Panthers camp observations: Matt Rhule wants his rookies to watch Christian McCaffrey
Each training camp practice Panthers head coach Matt Rhule has held looks different.
He adapts his practices and keeps them flexible so that the team can prioritize working on the things that they need to improve on, not just sticking to a certain schedule. When asked about his practices, he compared it to the golf lessons he takes his son and daughter to. They work on their 7-iron or whatever club they are on until they have gotten the hang of it. They don’t move on just because that’s what a certain schedule dictates.
“I think our players need to learn to get over the anxiety of not knowing what’s next and just reacting. I think that they have to get comfortable in those situations but most importantly if we haven’t done a lot of two-minute, we haven’t excelled in the two-minute, and today we started with two-minute situations. And our offense wasn’t very good in third-and-4-to-6 (yards to go) the last couple of days, so we did third-and-4-to-6 down in the red zone,” Rhule said Friday. “Always keep evaluating and adjusting to help the team and help players play their best football.”
There were moments Friday when open receivers were missed and passes were dropped as the rain poured throughout practice. Rhule likes to talk to his players before and after practice, and after Friday’s session, he had the group huddled together for seven-plus minutes, the longest yet.
“I think the biggest thing is when my way or the coach’s way becomes our way, becomes the Carolina Panthers way, we’ll be a good team. We’re just trying to get everyone aligned in the same vision right now, and that’s hard to do because we haven’t had any time together,” Rhule said of his talks with the team. “But the games are coming and we just got to make sure that everyone’s moving in the same direction, the same way.”
With that, let’s jump to observation from a soggy and sloppy day at Panthers’ training camp.
INJURIES
▪ Undrafted free agent wide receiver Omar Bayless (knee), who stood out early in camp and impressed coaches, missed a third straight day of practice and is day to day. Rhule said that he has re-aggravated an old injury and it is getting it looked at by a doctor. He is hoping to have him back Saturday, if not Monday, after the team’s day off Sunday.
▪ Wide receiver Curtis Samuel was limited and pulled from the end of practice due to a tight hamstring. Rhule did not seem concerned about it long-term.
▪ Linebacker Shaq Thompson (groin) returned to practice, but didn’t participate fully. He stretched throughout practice. Rhule described the team as being in the “soft-tissue phase” with players working through different minor injuries.
▪ Bravvion Roy (non-COVID illness) and Temarick Hemmingway (concussion protocol) were both full participants. Left tackle Russell Okung (lower-back tightness) was out for almost all of practice.
TOP PLAY
Maybe this is just the most intriguing play, but a replay booth would have come in handy during Friday’s practice. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater threw a long pass to wide receiver Robby Anderson in back of the end zone with cornerback Donte Jackson behind him in coverage.
Depending on who you ask, Anderson either tip-toed and both of his feet down in time for six points or caught the pass out of bounds. Safety Tre Boston was signaling an incomplete afterward, and two reporters directly in front of the play saw different things. But Anderson left marks in the ground suggesting he was in.
HIGHLIGHTS
▪ Christian McCaffrey probably deserves to make every day’s highlights. He once again looked just a step above everyone else on the field. McCaffrey caught a wide-open pass from Bridgewater that just looked too easy. He capped it off with a spike that surely left a divot. The running back was able to create separation in the middle of the field throughout practice.
When asked about setting a tone in practice, in reference to his above comments, Rhule said that McCaffrey sets the perfect example.
“He has a personal standard that’s so high. And then the question is very simply, why doesn’t everyone practice that way? Why would he have that high of a standard,” Rhule said. “If you’re a young player on our team, you have no excuse not to know what a true professional is. ... When you look at Christian, you know what the standard is, you know his standards and you have to ask yourself, why shouldn’t I make that my standard? And if our whole team played that hard, we’d be really really good.”
The Panthers have a roster full of young players, and having the best player on the roster be out on the field consistently working hard, is the best example a coach could have.
In position drills, McCaffrey spent most of the practice working with the receivers, as he has done in years prior. He also worked with the punt returners and in hands group practicing recovering onside kicks.
▪ Rookie defensive end Yetur Gross Matos’ stock went up Friday after a couple of solid first days in pads, while veteran Stephen Weatherly’s stock went down a bit.
▪ Rhule said earlier this week that they were easing cornerback Eli Apple back from an offseason foot injury. He saw more playing time Friday and looks to be almost fully back.
▪ Bridgewater threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver DJ Moore during the early red-zone drills (the third-and-4-to-6 Rhule was referring to) that just seemed to click. Despite Bridgewater getting a little pressure, he got a good pass to Moore and it just appeared to be a well-executed play.
▪ Seth Roberts continued to make some nice plays, including a catch on a beautifully thrown pass by Will Grier on 7-on-7s. He has looked good throughout camp. Donte Jackson did have one pass break-up with Roberts in the vicinity that led to Shaq Thompson and others celebrating on the sideline.
LOWLIGHTS
▪ It was just gross out. The rain persisted throughout the day, despite it being scheduled to hold off until later. It gave the team a chance to work without the hot sun, however.
▪ Too many drops or open receivers throughout practice. The quarterbacks also seemed to not get going quickly in 11-on-11 drils.
OTHER NOTES
▪ The Panthers did not wear full pads Friday, and were instead back to shells. It was the first time they did not wear full pads since Monday. There was still some contact.
▪ Shout-out to tight end Ian Thomas for bobbling, but ultimately catching, a long pass from Bridgewater during 7-on-7. He easily could have dropped the pass, especially in the rain, but was able to hang on.
▪ Talk about commitment. The team split up the field so that they could practice 11-on-11s in two groups at the same time. Defensive back Corn Elder caught an interception on one end of the field and then ran it all the way back to the other end zone, at the same time the other group was a running a play. Basically two touchdowns, one end zone. Elder also had a pass break-up on a Bridgewater throw. Not a bad day.
▪ General manager Marty Hurney and other members of the front office were present at today’s practice. Come Sunday, there are only three weeks left until the Panthers’ first regular season game vs. the Raiders. The clock is ticking.
▪ Joey Slye had a good day overall, ending practice going 5/5, but had a miss earlier in the day. Punter Joseph Charlton was not kicking as much. Carolina claimed kicker/punter Kaare Vedvik off waivers from the Bills on Thursday. He will join the team once he goes through COVID-19 protocols.
▪ Special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn used soccer balls as part of a punt-block circuit. It’s not an FC Charlotte influence, however. The soccer balls are softer than footballs, which reduces the risk of injury.
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
Practice is scheduled for 8:45 a.m.
This story was originally published August 21, 2020 at 4:15 PM.
