The Carolina Panthers have just wrapped up day seven of training camp. Here are several highlights from the local press in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
1. Sam Darnold was on point – Monday’s practice was less than stellar for the quarterbacks, with Sam Darnold and second-stringer P.J. Walker combining for three picks.
Wednesday, Darnold put himself back in good graces. He threw three touchdowns early on, the first one connecting with wide receiver Robby Anderson from 20 yards away. Shortly after hooking-up with Anderson, Darnold threw another 20-yard bomb to running back Christian McCaffrey. For his third touchdown of the day, he found wide receiver D.J. Moore. Darnold found Moore once again for a touchdown pass in red zone drills.
P.J. Walker also had a good moment in practice Wednesday. He threw a touchdown to Brandon Zylstra, who make a sparkling catch.
This may be a sign of good things to come for the quarterbacks, who are not considered one of the league’s best. The Panthers should still consider investing in a backup quarterback who can push Darnold.
2. Kirkwood in concussion protocol – Wide receiver Keith Kirkwood was taken to the hospital Tuesday after suffering a violent hit at the hands of safety J.T. Ibe, who was subsequently released from the team. It was determined that Kirkwood had a concussion, but he was back at practice Wednesday morning.
On the injury front, linebacker Shaq Thompson and cornerback A.J. Bouye continue to be in red no-contact jerseys. Denzel Perryman is now among the injured, finishing Tuesday’s practice on an exercise bike.
3. Jaycee Horn impressive – Rookie cornerback Jaycee Horn has been receiving a lot of attention with his knack of intercepting the football over the last several practices. Today, Horn displayed his skills once again, deflecting a pass that was intended for tight end Dan Arnold. Later in practice, Horn did it again, this time breaking up a pass that was meant for D.J. Moore.
Horn’s coverage and ball skills are above average, He still has a lot to figure out about the techniques of playing corner at the NFL level. According to coach Matt Rhule, Horn is grabbing and holding too much.
4. Extra protection is needed – There was something extra added on both sides of the line today. The offensive and defensive linemen were seen wearing additional padding on their helmets.
So far in training camp, these wars have gone the way of the defensive line, which may be the cornerstone of the entire team. However, the Panther’s offensive line is considered one of the weakest parts of their team and in the NFL.
The major question is who will start at left tackle on opening day. For now, Cameron Erving is taking those reps, but there is a strong chance that Taylor Moton will move from right tackle to left tackle.
5. First fight of camp – Players may be weary of going up against their teammates every day at practice and ready for some live action. Following Tuesday’s Kirkwood/Ibe incident, the Panthers had their first scuffle of training camp.
Second-year cornerback Troy Pride Jr. took a shot at Robby Anderson while he was out of bounds. Anderson responded. The altercation was quickly stopped and Anderson was forced to run a lap because he retaliated by hitting Pride from his blind side when he was not looking.
The Panthers will finally get to hit someone new in the coming week. They are scheduled to have joint practices with the Colts Thursday and Friday before they square-off in the preseason on August 15th.
6. Will Grier works with second-team – Since halfway through last year, P.J. Walker has been the backup quarterback for the Panthers. He got an opportunity to start when Teddy Bridgewater missed a game last season due to injury. Tuesday, coach Matt Rhule made a change, putting Grier with the second-string players and demoting Walker to third-string. Grier was seen working with them Wednesday.
The next several weeks will be key to determining who wins the backup quarterback position behind Sam Darnold. Rhule says that he is unsure if the Panthers will retain two or three quarterbacks on the roster this campaign.
