Five Keys to a Successful Panthers Training Camp

These five things will indicate Carolina will start the season in a good spot.

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Today marks the start of training camp for the Carolina Panthers and as we do each year to kick off day one, we list our five main keys for a successful camp.

1. Bryce Young Shows Promise

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Young seemed to have looked more calm and confident in what he was doing back in the spring. Will that translate when the pads come on here in a few days? We'll see. Footwork and getting ball out as fast as possible are going to be the two main points of emphasis for him over the next month. The faster he develops into a franchise quarterback, the sooner Dave Canales can really open up the playbook.

2. Cohesion Up Front

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The Panthers spent $154 million on improving the offensive line this offseason by signing guards Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt. You would think spending that type of money would produce better results immediately. While it will be a much better product than what they threw out there a year ago, it's not going to be perfect and may not live up to that $154M price tag at the start. It takes time for an o-line to gel, especially when you have three new parts...that is if you include Austin Corbett's move to center.

3. Find Answers at Corner

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We all know what Jaycee Horn is capable of. Health has been the only thing preventing him from being one of the game's top corners. The rest of the room, however, needs some TLC. I can't see how they can enter the season with the group they have currently in place which features Dane Jackson, D'Shawn Jamison, Dicaprio Bootle, Willie Drew, and Lamar Jackson. Troy Hill and Chau Smith-Wade will primarily play nickel which is why I'm leaving them out of this. Whether its someone already on the roster taking a massive step or going out and scooping up somebody off waivers, the Panthers must find another answer at corned not named Horn.

4. Get Healthy, Stay Healthy

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The Panthers have been a little beaten up at pass rusher this offseason, but are slowly starting to get healthy. D.J. Wonnum and DJ Johnson have been dealing with some things and that's not necessarily a position (or side of the ball for that matter) that can afford to have injuries stack up. The top line of Carolina's defense is in good shape. The second and third string of that unit is where it gets a little scary.

5. Establish the Identity

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Since the day Dave Canales and Dan Morgan were introduced as the new head coach and GM in Carolina, they made it very clear that they want to be a physical team that wins games in the trenches, runs the ball effectively, and plays great defense. Many of their offseason moves align with that vision, so now it's just about going out there and executing it. Frank Reich and his staff really struggled to find an offensive identity in 2023 and you could make the argument that an identity was never found. Presenting a crystal clear picture to Bryce Young will only accelerate his development.

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