comes the waiting.

The Panthers must cut their roster down to 53 players by Tuesday afternoon. That means setting an initial roster, as well as a depth chart within each unit. Krys Barnes will have to be patient and see if his short time made a big enough impact on this defense. And if it did? The work begins again in earnest…and, of course, finding the best spot to eat.

"It's a lot kind of going on right now," said Barnes, "but I think when things start to slow down a little bit—God willing, I'm here after this weekend, we'll start to figure out how the dominoes fall—I think things are coming together and definitely barbecue will be on top of my list to try for sure."