5 big observations from practice Day 7 at Panthers training camp
By Dean Jones
Sam Darnold’s best day so far
This was Sam Darnold‘s best day as a Carolina Panthers player so far and his second straight practice that left reasons to believe he might be able to make serious strides in 2021.
Darnold has come to life since donning the pads in Spartanburg. Some players much prefer this method of training and judging by the quarterback’s production over the last two days, he might fall into this particular category.
The former USC star was decisive in his decision-making and managed to hit his targets more often than not. Darnold’s footwork is also improving gradually and teammates around him seem to be growing in confidence as a result.
It’s still early days and it is just practice, after all.
But the Panthers cannot be anything but impressed by the way Darnold has performed over the last two practices.
What comes next in scrimmages against the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens, preseason games, and the regular season itself is more important. Darnold has laid a solid foundation under enormous pressure, but that will count for nothing if the signal-caller cannot build on this before competitive action gets underway.