5 big observations from practice Day 7 at Panthers training camp

What were some of the more prominent observations to take from practice Day 7 at Carolina Panthers training camp ahead of the 2021 season?

It was a dramatic first day in pads for the Carolina Panthers at training camp. The extra physicality and urgency were evident right from the outset. And for J.T. Ibe, it proved to be his final session as a roster member.

The safety was waived almost immediately after practice came to a conclusion for a hit on Keith Kirkwood that left the wide receiver needing a trip to the hospital before returning to the Panthers and being diagnosed with a concussion.

Matt Rhule was not happy. And he let every single player know it following the incident.

Thankfully, there wasn’t anything similar during Wednesday’s session, which brought a fantastic turnout of fans to Wofford College in Spartanburg as excitement builds for the 2021 season.

Here are five big observations from practice Day 7 at Panthers training camp.

Observation No. 1

Refs in attendance at Carolina Panthers training camp

One noticeable arrival to Panthers training camp was some actual officiating for the first time. NFL referees were in attendance to give a more gameday feeling to 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills, which will stand the organization in good stead ahead of their upcoming preseason schedule.

This came at the perfect moment from the coaching staff’s perspective.

Plenty of false starts were called on Tuesday – the first sessions in pads – and despite Matt Rhule lauding Jaycee Horn with praise, he did add that the rookie cornerback is holding way too much for his liking early on.

These silly mistakes were kept to a minimum on Wednesday, which made a big difference to the fluidity of practice. Although there were some false starts as expected.