5 individual battles to watch during Panthers scrimmages at Colts
By Dean Jones
D.J. Moore vs. Xavier Rhodes
There was a time when Xavier Rhodes was widely regarded as the best shutdown cornerback in football. His 2017 campaign with the Minnesota Vikings earned All-Pro honors, but things went south quickly for the player en route to being released before 2020 free agency.
Rhodes enjoyed something of a renaissance with the Indianapolis Colts last season. Perhaps people writing him off was all the player needed to get back to something like his old self.
However, he is sure to get all he can handle from D.J. Moore during scrimmages.
The Carolina Panthers wide receiver went over 1,000 yards for the second straight season last time around. Remarkable considering the inconsistent level of quarterback play the former first-round pick has endured since arriving in the NFL.
Moore seems to have gotten on the same page with Sam Darnold quickly during training camp. Hopefully, this can transition smoothly into scrimmages and the regular season itself in the coming months.
Going up against an experienced figure such as Rhodes will be a nice test for Moore at this stage of his preparation. One that he is more than capable of gaining some real momentum from.