Panthers Draft: What potential preseason delay means for 2020 class

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(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) Troy Pride Jr. /

The Carolina Panthers draft of 2020 might have to wait a while before officially signing their deals due to the ongoing concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

This is an unprecedented time both in sports and life. Everything seems to be on hold thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic which has left many facing an uncertain future.

The same can be said of the Panthers draft class of 2020, who has not yet officially signed their respective deals. With facilities closed for the considerable future, it remains to be seen just how long the negotiating process will take before rookies formally become professional players.

Pro Football Talk reported that not one drafted player has signed a rookie deal thus far due to the coronavirus. This is almost two weeks since they heard their names called and their wait could go on a little while longer yet in what is an ever-changing situation.

The impact of not having members of the Panthers draft signed yet does not bring that much complication. What is concerning is how Carolina plans to rely heavily on their historic class and their relative lack of preparation time thanks to social distancing measures.

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Virtual OTAs will be a tremendous help. But there is no comparison to the bond built between players face-to-face during their initial period of transition.

Whether training camp gets underway on time is another huge question. Right now the NFL is moving forward on schedule. But there is no guarantee this is going to go to plan in the coming weeks.

Any further delay will see the franchise suffer heavily and in particular their rookie class. Most of the prospects chosen will be thrown in at the deep end and the decrease in preparation they will have before the season is going to have a detrimental impact on their chances to succeed.

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