Carolina Panthers kick off training camp with Brian Burns signing

Carolina Panthers (finally) sign first-round draft pick, Brian Burns.

After the pass rush became nearly non-existent last season, Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney knew something had to be done. He wasn’t the only one as coach Ron Rivera elected to take over play-calling responsibilities late last year and announced a shift in defensive style for the 2019 season.

The move to more 3-4 fronts, featuring three down linemen and four linebackers – as opposed to the Panthers historic 4-3 with four defensive linemen and three linebackers – indicates a shift in philosophy but also necessitated the addition of a few more players.

In order to put their plan in place Carolina first signed hybrid defensive end Bruce Irvin. The former first-round draft pick spent time with three different organizations over the past seven seasons while tallying 43.5 sacks, 266 tackles and forcing 15 fumbles. His ability to play both from the ground, as a traditional end, and standing up at linebacker gives both him and the defense significant flexibility.

The Panthers continued to revamp their defensive front in April by selecting Florida State defensive end Brian Burns with their first pick of the draft. Burns (No. 16 overall) was later joined by fourth-round pick Christian Miller, another edge player out of Alabama. The latter signed almost initially but Burns only recently signed his rookie deal as players arrived in Spartanburg, South Carolina at Wofford College for training camp.

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Following in the footsteps of quarterback Cam Newton, Burns waited until the very last minute to ink his rookie contract. Although the current monetary structure for paying rookies allows for little wiggle room, the wording of the contract and certain guarantees are typically cause for the delay among higher picks.

Fortunately, Burns electing to sign his deal now means he won’t miss any time with the team as official practices begin today. Expected to make a significant impact along a reconstructed defensive front, the Panthers rookie is definitely one to watch this fall.

There are currently only three other unsigned rookies across the league, including two with the San Francisco 49ers – Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel, in addition to the New York Jets Quinnen Williams.