Carolina Panthers: 4 big takeaways from Matt Rhule’s virtual presser

Carolina Panthers: Takeaway No. 4 – The key virtual preparation

Things have not been easy for the Carolina Panthers or any other NFL team heading into 2020. The current climate has left preparations for the new campaign severely impacted. And organizations have had to rely on virtual sessions to get their players up to speed.

The Panthers could be impacted by this predicament more than most. Their new-look roster must learn a completely new playbook from the incoming regime. And how they take on board what is required is going to go a long way to determining whether next season will come with immediate success.

Matt Rhule indicated a “four levels of learning” plan that he has given his players over the last few weeks. This has the potential to make them fully ready for whatever little time they have to spend together before the preseason and week one.

"“I talk about the four levels of learning for our guys. We’re trying to get to level four of mastery of the system. We want our guys to master the system so that when we do get together and the physical part starts, that we are in shape enough to prevent injuries and allow us to practice and spend time together. But most importantly, that we don’t have to spend a lot of time learning the system — that we can go out there and perfect our craft, not learn, our craft.”"

This is an unprecedented situation and one that every head coach is working through for the first time. The onus will be on Rhule to not only provide the necessary information in a clear and coherent way. But he is also tasked with checking in to ensure that nobody is struggling with the theoretical element of their game plan.

Realistically speaking, it could go either way with the Panthers. There is more than enough talent to surprise people who are expecting them to finish with a lowly record. But if those involved to not get up to speed quickly, it could bring substantial complications.