The Carolina Panthers have some tough cuts ahead, as all NFL teams always do before the regular season begins. These players pour their lives into the team all summer, only to end up without a roster spot.

It can be painful. Some will be more painful than others. For the Panthers, the most painful, according to FanSided's Mark Powell and Zachary Rotman, is going to be Haynes King. Here's why that might be a costly mistake.

Panthers should not cut Haynes King

Haynes King has played in just the Hall of Fame Game so far, but he showed in that game that he is more than worthy of an NFL roster spot. The Panthers should grant him that, though he needs to get healthy to ensure he does make it.

FanSided authors Zachary Rotman and Mark Powell, however, see King as the "most painful" cut the Panthers are going to have to make. It certainly would be painful, and it might be something the Panthers should avoid.

"This performance has some Carolina Panthers fans dreaming of him potentially being Bryce Young's backup, and while sure, that's possible, is Dave Canales really going to have King, an undrafted rookie, leapfrog a far more proven option in Kenny Pickett on the depth chart?" they asked.

They answered their own question with doubt, adding that he could be stashed on the practice squad, but that's how players get poached for other teams, and King undoubtedly would be.

It is true that the ultimate goal of a backup quarterback should be to aid the starter. In that sense, the Panthers are probably happy with Pickett, who has a wealth of experience and knows plenty of offensive schemes.

But you just cannot let true talent go for nothing, and in this case, cutting King would be just that. You especially can't let talent go that could actually help the offense in more ways than one.

King, who stands 6'2" and weighs 212 pounds, would be a phenomenal short-yardage package QB. The Panthers experimented with Mitchell Evans taking those QB sneak snaps to protect the smaller Bryce Young, but why not an actual QB who knows how to take snaps?

Sure, that would indicate that the Panthers are doing a sneak, but so does putting a tight end under center. The alternative is not to have those plays available at all, which has hampered the Panthers under Dave Canales.

Additionally, having King in on those plays means the Panthers could do anything. He could execute a sneak, a handoff, a bootleg, or a pass play, so the defense would eventually be on its toes when he entered on third or fourth-and-one.

The Panthers' offense has never been creative enough to try anything like this, but one can imagine the sort of Taysom Hill-esque plays they could run with King. He said during the offseason that he's a QB and not a hybrid, but the Panthers could use him in fun two-QB plays.

The point is, King is actually talented. He's not likely to ever be an NFL starter, but he's certainly good enough to keep on a roster and should see the field occasionally for plays like the ones mentioned above.

Is the $4 million being paid to Pickett for his leadership and mentoring of Young worth losing the talent that King has?

Of course, we covered the difficult situation the Panthers are in with King's injury. How can they roster him if he doesn't get back on the field? But based on the talent we saw, they just can't afford to cut him outright unless there simply is no other option.