Split squads, tracing devices and a revamped facility all part of Panthers’ 2020 camp
Finally this week, for the first time under Matt Rhule as head coach, the Panthers were able to take the field in some capacity.
It took until the last week of July for Carolina to be in person together in any form, even just a group of players for on-field conditioning.
To get out on the field, questions needed to be answered, such as should coaches be wearing face masks or shields or was anything needed at all? In the end it was decided that it was better to be safe than sorry, so coaches put on some sort of face covering, many choosing shields so that players could still see their expressions during practice.
Rhule explained the latest choices and changes that have come as the Panthers begin training camp at Bank of America Stadium in his first virtual camp press conference Wednesday.
After testing negative for COVID-19 three times over a four-day period, players are allowed in the building, and Monday was the first day the rookies were able to have on-field conditioning. Quarterbacks and injured players were able to get on the field starting Wednesday and everyone else next Monday.
Coaches are still experimenting with what works best, especially in the heat. Players have the choice of wearing a face covering in walk-throughs and weightlifting sessions.
Practice will also look different as the Panthers elected to keep more than 80 players on their roster, meaning they have to practice in split squads.
Many teams elected to cut their rosters down to 80 players by Tuesday so that the team could practice together, but the Panthers felt with their young team it made more sense to keep players around.
“We had worked hard to pick the 90 guys that we wanted to go to camp with and those guys have worked really hard this entire offseason, virtually meeting, all the different things that we asked him to do,” Rhule said. “It just didn’t seem right or prudent for us to make cuts without ever having seen some of these guys work. ... I think in a year like this, as many people as possible who know your system, who’ve been around you, even if they get called up in November, you’re going to be happy about it, so we thought we’d start off with 90 and just sort of see how things progress.”
The changes extend to the facility, as well. Contract tracers are being worn by coaches and players that light up red when they get within six feet. From the tracers, information can be acquired on who was previously around someone that tests positive for COVID-19 and when people are in situations that they are too close to others for more than 10 minutes.
“I tell our guys all the time, eight is the new six. They say six feet, we’re trying to do everything at eight feet as best we can,” Rhule said.
The Panthers have knocked out walls and changed the purpose of many rooms in the facility. The locker room has been expanded. The old defensive line meeting room is now a manual therapy room, and the media room is now a recovery room. Two outdoor weight rooms have been built so the team can comply with a rule mandating just 15 players in a weight room at a time. Coaches have been moved up to third-floor suites to work, and every player now gets his own suite to work and do virtual meetings in.
Other changes include splitting up some position meetings so that younger players are meeting together and then veterans are together. Not only will this help the team develop the younger players more, but it also assists in the players being at different spots due to reporting at various times.
Injury updates:
While the Panthers placed punter Michael Palardy on the team’s reserve/non-football injury list Tuesday, the team has only had good news so far related to the returning injured players from last year outside of tackle Greg Little, who will start training camp on the active/physically unable to perform list (knee).
“(Kawann Short), he looks like, he’s in fantastic shape, he’s 315 pounds. I think he’s done a great job of just really, really putting himself in a position to have a special year,” Rhule said. “Graham (Gano) looks healthy, looks great, I obviously haven’t seen him kick, but I know that people are really pleased, the medical staff is pleased with how far he’s come.”
Short’s 2019 season ended early with a partially torn rotator cuff, and Gano missed the entire season and had surgery on his left knee.
Opting out
Rhule elected not to share if he had expectations on any other Panthers choosing to opt out of the 2020 season due to concerns related to COVID-19 after UDFA linebacker Jordan Mack became the first player from Carolina to do so Tuesday. Players around the league have been announcing their decision to sit the year out..
“In terms of other players, I think those are family decisions that they’re all going to have with their family. I don’t know if anyone else will opt out,” Rhule said. “It’s such a deeply personal thing for everybody.”
With whatever players elect to stay for the season, Rhule said the priority will be keeping everyone as safe as possible — wearing masks and not going to crowded places outside the facility — while knowing some things are out of their control.
“I don’t know that you can naturally prevent it from from ever striking someone that you love or someone that you work with, but we can make the best decisions possible,” Rhule said. “I keep telling all of our young players, all of our rookies and first-year players, the best thing that you can do to help yourself make this team is to be versatile or be someone who can do a lot of different things and be accountable, be someone that’s going to as best you can protect yourself and this team from getting sick.”
This story was originally published July 29, 2020 at 5:57 PM.
