Julius Peppers and Curtis Samuel’s situations should be fine
Don’t panic Carolina Panthers fans……
This is not the kind of news Carolina Panthers fans want to hear to start off training camp. Wednesday, veteran defensive end Julius Peppers and wide receiver Curtis Samuel failed their physicals per multiple media reports.
For Peppers, this probably is not that big a deal. As Jordan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer noted Peppers failed his physical because he needs to clean out his shoulder. This is due to repairs done to his labrum.
The veteran defensive end recorded 21 tackles, 11 sacks and two forced fumbles in the 2017 campaign. His best game came on September 17 against the Buffalo Bills. In that contest, he recorded six tackles and two sacks as the Carolina Panthers beat the Bills by a narrow 9-3 margin.
In the case of Curtis Samuel, he will miss the start of training camp as he has been placed on the active/ non-football injury list. This is because he experienced soreness on his ankle leading up to training camp.
Marty Hurney says Julius Peppers, Chris Manhertz, Bryan Cox and Curtis Samuel did not pass physicals today. All will start on PUP, though Samuel is active non football injury. Hurney says just being cautious with the WR.
— Max Henson (@maxhenson) July 25, 2018
If there is a silver lining to this news, it appears that both the injuries are not too serious. These are great move by the Carolina Panthers, especially considering the fact that both Peppers and Samuel are veterans. Although Samuel will have to learn a new offensive system, he can still do so through film and observing practice.
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In the case of Peppers, he is an older player, so the extra rest is not a bad thing either. Although the Carolina Panthers have a new defensive coordinator, Eric Washington has had his fingerprints on the defense for a number of years now, If Peppers has to miss time, now is the perfect opportunity to do so. Save the future Hall of Famer for when the games really matter.
If these two players were rookies, I would be slightly more concerned as the youngsters have a lot to learn about the National Football League. However, these two know the ropes of the organization and the league by now, so this is not necessarily something to worry about yet. However, these situations should be monitored. If they stretch into the regular season, then these situations could present problems.
Next. Competition at slot receiver. dark
This is not the kind of news you want to start training camp. But it is not as bad as it could be. Hopefully these two can get their situations resolved quickly so they can help out the team as the grind of the season officially begins.