For the second straight year, the Carolina Panthers invited a local Spartanburg high school to share their practice fields during training camp, and with the Dorman High Cavaliers interacting with the players throughout practice, it lent a light air to the early proceedings of the session. Defensive tackle Kawann Short got down and ran some drills with the young’uns, and while 5’9″ Captain Munnerlyn was showing the team some secondary drills, he was overheard saying, “We’re about the same size. I’m blending in.”
“It’s the fastest I’ve ever seen it. It didn’t seem real before we got here, but once we got here, it was pretty cool.” Jordan McFadden, left tackle for the Cavaliers, said, “Some of the offensive lineman, I watched them work out before they stretched, and they did pass sets, and they’re feet are so crazy; that’s how I want to be in a couple years.”
When the teams separated and got down to business, the session was another muted one; quarterback Cam Newton, still not throwing to rest his sore shoulder, was relegated to cheerleading duties and two end arounds, both of which he ran the length of the field to the endzone, celebrating each time. He also played head cheerleader, interacting with everyone from Teddy Williams to Kelvin Benjamin to Chris Manhertz, who got a particularly enthusiastic reaction from Newton when he hauled in a touchdown pass in tight coverage between Ben Boulware and other defenders.
While many fans will focus on an early depth chart released by the Carolina Panthers in he middle of practice, it’s important to remember that there is still over a month before the roster will be trimmed from 90 to 53, and there is a lot of practice left to be played. At this time in 2016, Zack Sanchez was listed as the fourth cornerback and did not end up making the final cut. Sanchez’ position on the depth chart today? Same spot, number four corner. As always, here’s the storylines from today we noticed:
Nagging Injuries
Not surprisingly, the list of players sitting out practice is starting to grow, as the grueling spring takes it’s toll on the players, and with the roster staying at 90 for the entire preseason, it makes more sense to have players that are almost certainly going to make the team not try to overwork their bodies and exacerbate small injuries. This is the reason Cam Newton is not throwing and Kawann Short is not rushing back from tight hamstrings; Short knows how to rush the passer and stop the run just as Newton knows how to throw. As Greg Olsen said, “When it’s time for Cam to throw, he’ll throw.” Wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin started off practice with positional drills, but did not participate in the last half, and head coach Ron Rivera said that the issue was not a hamstring, only that his legs were “a little wobbly”. Rivera was similarly cagey when asked about wide receiver Fred Ross, only saying that the trainers “had Fred inside resting a little bit today”. The following players also did not practice today:
- Curtis Samuel – Hamstring
- Matt Kalil – Groin
- Ryan Kalil
- Kawann Short – Lower Back/Hamstring
- Jared Norris
- Toby Johnson
- Kyle Love
- Travelle Dixon – Still in Walking Boot
- Scott Simonson – Hamstring
- Zack Sanchez
Interior Linemen
The duo of Kawann Short and Star Lotulelei is certainly striking fear into the hearts of centers across the NFL, but with Lotulelei working slowly back from offseason shoulder surgery, and Short currently on the shelf with tight hamstrings and back, second year player Vernon Butler has been getting multiple reps across the past two practices. The interior of the defensive line is one of the hardest to evaluate during training camp because of the lack of physicality and tackling in certain practices; there are multiple carries up the middle that would might have ended up as no gains, but with no tackling, the running back squirts through. While Lotulelei and Butler have not played poorly, Butler in particular had trouble today working against Tyler Larsen, who has gotten rave reviews subbing in for Ryan Kalil both at the end of last year and at the beginning of training camp, especially from Kawann Short, “He’s one of those guys, once he gets his hands on you, (they’re) hard to get off….he’s good with his hands, good with his feet, and he knows the game. He knows what it takes,” the star defensive tackle said yesterday. “When I was playing against him, this guy’s going pretty hard….whenever his number’s called, you knew he was going to be that guy.” Butler will need to show more in training camp, as fans and coaches are hopeful he can make the leap in his second year.
Lots Of Receivers, One Spot
When the Panthers depth chart was released halfway through practice, buzz circulated that veteran wide receiver and Wofford alumni Brenton Bersin was behind Devin Funchess for the fourth wide receiver spot. Fan favorite and local Charlottean Austin Duke was nowhere to be found, with hopefuls Fred Ross and Keyarris Garrett also absent and Damiere Byrd holding onto the fifth spot. The positional group got even more muddled if you take today’s practice in a vacuum, with speedster Trevor Graham catching a long touchdown down the sidelines and Duke letting a ball go through his hands in the endzone.
But this group isn’t in a vacuum.
If you look at the context clues, Bersin being included in the depth chart makes perfect sense as he has the most experience on both the offense and special teams and at this early point in camp, that adds up to the highest position on the depth chart. Ideally, when second round pick Curtis Samuel returns from his hamstring injury, he will slide into that WR4 spot, and with Damiere Byrd getting a lot of reps as punt returner, he looks to have that fifth wide receiver spot locked up. Barring injury or amazing play from the other wide receivers during the preseason games, Austin Duke and Keyarris Garrett may be fighting for the practice squad. I expect Damiere Byrd to garner the fifth wide receiver spot, and if the Panthers decide to keep six, that spot will most likely go to the player who you can never count out: Brenton Bersin.
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