Observations: Jarrett Boykin experiences good, bad, ugly of camp

Observations from Carolina Panthers training camp in Spartanburg:

▪  Receiver Jarrett Boykin started the day well but ended poorly. Boykin made a nice move against cornerback Josh Norman in one-on-one drills to get free for a Cam Newton pass to begin Tuesday. But later he dropped two passes, including one near the goal line from Newton in 9-on-9 drills.

▪  Second-year cornerback Bené Benwikere got his most extended time Tuesday returning from a hamstring strain, but he didn’t seem to trust it. Benwikere didn’t open up in a full sprint on some plays where he needed to. He’ll need more time.

▪  Receiver Brenton Bersin had a nice hands catch against cornerback Melvin White, who didn’t know the Newton pass was coming because of how steadily Bersin ran down the sideline.

▪  Linebacker Luke Kuechly has said he wants to improve on his pass coverage and it’s showing this camp. He got depth on a pass intended for tight end Ed Dickson and broke up the play about 8 yards from the line of scrimmage.

▪  Mark Morrison’s 1996 R&B hit “Return of the Mack” played before practice as several players danced and sang the memorable tune to lighten up practice during stretching.

▪  Receiver Kelvin Benjamin had the biggest play of the day when he tracked down a nearly 40-yard pass from Newton during the 2-mintue drill against White.

▪  Rookie linebacker David Mayo had a nice pass breakup in the end zone. He’s beginning to show more as camp rolls along.

This story was originally published August 11, 2015 at 5:23 PM with the headline "Observations: Jarrett Boykin experiences good, bad, ugly of camp."