4 critical observations from Carolina Panthers 2023 training camp Day 1

New Carolina Panthers offense and player utilization

One of the things I wanted to see Wednesday was what Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown would install from a schematic standpoint. What I saw was a complete 180 from Ben McAdoo last season.

Brown was a mixed bag, in a good way. There was plenty of 11 and 12-personnel usage with singleback, under-center looks to go along with play action out of both the shotgun and on the line of scrimmage.

I liked the usage of motion that got Carolina's defense out of sorts at times. This was a big component that was missed from the Panthers' offense over the last few seasons and it was a welcomed sight. 

It looks like there is no obvious No. 1 target in the offense so far. The ball was spread out a good bit to the likes of Terrace Marshall Jr., Adam Thielen, D.J. Chark, Laviska Shenault Jr., Hayden Hurst, and Ian Thomas. Speaking of tight ends, there were good executions of screens and seam busters involving the position group.

Shenault stood out to me with how Carolina utilized him at practice. He lined up as a running back, H-back, slot, and boundary receiver, and he showcased a lot of the yards after the catch ability that made him a coveted prospect coming out of Colorado in 2020. 

Today made me quite giddy for what the Panthers offense could be in 2023.