Dave Canales took the Carolina Panthers head coaching job with supreme confidence despite the position being deemed as a poisoned chalice by most around the league. The progressive figure feels like he's got the right formula to help this struggling franchise get back on its feet. He also left an immensely positive impression over early offseason workouts.
The increased belief and energy across the organization, since Canales took charge, is hard to overlook. He's simplified the practice regimen of every player and focused on getting the fundamentals right first. After that, he's convinced better performance levels will follow.
Carolina's newfound positivity isn't shared by most in the media. They're expecting the Panthers to go through significant complications in 2024 on their long road back to prominence. This is something Canales can work to his advantage in pursuit of making his team one of the league's surprise packages next season.
How things unfold during Carolina's upcoming training camp and the team's preseason slate will provide a broader indication of what this team might be capable of. For now, here are three positive Panthers changes evident throughout their recently concluded off-season workout program in 2024.
Carolina Panthers blocking concepts
The Carolina Panthers didn't get much from their offensive line last season. Veteran right tackle Taylor Moton remained supremely consistent, but nobody else met their end of the bargain. Dave Canales is looking to change all that moving forward.
Carolina made two notable additions to the interior after spending big sums to land Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. More importantly, the head coach is implementing blocking concepts that look much better suited to the strengths of his projected starters.
There will be an emphasis on the running game. There's been an urgent need for quarterback Bryce Young to get the football out of his hands within a 2.7-second timeframe. Canales is also working on enhancing communication to ensure everyone gets on the same page and is aware of their responsibilities.
Hopefully, it'll have the desired effect when competitive action begins once again. Otherwise, Young will be running for his life in 2024.
Carolina Panthers tight end involvement
It's no secret that the Carolina Panthers have lacked consistent production from the tight end position since Greg Olsen was allowed to leave in 2020. Poor schematic concepts and a lack of trust in the options available led to a drastic decline. This is something new head coach Dave Canales is looking to change as a matter of urgency.
The Panthers will be deploying their tight ends much more heavily within Canales' system. They'll be schemed open to provide quarterback Bryce Young with prominent security blankets over short-to-intermediate routes. This is an area in which he thrives thanks to strong processing and accurate distribution.
Canales also remains highly confident the options available can surge forward under his tutelage. We've already seen that come to fruition over Carolina's early offseason workouts. There's a long way to go, but this was an encouraging first step nonetheless.
Tommy Tremble received significant praise from Canales for the way he's applied himself as the No. 1 option. It's an opportunity the former third-round pick's been waiting for. Looking at his emerging leadership and tone-setting attitude in practice, he doesn't want to waste it.
The Panthers have also seen surprising improvements from Ian Thomas with Canales leading the charge. The former fourth-round selection has a new lease of life under the new regime. His raised performance levels haven't gone unnoticed by the media. Whether it amounts to an upturn in production during the regular season is anyone's guess, but it's something to monitor as the summer goes on.
Couple this with the intriguing arrival of rookie Ja'Tavion Sanders, it's not hard to see why things are looking up for this much-maligned unit. Canales has the key to unlock their potential. There are some concerns about whether those around have sufficient quality, but they've responded well to improved teachings so far.
If the same trend continues, this group could go from a weak link to a potential area of strength.
Bryce Young's footwork
Dave Canales wouldn't have taken the Carolina Panthers head coaching job if he felt Bryce Young couldn't be fixed. The quarterback went through untold complications during a disastrous rookie campaign in 2023. That didn't put the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator off. It was the opposite.
Canales knows there were plenty of mitigating factors behind Young's underachievement last season. He also knows how to galvanize quarterbacks and get them back to their old selves. It's something he accomplished with Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield. The Panthers are banking on his magic working on the former Alabama star sooner rather than later.
The talent is there with Young, he just got dealt a bad hand last time around. Very few - if any - quarterbacks around the league would have thrived in this environment. At the same time, this is a pivotal upcoming campaign for the signal-caller in pursuit of silencing some increasing doubters.
Much like the rest of the roster, improving the fundamentals is something Canales is looking to do for Young. This centered on footwork over early offseason workouts.
Getting out of his drops efficiently, stepping into his throws with more conviction, and ensuring his feet and upper body become aligned consistently were good places to start. Those in attendance at Carolina's mandatory minicamp noticed a vast difference in Young's footwork. Hopefully, this can be a stepping stone to brighter days ahead next season and beyond.
Canales' success will go hand in hand with Young's growth. The Panthers are steadfast in their belief he can become a franchise-caliber presence under center. They invested heavily around the Heisman Trophy winner this offseason, providing him with the sort of environment that was sorely lacking during his first season in a professional environment.
Once Young's new footwork becomes more familiar to the player, improvements should be rapid. If this scenario comes to fruition, the decision to hire Canales will pay off handsomely.