CHARLOTTE — Another week, another starting offensive line for the Carolina Panthers. Center Cade Mays was a late add to the injury report on Friday with an ankle injury and was unable to go at all during Saturday's practice.

"Finished practice and just wasn't quite feeling right," coach Dave Canales shared Saturday of what happened with Mays. "When we looked back at it afterwards, looked at the film, you could see where he was starting to get a little bit tender and sensitive on the ankle.

"So we evaluated him afterwards, and today just didn't feel like we could get him turned around, so we shut him down. We're going to shut him down for this week."

Coach Dave Canales told reporters on Saturday that with Mays unable to go this Monday night against the 49ers, Austin Corbett will be back in the starting lineup at center. Corbett started the season at that position before an injury in Week 2 sidelined him, and Mays took over the spot.

Nick Samac will also be active on game day, Canales shared, as a backup center.

This will be the ninth different starting offensive line the Panthers have rolled out this year in 12 games. The last time Corbett started at center, in Week 9, was when Taylor Moton was out, and Yosh Nijman started at right tackle. At this point, the musical chairs feel normal, said Canales.

"It's pretty common league-wide, specifically for us, with some of the changes we have," Canales said. "There's two ways to look at it for me. I'm always looking at opportunities for guys to show us what they can do and how they can help our team win.

Game-by-game starting offensive lines

There will also be changes in the linebacker corps this week. Canales had already shared earlier in the week that Christian Rozeboom would be out Monday as he rehabs his hip and hamstring. The Panthers had been hopeful Trevin Wallace (shoulder) could work his way back into practice this week, but the second-year LB was unable to get on the field.

"It didn't feel like we turned the corner quickly enough to feel confident to put him back out there," Canales said of Wallace. "So, we weren't able to get him to work today, and so it looks like we're going this weekend, and Trevin will not be playing."

In his place, the Panthers will elevate Krys Barnes from the practice squad to put alongside Claudin Cherelus. Maema Njongmeta will also be available and played a few snaps last week when Rozeboom first left the game.

Barnes has been a starter before, getting the call in 30 games over his six-year career.

"We'll get Krys Barnes up. Claude will be ready to go. Maema played a little bit, a couple of snaps last game, so the guys are ready," Canales assured. "Brought in Jacoby Windmon, who's been with us before on the practice squad. So just making sure we have enough bodies in that room to be able to get that done.

"And of course you understand the implication on special teams, making sure we have these guys available to cover kicks."

Whoever is up, on the offensive line, in the linebacker corps, or across the roster, Canales is expecting the same approach.

"And these are great opportunities for these men, and they work so hard to have these moments to get into games to help their teammates to advance their careers, and so when they happen, we count on them, and we approach every game that way at every position.

"If you're not the starter, you have to have that mindset to be prepared. You may not get all the reps, but you've got to be ready to go, and that's paid dividends by being focused and by working on it and having all the communication that happens in the building with the coaches."

Panthers leaning on Gipson at times this week

Defensive lineman Trevis Gipson has only been with the Panthers for three weeks, but has already made an impact in a few ways, playing around 27 percent of the defensive snaps since arriving in late October. During that time, he's accumulated five tackles, as well as contributed on special teams.

"We're just happy to have Trevis and the impact that he's had, being able to give us a good solid pro, getting in his rotations, you know, playing the run game well and showing some flashes of rush as well.

"So, really grateful for that part of it, his contribution that way, and then, all the bonus stuff, you know, we asked all the right questions and try to dig what we could."

The bonus stuff is perhaps the most significant way Gipson has contributed this week, though, at least so far, in the meeting room. Gipson spent the first part of this season with the San Francisco 49ers, both on the practice squad and playing in four games. During those games, he played an average of 29.3 percent of the defensive snaps, with two tackles and a fumble recovery.

It offered insight that Canales and staff have leaned on this week as they prepare for the prime time showdown with the 49ers.

"Really valuable just to be able to talk to him, from a defensive standpoint, certainly, and then, from special teams as well because he was a contributor for them in the coverage and return units," explained Canales. "So some things, you know, we try to compete. We try to use all the information that we have in-house."

Going back to Cali

This weekend will be a homecoming for a good swath of the Panthers roster and coaching staff, including Dave Canales. The head coach has played back in his home state a handful of times each year, thanks to coaching in Seattle and playing in the same division as the 49ers and Rams.

Every time he's back in the Golden State, Canales swears everything feels a bit sweeter.

"The ball just grips kind of nice in that weather, you know, and it spins just right," grinned Canales.

It's also a chance for the coach to see his family, even if only in small windows. With a nephew playing football at Fresno State, the Canales family headed to California early to see him play, and then they will all make the trip north for Monday night's game.

"So, the whole family will be out there, it'll be a great experience. I'll see them a little bit in some tiny windows," said Canales. "This is a business trip, as you know, and we're focused on this game, the opportunities are right in front of us, a conference opponent, a team that I really respect, so that'll be the focus, but it'll be great to see my family."

But the most important part of being in California for the weekend, of course, is the chance to head through In-and-Out. The Cali native has his order ready to go.

"Double-doubles for everyone, animal style fries," he shared.

And as he walked out of the press conference room on Saturday, Canales turned and offered one other crucial part to the order.

"And a Neapolitan shake!"