Panthers notebook: An ‘emotionally spent’ Dave Canales, an upgraded DB room and more
Dave Canales admitted Thursday after practice that he was “emotionally spent.”
Five days of evaluating players, finalizing a 53-man roster, scouring the waiver wire, re-finalizing the roster, assembling the practice squad — all while having face-to-face conversations with each player put through a transaction — will do that to a head coach.
But, Canales said: “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The Panthers, in addition to hiring a new head coach and a new general manager ahead of 2024, have assembled a 53-man roster that, to date, has 24 players who weren’t in Carolina during the franchise’s 2-15 campaign in 2023. That meant a lot of tough decisions and conversations for the first-year head coach over the last 72 hours.
In other words, the future of the Panthers — both this season and beyond — was front and center Thursday. Here’s what you should know.
Waiver wires, cornerback room already shining
The Panthers collected six guys from the waiver wire Wednesday. That included a bunch of reinforcements on defense, including three cornerbacks. Canales said Thursday that they’ve already started to make plays.
“For the defense, Keenan Isaac had an interception today,” Canales said. “Tariq Castro-Fields had an interception today. Shemar (Bartholomew) looked good. He looked like he was in position on a lot of those things. So it was cool. Plays came their way, and they made them. So that was fantastic to see.”
One cornerback, of course, made an impression on the Ejiro Evero-led defensive staff before he was a Panther. Bartholomew, the rookie undrafted free agent who started training camp with the New York Jets, had an audition of sorts when the Jets visited Charlotte for a joint practice.
He shined as a special teams ace there — as well as a coverage defensive back — which helped propel him to a place among the most desired UDFAs on the waiver wire Wednesday. The Observer reported that the Panthers were one of four teams who offered the DB; Carolina landed him by virtue of having No. 1 priority in waiver claims this year.
“I’m happy to be here,” said Bartholomew, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound defensive back who produced eight tackles and two pass breakups this preseason. “I know the guys are competing, and I gotta compete too. So I’m just ready to get in and work. My time will come when my time comes.”
Carolina brass and Canales himself were not shy about saying that the team’s defensive backfield was where the most attention was stored in the less-than-24-hour waiver-wire window. And they’re happy with what they got.
“I think we’re looking to build our roster at every turn, and just kind of build our roster the right way,” general manager Dan Morgan said Thursday morning. “I think, when you bring corners in with the size and the profile we brought in yesterday, they’re the type of guys that we’re looking for. It’s a big man’s league, so we want some big corners out there who are physical, can run and do the type of things that we want to do from a schematic standpoint. We feel like we got better there.”
One quick practice squad note
Jalen Coker, a rookie undrafted free agent wide receiver cut Wednesday, plans to return to Carolina, a league source told The Charlotte Observer. The Holy Cross alum cleared waivers. With the move, the Panthers will now have 13 of the 16 practice squad slots filled. (The team could add a 17th practice squad slot if that player is a member of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program.)
Former Panthers: Carolina fans should have hope in ‘24
Before practice Thursday, a stone’s throw away in Uptown Charlotte, a bunch of people who mean a lot to the Panthers organization shared optimism for the future.
Former Carolina Panthers star Al Wallace said that the team’s long-suffering fans should have some hope as the 2024 season begins.
Speaking with former Panthers Mike Rucker and Jonathan Stewart at a Charlotte Touchdown Club event Thursday afternoon, Wallace said he believes that a much-improved Bryce Young and new coach Canales could spell good things for owner David Tepper’s team this fall.
But Wallace, who played in Charlotte from 2002-06, said fans just have to be realistic about it.
Wallace said, “I think there was so much discord in the coaching staff on the field (last season), a bunch of pieces that did not fit, didn’t work; and now you see a plan, a purpose and a direction under Dave Canales and Dan Morgan, and I think that’s going to help tremendously. I think we should all have some hope. It may not look like 10 wins, but I think when you get into the five- and six-win range, it shows it’s going in the right direction.”
Wallace said real change could happen fast, so long as Morgan and Canales keep the Panthers on the track he thinks they’re on now.
“It doesn’t take long,” Wallace said. “I heard (Morgan) on the podium this morning, talking about having the type of guy he wanted. I think programs can get turned around quickly. You’re talking two years … and I’m counting this as one of those two years. I think next year, you’re competing for the NFC South.”
Rucker, another former defensive star, said he also liked the changes in the coaching staff.
“You can see it and feel it when you’re around practice,” Rucker said. “You can feel it when you see (Canales) do press conferences. Like, that’s half the battle; just the energy and it’s not, ‘Woe is me.’ It’s like, ‘OK, last year is what it is. We’re moving forward and we’re going to learn from that.’ But that energy (from Canales), man, it’s contagious.”
Stewart said that most of all, Canales is creating a winning culture that will resonate with the players. He thinks that will make a big difference.
“Coach Canales is doing amazing things,” Stewart said. “What you’re talking about is a culture that’s being revamped, a winning culture, not just on the field. For a lot of these guys, who are young guys, they’ve got to figure out how to win in life. And so having a guy like that on the coaching staff makes me really happy and makes me want to play for him.”
High on Bryce Young
All three Panthers legends spoke highly of Young, heading into Year 2.
Wallace and Stewart talked about an increased amount of confidence from the second-year quarterback and both former players believe the talent around him has been upgraded, including an improved offensive line.
Rucker, who said he’s been around Young at a few events, has been impressed by the change he’s seen.
“It feel like he’s calm,” Rucker said. “Like, OK, I’ve seen this stadium before. I’ve been around this a whole year. That rookie year is a long year when you’re coming from school into that position. So I feel like there’s this little demeanor, this little edge, this little walk, this little swag with him that I’m seeing that will bode well.
“It seems like he’s playing a little looser. He’s seeing some things now. He can grow from that. He can look at the tape, and then you’ve got a fresh set of eyes with the new coaching staff and he’s playing to his strengths. I think that is the key. Sometimes a system will kind of guide you in what you do, but I feel like this staff is going to play to his strengths and that’s going to bode well for him.”
This story was originally published August 29, 2024 at 5:17 PM.
