Here are a few stories of interest from Day 2 of the Carolina Panthers 2021 training camp.
Terrace Marshall has been noticeably quiet since being selected by the Panthers in round-two of the 2021 NFL draft. That could be attributed to being cautious during the offseason while recovering from an injury.
Marshall made a big contribution in practice on Thursday and head coach Matt Rhule sang his praises.
“He’s got long arms. He’s got big hands. You can back-shoulder him. You can throw it over the top. Like any rookie, he’s going to have some good days, some bad days. I thought today looked like a good day.”
Marshall is expected to be the number three wide receiver on the Panthers depth chart this season, behind D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson. There is a caveat to that. His prior experience with offensive coordinator Joe Brady and his ability in the red area could potentially move him up the depth chart and make him a very reliable receiver for quarterback Sam Darnold.
Sam Darnold had a good Day 2 practice also. It is nearly impossible to compete in the NFL without a good long ball. With the acquisition of Darnold, the Panthers may be getting a major upgrade from last year’s quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
Darnold connected with wide receiver Omar Bayless on a long ball with rookie corner Jaycee Horn in deep coverage. It was a great throw, especially considering it was only their second day together in camp. Let’s see if they can keep it up.
Wednesday, while talking to the press after practice, Darnold and running back Christian McCaffrey had no comment on their vaccine status. Today, the cat was let out of the bag. According to various sources, Darnold had his second injection on July 16 and will be considered fully-vaccinated on Friday, July 30.
Early in June, Darnold revealed that he was not vaccinated, which caused some tension on social media. He had expressed some concerns about getting the vaccine, so what changed his mind? It might have had something to do with the NFL’s new policy on unvaccinated players. Any unvaccinated player found to have broken the rules of the policy could be fined $50,000 by the league or their respective teams for a first offense.
