What To Look For In Carolina Panthers’ Training Camp
May 28, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers receiver
Kelvin Benjamincatches a pass during the practice held at the Bank of America Stadium practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Training camp for the Carolina Panthers is right around the corner and I wanted to take a look at the five things to watch for in training camp this year. This season needs to be a step forward and not a step back for the Panthers because the talent is most certainly there to do so. So, without further ado let us take a look at the five things we should be looking for in Panthers’ training camp this year.
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Is The Offensive Line This Year Better Than Last Year At Training Camp?
The Panthers did not do many changes to the offensive line in a sense of getting known top talent in either the draft or free agency but they did add Michael “The Blind Side” Oher, Jonathan Martin, and Daryl Williams. These players should add depth and also add capable starters. The only problem is that Martin and Oher have not shown that capability to start in awhile (at least as far as being a good starter that is).
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If the Panthers are going to be a contender the offensive line has to give Cam Newton the protection he needs. Last season can not be repeated because the NFC South, in my opinion, is going to have a rebound season. Expect to see a lot of players shuffling in and out of line ups during training camp as the coaching staff tries to figure out where players fit at. Hopefully, Dave Gettleman made the right moves this offseason to have a better offense than last season.
Does Cam Newton Look To Be Progressing As A Player?
Cam Newton is coming fresh off an offseason that seen him get a huge contract and a huge vote of confidence from the organization. Now it is Newton’s turn to show he is worth every bit of that and then some this coming season. I would look for Newton to be the vocal leader of this team on offense and for him to show he is more than just a decent thrower. He will need to have protection as mentioned above but if he does he will have some nice targets to throw to this year. This may be the most weapons he has had on offense since coming into the league. If he keeps maturing and progressing as a player he will prove he was worth that contract he got. This year at training camp will tell the tale for him. He needs to come out ready to lead this team to a super bowl championship.
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How Good Is The Wide Receiver Group This Training Camp Compared To Last Year?
With the additions of Ted Ginn Jr and Devin Funchess this team has upgraded the number two and number three receiver spots. There are still some questions about speed but having Ginn and Corey Brown (with a year of experience) as the deep threats is no doubt going to help. Funchess will add height to an already big wide receiver group and he has some speed as well (not a burner but fairly good speed in my opinion). Anyone watching training camp this year will need to see the media reaction to how the wide receiver group looks. On paper this group should be a lot better than last season but that is not saying much. If the wide receiver group can stay healthy and show the talent we know they have we could be in for a treat offensively this coming season.
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Are The Young Cornerbacks On This Team Getting Better?
This training camp coming up is a big one for Bené Benwikere and Josh Norman because they need to show growth as players at this position. The Panthers weakness the past few seasons has been passing defense but last season it became less of a weakness. We will need to see some growth from Benwikere and Norman in order for us to feel comfortable about the defense coming into this next season. Training camp is a place for young players to get better and learn more before being thrown into the fire. Norman is becoming a veteran on this team but he needs to show he is ready to take on that role for many years to come. I expect to see both cornerbacks come out and have a very good training camp.
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Who Is Going To Step Up And Create The Pass Rush On The Defensive Line?
Losing Greg Hardy will hurt the Panthers in the short term or at least until they find another player to offer a pass rush. Kawann Short, Star Lotulelei, and Colin Cole command respect at the defensive tackle position and they offer players playing at both defensive end positions the chance to challenge offensive linemen. I expect that we will see Frank Alexander and Kony Ealy battle it out for starter opposite of Charles Johnson. Alexander and Ealy will need to come to training camp ready to dominate or find the bench. It will be very interesting to see who gets the nod as starter for the first preseason game.
So, with training camp right around the corner and preseason starting August 14th it is safe to assume I will be getting back into football mode for now. I am extremely excited to see how the new Panthers’ players will do and how the team gels together. This team has a lot of talent and if they reach their full potential then the sky is the limit (cliché phrase but do I give any cares…nope). If anyone has any comments about the article feel free to post a comment. Go Panthers!