Where Matt Corral needs to improve as rookie ... and other key Panthers OTA takeaways
When the Panthers took quarterback Matt Corral in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft, they envisioned him developing into a starter at some point.
In a situation like Carolina’s, where quarterback play was shaky last season, it might appear that an ideal timeline is for Corral to develop quickly.
The reality, however, is that it could take time with Corral. The Panthers’ coaching staff has said it’s in no rush to put him on the field before he’s ready.
Right now, veteran quarterback Sam Darnold is ahead of Corral on the depth chart. Darnold is in his fifth year in the NFL and second with Carolina. He’s ahead of the rookie from Ole Miss with his knowledge of the offense.
Darnold also has been a little more accurate with his passes than Corral in organized team activities, which began last week. And he has playing experience, starting 11 games in 2021. Darnold seems primed to start Week 1 for the Panthers barring something drastic happening between now and training camp.
For Corral to close the gap with Darnold, there are some basic things to work on as he gets adjusted to the NFL.
“It’s a different game up here,” Panthers offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo said Wednesday. “That’s not to take anything away from college football. I think they did a great job with him. ... The biggest thing really, when you get these guys up here, it’s from the time the whistle blows till the ball is snapped on the next play is where he needs to spend his most time right now.
“Communication is a big part of it.”
McAdoo pointed to how plays are called as being a needed adjustment. College quarterbacks are used to getting their play calls from their coaches on the sideline. The NFL is a little more advanced with calls that are relayed from the booth to the quarterback’s headset.
“Really, it’s like he’s trying to learn a different language he hasn’t spoken,” McAdoo said. “Now he’s learning the way we do things. We have a lot in the offense, and there’s verbal and visual cues he has to learn. It’s going to take some time.”
McAdoo said that training camp and the preseason games will show him whether or not Corral is ready to be a starter. At this point, OTAs are about learning the offense and the fundamentals, he said.
“It’s not going to be easy for him. It’s going to be a challenge,” McAdoo said. “I’m not here to make it easy for him. I’m going to make it hard on him so when he does have a chance to play and get into the games, he’s ready to go.”
Corral wasn’t at practice Wednesday. Panthers coach Matt Rhule said Corral was taking time off to deal with a family matter.
Darnold and backup P.J. Walker to got more reps Wednesday. Media members are allowed access to OTAs once per week and are not allowed to discuss formations and strategies.
As Week 2 of OTAs nears its end, here are some takeaways and highlights from the second day of media access:
▪ Owners David and Nicole Tepper were among those watching practice Wednesday.
▪ The defense got the best of the offense in 11-on-11 drills. One of the biggest plays was Sam Franklin’s pass deflection. Franklin dove to deflect Walker’s pass, which cornerback Stantely Thomas-Oliver caught and ran back for what would have been a touchdown.
▪ Brian Burns said he’s a little bit bigger this season. The 6-foot-5 defensive end played at 250 pounds last season. He said he’s up to 255 pounds right now.
Burns said he learned a lot from his time at the 2021 Pro Bowl. He exchanged numbers with Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones and got some tips on career longevity and learned some additional pass-rush moves.
▪ While Burns has gained weight, defensive tackle Derrick Brown said he’s dropped some pounds. Brown, who played at 330 last year, wants to play at 320 pounds this year.
Brown also got married last month. He said part of his workout motivation was being better this season, and part of it was his desire to look good for his wedding.
“I didn’t want to be too thick in the suit,” he said.
▪ Defensive tackle Matt Ionnidis said having chemistry with Rhule and defensive coordinator Phil Snow played a big part in him joining the Panthers. Rhule and Snow were his coaches at Temple from 2013-15.
▪ When Haason Reddick signed with the Eagles this offseason, the Panthers lost his double-digits in sacks. How they make up for it will be a big question mark heading into training camp.
Rhule said he expects defensive ends Marquise Haynes and Yetur Gross-Matos, and linebacker Frankie Luvu, to step up as they get additional playing time.
▪ Gross-Matos is dealing with a hamstring injury and did not practice Wednesday, Rhule said.
▪ Wide receiver Robbie Anderson was not at the voluntary OTAs for the second consecutive week. Last season, he worked out in Miami on his own during OTAs.
▪ Jaycee Horn and Burns are super competitive. The two were playing a game of ping-pong Wednesday before Burns’ media session. Burns said he won, which upset Horn.
This story was originally published June 1, 2022 at 6:03 PM.
