Six positions for Carolina Panthers to focus on in Cleveland Browns joint practice
The Carolina Panthers have been battling themselves for the past three or so weeks. But with the Cleveland Browns heading to town on Wednesday, the competition in Charlotte should kick up a notch.
Carolina will host the Browns for a joint practice before playing Cleveland on Friday in the preseason opener at Bank of America Stadium. With both teams looking to figure out their depth charts, the joint practice might be just as important — if not more important — than the preseason game, as the squads can simulate specific situations for their respective offensive and defensive units.
Here are six positions to pay attention to with the Browns coming to town:
Wide receiver: Young’s chemistry with his ascending playmakers
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young has developed chemistry with several weapons over the summer.
From first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan to reclamation project Hunter Renfrow, Young has been able to accurately connect with the new arrivals in the playmaking department. With the Browns coming to town, Young will look to continue that momentum.
With Renfrow nursing a hamstring injury, McMillan, sixth-round pick Jimmy Horn and returning wideouts, Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, should see plenty of action against the Browns’ cornerbacks. Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome II will likely prove to be great tests for the young receivers as they look to show they belong on the field on game days.
Center: Can Mays or Corbett separate themselves in the competition?
Austin Corbett and Cade Mays are locked in on their center battle. Both players are entering their respective fourth seasons with the franchise, and neither has really had a bad day of camp so far.
The pair has been rotating at the position, and neither player has seemingly run away with the job. But with the Browns offering up new looks, Mays and Corbett could get a crash course in practice adversity.
Cleveland’s first-round pick Mason Graham should be an interesting test for the middle of the offensive line, and how Corbett and/or Mays respond to that jolt of competition should provide an opportunity to both in the position battle.
Inside linebacker: How will Wallace and Rozeboom gel against Browns?
So far, so good for the new inside linebacker pair of Christian Rozeboom and Trevin Wallace. But with a new offense entering the fray, Rozeboom and Wallace will need to adjust accordingly.
Wallace has shown a strong ability to blitz during team drills. Meanwhile, Rozeboom has done a nice job as a run defender, especially during padded workouts. They’ll need to continue that trend against a formidable Browns offensive line, which features All-Pro-level talent like Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller and Jack Conklin.
The Panthers were historically terrible against the run last season, so Wallace and Rozeboom need to show they can make plays on the ground against Cleveland. The joint workout will also give the Panthers an early glimpse of newly added veteran linebacker Krys Barnes.
Cornerback: Smith-Wade, Thornton and Bartholomew face new challenges
The cornerback group has received a lot of well-earned buzz this summer. With Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson signed to new contracts, the team is also seeing some good stuff from the players behind the starting tandem.
Chau Smith-Wade has arguably been the most consistent defender on the field for the Panthers. The second-year nickel corner will need to follow through with that performance against former Panthers wideout Diontae Johnson, Pro Bowl receiver Jerry Jeudy and dynamic tight end David Njoku this week.
Corey Thornton, an undrafted rookie, and Shemar Bartholomew have both played well against their teammates during training camp. Jeudy, Johnson and the Browns wideouts should test them pretty regularly on Wednesday and in the preseason game on Friday.
Safety: Ransom, Richardson look to emerge next to Moehrig
The Panthers seem to be taking a starter-by-committee approach at safety opposite free-agent addition Tre’von Moehrig.
Second-year defender Demani Richardson and fourth-round pick Lathan Ransom are competing for playing time as defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero tries to find the right mix on the back end. Veteran Nick Scott is also seeing a strong number of reps in the secondary.
With Njoku and the rest of the Browns’ playmakers to worry about, Ransom, Richardson and even Scott should be looking to separate themselves within the committee.
The Browns’ QB situation is unenviable, but the weapons around those passers aren’t slouches.
Kicker: Wright, Fitzgerald trying to make the most of reps
Similar to center, the kicker position seems to be pretty even so far. While Matthew Wright has been marginally better in front of the media, rookie Ryan Fitzgerald clearly has the upside outlook.
The Panthers have been rotating the kickers daily in workouts, and with the Browns coming to town, the rotation could be split up between the joint practice and the preseason game. If that were to happen, both specialists would get their opportunities to differentiate themselves.
Wright, fair or not, needs to be noticeably better than Fitzgerald to win this competition. The rookie has a terrific leg, but he needs to show improved accuracy after a pair of 48-yard misses during fanfest at the stadium.
