The Carolina Panthers are back
The Carolina Panthers held their annual Fan Fest on Friday, and it was certainly fun to see them on the field again. In what was a sold-out event, the Panthers certainly put on a show for the fans. It was great to see the fans excited, and the buzz leading up to the event was palpable. Everyone is excited that football is starting again, and for good reason. It has certainly felt like a long offseason. Now, it is time to get things going.
The stars were out in full force on Friday. Everyone from Curtis Samuel to DJ Moore to Cam Newton were participating in the event. Some additional bigger names were held out for health purposes, but in some capacity, the whole team was there. It is always better to take care of the injuries now anyway. You certainly want all hands on deck for the start of the season.
Three particular things stood out to me about Fan Fest, and I take a look at why they stood out to me and what they could mean for the Carolina Panthers down the road. Do not worry, it is all good news. The Carolina Panthers definitely appear to be headed in the right direction.
The Samuel-Newton connection was strong
Yes, I know it was only practice, and yes I know that Curtis Samuel was wide open, but the fact that he was catching passes from Cam Newton was a great sight to see. The fact that Newton was throwing passes at all, considering he had surgery in January, was quite the feat in itself. It gave fans a nice preview of what could happen during the course of the regular season. Now, we just have to make sure that Newton is healthy and ready to go for the start of the season.
The Newton-Samuel connection is undoubtedly something fans wanted to see. With both players in line to have big seasons, and a lot of pressure being put on both, the showing at Fan Fest, even though it was a small one, was still fun to watch. Furthermore, it put a reminder on the fact that the first preseason game is just four days away.
The big challenge for both Samuel and Newton is staying healthy. When healthy, they are two of the most dynamic players in the National Football League. For Samuel in particular, injuries have hampered any upward trajectory he could potentially experience over the course of the last couple seasons. He needs to do his best to show that he is still the same player the Panthers drafted out of Ohio State. There is no doubt the potential is there last year, he just needs to be able to put it all together this year.
As for Newton, if his shoulder keeps recovering at this pace, he could be in line to have a dynamite regular season.
Boston is back
Safety Tre Boston was a part of the mix on Friday, as he continues to get re-acclimated to life as a Panther. Perhaps the most interesting thing about his appearance at Fan Fest on Friday, was that during the practice, he wore number 33. A number currently occupied by running back Elijah Holyfield, the rookie probably did not have much say when it came to switching his jersey numbers.
According to a report from Max Henson of Panthers.com, Boston got some looks with the second-team defense at the free safety position. Second-team is about where I would expect him to be at the moment. He could creep up the depth chart and have a shot at significant playing time once the season starts, but for right now, I’m sure the Panthers just want to see what he has in the tank. With him being such a dependable player over the last couple of seasons, my guess is that he still has quite a bit in the tank.
This was a very sensible signing on the part of Carolina. Friday night, he looked well-adjusted. According to Henson he was working with safety Ross Cockrell to further learn about the position. It is good to hear that he was out on the field and practicing. Hopefully, he can get some valuable reps this season. He certainly should be able to help the Carolina Panthers at the safety position.
Some veterans take the night off
Kevon Seymour, Donte Jackson, and Luke Kuechly were among players who did not play in the practice on Friday. Although that may sound worrisome to some, all three suffered injuries at one point during the beginning of training camp.
This is a smart move on the part of the team. Making sure that everyone is healthy before the start of the regular season is imperative. Obviously, freak injuries and accidents happen over the course of the preseason. The nature of football calls for it. However, if you can keep your stars out of harm’s way like the Panthers did on Friday, then it should be done. Save the veterans for when the real fun begins.
Last year, I felt as though the Carolina Panthers ran some veterans into the ground during the preseason. It was evident during the end of the regular season that they were just out of gas. Hopefully, fatigue stays at a minimum this season. Obviously, the players are going to get tired. If they can be fresh for as long as possible, that would be ideal. This is going to be a big season for the Carolina Panthers. They certainly need their battle-tested veterans to be a part of it.