Sanders, Piñeiro injury updates headline takeaways as Reich recaps Panthers training camp
Following a soggy end to the Panthers’ training camp stay at Wofford College, Carolina head coach Frank Reich told reporters on Thursday that he feels good about all of his position groups.
And while Reich wouldn’t rule out additional roster moves, he did praise the growth of the offense and said he is pleased with the development of the new-look 3-4 defense under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
Reich didn’t want to get into specifics when it came to summer praise, but he did note that he is excited about the wideout depth chart and the versatility of the tight ends.
TRAINING CAMP PRACTICE RECAPS: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Jets joint practice
Below are five quick takeaways from Reich’s Thursday press conference, which essentially put a bow on the team’s 2023 training camp slate:
Sanders might not play in preseason opener
Reich confirmed that top running back Miles Sanders tweaked his groin on Wednesday. Due to the injury, Reich said that Sanders is likely to be held out of Saturday’s preseason opener against the New York Jets as a precaution.
With Sanders potentially sidelined, Chuba Hubbard, Raheem Blackshear, Spencer Brown and Camerun Peoples will take on the reps in the backfield.
Reich wants every player to prepare to play, no matter their situation. Once a decision needs to be made, the coaching staff and front office will determine the player’s status.
On a side note, Reich also said that backup quarterback Andy Dalton might not play against the Jets just to give second-year quarterback Matt Corral in-game reps. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young is set to play, but Reich wouldn’t specify his workload.
Piñeiro is making progress and has earned kicker job
Reich said kicker Eddy Piñeiro is progressing well with his groin injury that was sustained earlier in the week. The Panthers signed fellow kicker Matthew Wright on Tuesday to take on the workload at the position.
Reich said the team will be cautious with Piñeiro. The head coach also noted that Piñeiro has established himself as the team’s kicker when healthy.
If Piñeiro misses Saturday’s preseason game, Wright will have the opportunity to audition for other teams in a Panthers uniform. Wright made one of his two field-goal attempts in joint practice on Wednesday.
Panthers have a lot to get done in the preseason
The Panthers and Jets explored their options Thursday morning as a thunderstorm hung heavy over Spartanburg, S.C.
But both sides concluded that the wet fields were too big of a risk for the players, especially those with soft tissue injuries. Reich said they ran 85 plays on Wednesday, which made the two staffs content with the workload of the joint practices, even as the second workout got canceled.
Reich acknowledged that the Panthers now have a lot to work on and get settled during the preseason. The head coach said the squad will play to win, but it’s really more about evaluation and improving on the work that was accomplished during camp.
Reich said every position group made progress this summer and he is pleased with the way the team has performed.
Reich doesn’t put much stock in the unofficial depth chart
The Panthers released their league-mandated unofficial depth chart on Wednesday. The pecking order of some of the position groups then caused a stir on social media among Panthers fans.
But, the unofficial depth is unofficial for a reason. And Thursday, Reich was asked about how much stock he put into the document.
“Not a lot,” Reich said with a laugh. “The guys know — we make everything pretty competitive. Things are pretty fluid. We do a lot of things by committee. Right now, it’s just about really finding out about picking the roster. I think the depth chart will work itself out over the next couple of weeks. Sure, we have ideas and this and that — we still got a good couple of weeks of work to factor into really finalizing that depth chart.
“And then furthermore, I would say, once that depth chart is done or whatever it ends up being for the regular-season game — you guys are going to see the way we do things, there’s a lot of role-playing. I like to think of guys as role-playing starters. They’re starters but they’re role players. And that’s just the way of the NFL these days. You almost have to use guys with their specialized skill set, what their superpower is, and they can have an impact on the game.”
Outside of the quarterback spot — now clearly owned by Young — and the offensive line, the Panthers seemingly want to throw as many different players and scheme looks at opposing teams as possible.
Reich not surprised by Grugier-Hill’s emergence
Reich acknowledged that veteran linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill had a really good performance during training camp.
The head coach also conceded that he wasn’t surprised by Grugier-Hill’s play, as Reich had worked with him for a couple of seasons in Philadelphia and coached against him when both men were working in the AFC South.
Grugier-Hill produced four interceptions in 11-on-11 drills during training camp. He picked off Dalton twice, before snagging a ball from Young at Fan Fest.
On Wednesday, Grugier-Hill ultimately closed out camp with an interception of a Zach Wilson pass during a two-minute drill rep on third down.
More training camp reading at charlotteobserver.com:
▪ Panthers safety Xavier Woods says everyone knows what he needs to improve on in 2023
▪ Under-the-radar Panthers defender wants to ‘take up space’ to benefit his teammates
▪ For Panthers offense to get better, this player must come back. But he’s not ready yet
▪ He’s a huge Carolina Panthers fan and podcaster. He’s also an inspiration
▪ How Panthers lineman went from loading Amazon trucks to signing with hometown team
This story was originally published August 10, 2023 at 12:37 PM.
