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SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The Carolina Panthers entered training camp short on depth at defensive tackle and receiver. It took only a week and two injuries to expose those holes.

Receiver Steve Smith's right shoulder injury Monday left the Panthers with no experienced replacement. It was the same predicament that Maake Kemoeatu's season-ending Achilles' tendon injury produced at defensive tackle.

The $18 million salary-cap figure defensive end Julius Peppers is carrying this season under the franchise tag left the Panthers with little money to spend to shore up those areas.

It means somebody will have to make a big jump.

Nick Hayden, who has played in two NFL games, has been starting in Kemoeatu's old spot since he went down last week. Meanwhile, Dwayne Jarrett, who has caught 16 passes in two seasons, was elevated to the first unit Tuesday afternoon opposite veteran starter Muhsin Muhammad.

"This is an opportunity for me and I have to seize it," said Jarrett, a 2007 second-round pick. "I have to go out and do what I'm capable of doing and just keep working hard."

Just like at defensive tackle, the receivers behind Jarrett have little experience.

Ryne Robinson and Jason Carter are trying to come back from season-ending knee injuries a year ago. Kenneth Moore and Kevin McMahan has never played in an NFL game. Larry Beavers is a rookie from a Division III school. Marcus Monk has been cut twice and is coming off major knee surgery.

FOX'S RUNAROUND: Coach John Fox provided no detail and conflicting answers on when Smith might return.

At one point Fox said Smith was "day-to-day" not "week-to-week." That could mean a return sometime in the preseason.

Then Fox had this exchange with reporters when asked if he expected Smith to play in an exhibition game:

"I'm sure he'll be ready at some point — in the preseason," Fox said.

When a reporter began asking another question, Fox added yet another caveat.

"Now whether we play him or not (in the preseason), I don't know that yet," he said.

EXTRA POINTS: Dan Connor, normally Jon Beason's backup at middle linebacker, was forced to play outside linebacker with Thomas Davis still out with a sore knee, Na'il Diggs given the afternoon off to rest and Landon Johnson sidelined with a groin injury. Anderson also worked with the first team. ... Former Panthers S Colin Branch watched practice and chatted with several veterans. ... The Panthers practice today at 9:10 a.m. and 3:10 p.m.