5 things we learned from Week 3 of Panthers’ training camp
By Dean Jones
Early signs are encouraging for Dennis Daley
To say Dennis Daley suffered his struggles as a rookie would be something of an understatement. The offensive lineman endured a torrid time in 2019. But throwing him in at the deep end was not the smartest move by the Carolina Panthers.
The sixth-round pick was given a crash course in blocking at the next level, to put it mildly. Daley gave up seven sacks and four penalties from 686 snaps last season on his way to a 58.6 grade from Pro Football Focus. But the lineman might get a chance to fill a starting spot once again in 2020 if the initial outlook from training camp is any indication.
Head coach Matt Rhule told the media that Daley is being used as the starting left guard on their new-look offensive line during team drills. John Miller is slotted in at the other starting spot. And it appears the second-year pro is in pole position to see the field prominently when competitive action gets underway.
Daley still has plenty to do in the coming weeks to guarantee his place. The early signs are undoubtedly encouraging for the player. But he will still need to outperform free-agent signing Michael Schofield for the remainder of camp.
The player is imposing enough to make the transition from guard to tackle. And this will also take some of the heat off him against formidable pass-rushers on the edge.