Bravvion Roy using familiarity to his advantage at Panthers’ camp

Bravvion Roy is using his familiarity with head coach Matt Rhule to make a big impression at training camp with the Carolina Panthers.

One of the more under-the-radar pickups by the Carolina Panthers this offseason was Bravvion Roy. The defensive tackle was drafted in the sixth-round to reunite with head coach Matt Rhule. And this familiarity is something that the player is using to his advantage at training camp.

Roy enjoyed a prolific spell at Baylor with Rhule at the helm. It is clear that his mentor wanted to bring the lineman with him to the next level. But whether he can make a successful transition to a professional environment with the Carolina Panthers is still up for debate.

Nobody will know more about what the player can bring to the table than Rhule. He saw him day in, day out at the college level. And there will not be any immediate pressure on the rookie to contribute right away thanks to the presence of Kawann Short, No. 7 overall pick Derrick Brown, and Zach Kerr on the depth chart.

This is something that could benefit Roy significantly. Learning from such an experienced and prolific player such as Short at practice will do wonders for his overall development and when the time comes for the player to be thrown into the lineup, he already knows Phil Snow’s system inside out.

Plenty of work to do for Bravvion Roy with the Carolina Panthers.

Roy was asked about his familiarity with the system in Carolina in a recent interview. But although this has its obvious bonuses, the player remains fully focused and is taking nothing for granted.

"“I really don’t look into it like that. I’m really not worried about spots or whatever. All that’s going to fall into place. If anything, I’m just going to make sure I do my job at the highest level and then let everything take care of itself. I mean, I still have to go over things. Then there are some things that they’ve added in that I’ve never heard of before that I still have to go over. I’m just still constantly just trying to stay on top of my stuff.”"

The defensive lineman comes into the NFL riding on the crest of a wave after a sensational senior year with the Bears. Roy was a relentless force on the line of scrimmage on his way to 5.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, 35 solo tackles, and one forced fumble. This is further evidence of just how well the player responds to Rhule and Snow from a production perspective.

Transitioning this form to the pro level is a different matter entirely. Roy is seen more as a development project at this point. His length is a real concern against bigger offensive linemen in the NFL. And his vision is another area of his game that needs to improve significantly.

Knowing the system is just a fraction of what is expected from a dominant defensive player. Roy has had a crash course at Panthers’ training camp. But the early signs are encouraging regarding his ability to contribute down the line.

Roy is a work in progress who is learning all the time. He should make Carolina’s 53-man roster with little fuss and this will give him even more time to find his feet following a highly productive college career.