The Panthers just wrapped up their first practice of 2019 training camp at Wofford College.
Here are eight takeaways from the team and the media.
1. Cam Newton’s shoulder gets good reviews
Let’s get right to the main question on everybody’s minds: quarterback Cam Newton’s throws got mostly positive reviews. During individual drills, the Athletic observed that Newton was throwing downfield with no signs of stress on his shoulder.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing, though.
Newton’s first pass of team drills got broken up by Mario Addison and returned by Shaq Thompson for a touchdown.
Newton got his payback, though. Later on, Cam hit third-year wide receiver Curtis Samuel with a deep ball.
Some observers estimated the throw to be about 35-40 yards downfield.
Later, Newton also hit tight end Chris Manhertz on a long pass.
By the time Newton was shut down late in 2018 he couldn’t throw 15 yards downfield, so this is a very welcome development.
2. Will Grier gets second-team reps at QB
Just in case Newton’s shoulder does go bad again, the Panthers have a backup plan. This year, there will be a robust competition at QB2, with three legitimate candidates who could secure the role for themselves.
Rookie Will Grier earned the first second-team reps at camp.
Grier was selected at No. 100 overall with the compensatory pick the Panthers got for losing Andrew Norwell to the Jaguars in free agency last year. He’s a Charlotte native who showed some promise at West Virginia, but is definitely a project QB at this point.
Kyle Allen was next up on the quarterback depth chart. Taylor Heinicke will also get his snaps.
Allen helped his case by throwing some nice deep balls of his own.
Allen started Carolina’s last game of 2018 and threw well, although it was against New Orleans’ backups. He’s our early favorite to win the job.
3. The offensive line is still under construction
Fans also got their first look at the refurbished offensive line tonight.
From left to right, the starters were Daryl Williams, Greg Van Roten, Matt Paradis, Trai Turner and Taylor Moton.
The only surprise here is seeing Williams at left tackle.
Williams is not exactly an ideal option to start at the position and the team probably hopes that Greg Little can eventually do it, allowing Williams to slide inside to left guard. We will see.
4. Greg Little feels the Burns
Obviously, Little is going to have to earn his spot watching Newton’s blind side. It may take some time.
The Riot Report says Little got chewed out early on by offensive line coach John Matsko after getting beat quick by first-rounder Brian Burns.
Later, Little joined backup center Tyler Larsen with the first-team unit, spelling Williams and Paradis.
5. The 3-4 defense starts to take shape
With Gerald McCoy joining the league’s most expensive defensive line, Carolina can put a mean three-man front on the field. Our post-McCoy signing projections were right on the money for these sets.
Up front, Dontari Poe will be in the middle, flanked by Kawann Short and McCoy on either side. At OLB/edge, Mario Addison and Bruce Irvin have the starting spots. Luke Kuechly and Shaq Thompson are naturally at the inside linebacker positions.
The backup DLs for the 3-4 defense are not nearly as formidable, but they’re not terrible, either. The second-string will feature Kyle Love, Vernon Butler and Bryan Cox Jr.
If head coach/defensive coordinator Ron Rivera can keep this new-look front seven sharp every week, it should be as good as any in the NFL.
6. Rashaan Gaulden tries his hand at free safety
The biggest hole the Panthers have to fill on defense this year is definitely at free safety. Mike Adams played the position the last two seasons, but general manager Marty Hurney told the media on Wednesday that Rashaan Gaulden was drafted with this role in mind. Now he just has to earn it.
As expected, Gaulden started at free safety next to Eric Reid, per the Charlotte Observer.
The front seven should be dominant at times. However, the back end is a much bigger question mark. How Gaulden performs at this critical spot could be a huge factor in determining just how good the defense as a whole can be.
7. Corn Elder gets first look at nickel
Another critical defensive battle is at nickel cornerback to see who replaces Captain Munnerlyn. Apparently, Corn Elder is first up.
Elder is probably not an ideal starter at nickel.
Former Buccaneers cornerback Javien Elliott will likely be his main competition for this spot.
Don’t rule out the possibility of the Panthers rotating in someone else like Gaulden or Donte Jackson, though.
8. The punt return battle
One interesting special teams competition to follow will be at punt returner. Right now it sounds like a three-man race between Rashad Ross, Terry Godwin and DJ Moore.
It’s a little bit surprising to see Moore’s name and not Jaydon Mickens’, who signed with the team yesterday.
Over the last two seasons, he posted 346 yards and a touchdown on 39 attempts for the Jaguars. Mickens also has experience with kickoffs, averaging 21.1 yards per return for his career.
