5 critical observations from Carolina Panthers 2024 training camp Day 2
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers defense wins the day
There's always going to be some back-and-forth between offense and defense throughout camp. No unit is going to have it all their way. It's all about laying down markers and ensuring everyone gets better collectively before the regular season arrives.
The Carolina Panthers defense lost some established figures through early releases, free-agent departures, and trades during a busy first offseason for general manager Dan Morgan. Fortunately for the franchise, they still have coordinator Ejiro Evero at the helm.
Evero's one of the sharpest young defensive minds around. He did more with less last season and the Panthers are hoping for the same again. Based on the showing from his group on Day 2 of training camp, optimism is growing.
The defense won the day. They confused the Panthers' offense with their schematic alignments and forced mistakes in difficult conditions according to those in attendance. Dave Canales was also encouraged to see defensive turnovers occur, which is not in keeping with his usual offensive priority based on comments via the team's website.
"Those are the moments that we have to capture. So it's kind of interesting as an offensive coach, those things always kind of make the hair rise a little bit on my neck, but to see the defense and the intentionality was like, that's exactly what we want. It's exactly the type of football we're looking for."
- Dave Canales via Panthers.com
Nobody is getting too carried away. It's the second day of practice and there is a long journey ahead before the regular season commences. Some obvious holes could hold them back - especially if injuries occur - but the familiarity with Evero's system and new additions' previous knowledge of the coach's demands enabled them to make an imposing start.
Whether this is a trend that continues throughout camp remains to be seen. But the offense will be making it their business to bounce back and strike a blow during their next session on Saturday.