As we make our way towards training camp, we’ll be investigating the Panthers camp battles that will be happening in the trenches during the dog days of summer in Spartanburg – while some, like the starting free safety and nickel cornerback, are easy to find, some aren’t quite so obvious and almost certainly injuries will force others into the spotlight, perhaps some that we didn’t even think about this early in the process.
Previous Camp Battle Studies:
Now it’s time to focus on those who’ll be catching passes from Cam Newton this season, namely the tight ends and receivers, even if some of those discussed here are likely to earn their spot as much for their blocking as their ability as receivers. While many of the players in this group are carry-overs from a year ago, with a number of them in the early stages of their careers, the change for the Panthers is as much about the existing players taking on increased roles as it is the additions that the Panthers have made to the existing group.
Of course, as well as the handful of players who are all-but-guaranteed spots, there is also likely to be competition for the final few roster spots in addition to the battles between the top players for playing time and targets.
Fun Question: How Good Can Samuel and Moore Be?
Last year’s unusual three-headed monster never quite took shape, with the chopping and changing of lineups making it hard for any one player to be consistently productive – but with Devin Funchess now elsewhere, Curtis Samuel and DJ Moore now have a chance to change all that.
Both players showed nice things at times last season, with Curtis Samuel being particularly effective using his speed to work off vertical routes to create intermediate separation while DJ Moore’s ability after the catch allowed him to add value to shorter completions.
However, both players will also need to improve if they are going to establish themselves as the clear options on the outside for the Panthers going forward. Both players could do with improving how they separate from press coverage, with this being a particular focus for Moore, given the role he seems to have been given in the Panthers’ offense.
Moore could also do with simply being more consistent as a route runner, as when he goes at full speed, there are very few defenders – if any – who are able to stay with him through routes; but, too often he seems to be playing at half-speed, and it would be better to see him go full speed every time he touches the field. It should be noted that play speed is always something that folks talk about improving as players move into year two – though for Moore this is as much about consistency as anything else.
For Samuel, one of the biggest improvements in his game will be nothing to do with him, as his game took the biggest hit due to Newton’s shoulder injury last season – so much of his game is based around working off of the vertical threat. However, in terms of things he can work on, the foremost is likely showing more consistently technical catching form – while he shows the ability to make tough catches away from his body, too often he relies on arm-catches, which not only risk drops but also limits his value after the catch, where he should be more of a factor than he often is.
If Moore and Samuel aren’t the starting pair going into the season, that is likely because something has gone wrong – the battle for them is less about earning a role and more about being as effective in that role as possible by the time the season rolls around.
Up Next: Two Tight Ends Are Better Than One
