5 critical observations from Carolina Panthers-NY Jets joint practice No. 1

What are some critical observations from the Carolina Panthers' first joint practice with the New York Jets ahead of the 2023 season?

With one day left in training camp, the Carolina Panthers are ending it with two joint practices with the new-look New York Jets. Both teams enter the 2023 season with high expectations for different reasons of their own and it was easy to see why.

In front of a packed crowd of an estimated 10,000 crowd, fans from both teams got to experience the new talents such as Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young and one of the greatest to ever set foot on the gridiron in Aaron Rodgers.

It was a hot and humid day, per usual, at Wofford College. There was plenty of trash talk and mini skirmishes that took place between both teams. It was as you expected from a joint practice between two young, yet talented football teams.

Without further ado, here are some critical observations from the first of the joint practices between Carolina and New York.

Carolina Panthers and NY Jets fans showed out

When I arrived for the first day of training camp a couple of weeks ago, the environment was something I had not noticed in quite some time and likely since the days of Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly.

Today, after spending some time with fans along the black fence leading into the Carolina Panthers locker room, the hill overseeing both of the main practice fields was packed from corner to corner with very little room to walk.

This was amazing to see. The support from fans was incredible to watch. I had some good interactions with Jets fans at the end of practice Wednesday and they are certainly a passionate fanbase, and the same can be said for Carolina’s fans, too. 

There was excitement and energy in the air from both sides which makes me excited for football season to finally begin its official start in just over a month. There is reason for hope and optimism again for these squads.

Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young shows out again…with some flaws dipped in

Most fans in attendance Wednesday wanted to see both team’s star quarterbacks. Both showed out in their own fashion.

Aaron Rodgers was as advertised, even with HBO and NFL Films filming this year’s season of Hard Knocks. The spotlight, however, continues to leave the youthful Bryce Young unfazed.

There was an obvious improvement with Young from Day 1 of training camp to today. Everything from command of the offense to installation of plays and getting teammates in the right spot, making adjustments on the fly.

Young will have his struggles and some of that popped up, including a pick-six that saw his pass take a tad longer to get to his destination than he would’ve liked. Brandon Echols did a great job squatting in his zone assignment and made an excellent play.

I would also like to see Young add some urgency to his game as he continues to display a flaw that sometimes, not all the time, plagued him at Alabama. He held onto the ball too long on a few reps. 

This year’s No. 1 draft selection had some missed throws that were wide and behind - but they were few and far between. He continued to make the jaw-dropping throws that made him such a success under Nick Saban with the Crimson Tide.

The football intelligence pre-snap and post-snap are quite advanced for Young’s age. He compliments that with terrific accuracy on all three levels, displaying some nice intermediate and deep throws to the top four receivers on the Carolina Panthers roster.

Fans want results now. Remember, this is a process for Young.

Don’t expect him to play at an All-Pro level right away. He will make questionable throws at times this season. However, it is nothing more than a part of the learning curve.

Austin Corbett is missed on Carolina Panthers OL

One of the things I wanted to see Wednesday was how the Carolina Panthers' interior offensive line would do against the New York Jets defensive front - a unit that help them to a top-10 ranking last season.

It went as you would probably expect.

New York’s interior pressure got home far too many times for my liking. All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and veteran Al Woods were causing displacement and quickness at the line of scrimmage, with the biggest victim being second-year right guard Cade Mays.

The former Tennessee star showed gradual improvement and I believe Mays will get better as he gets more reps in practice and during games. However, the faster rookie Chandler Zavala can get up to speed, the sooner we may see a change at the right guard spot before the start of the regular season.

Wednesday’s performance further displayed why Austin Corbett is a crucial part of the offensive line when healthy. He’s a power guard at the point of attack that takes no prisoners, will consistently create clean pockets for his quarterback, and create rushing lanes for his running backs.

When Corbett returns, he will provide a massive boost to the Panthers' offense both in the run game and in pass protection.

Carolina Panthers defense ends the day on a high note

Let me be clear, I was too far away from seeing how the Carolina Panthers' defense performed. However, according to local media reports and observations from my colleague Ricky Raines and other content creators, there was some inconsistency from the group, including plenty of would-be penalties.

Maybe the loss of Frankie Luvu, who Frank Reich said had tweaked something minor, contributed to the struggles. Yet, there was no quit and plenty of competitiveness as the defense ended strong during a small scrimmage near the end of practice.

Ejiro Evero’s defense forced two three-and-outs, including a practice-sealing interception against Zach Wilson by defensive MVP of training camp, linebacker Kamu Gruiger-Hill.

Grugier-Hill has had a terrific camp and it continued today. While he might not be the starter, Carolina could be in good hands should Luvu go down with an injury - *knock on wood*. He’s a linebacker that moves very well and shows the physicality to wade through the trash around the line of scrimmage. 

Edge rusher Brian Burns and defensive lineman Derrick Brown - Carolina’s two defensive stars up front - were all over quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the first defensive series. Nose tackle Marquan McCall, defensive tackle Shy Tuttle, and new signee Justin Houston also created pressure with ample coverage from guys like Keith Taylor and C.J. Henderson on the boundary - both of whom have shown improvements in practice these last couple of weeks.

I can’t wait to see what Evero deploys on defense this season and we’ll be getting our first look on Saturday. Although he won't be giving too much away.

Tensions run high on a hot and humid day

As players and coaches began to walk out of the locker room for practice Wednesday, I told my colleague Ricky Raines that today was going to be a high-tension day. And it delivered.

There were several mini skirmishes on both fields, though my vantage point was on the near side in front of the fans. First, tight end Hayden Hurst was getting into it with New York Jets edge rusher Jermaine Johnson a couple of times as the two clashed at the line of scrimmage in early 11-on-11 drills.

Next, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. and tight end Stephen Sullivan were skirmishing with New York linebacker C.J. Mosley and another defensive player I was unable to identify amid the chaos. 

There was plenty of chirping and face-to-face head-butting in practice. It was tense, but it will make for great television when the next episode of Hard Knocks premiers next Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET on HBO. 

This was the type of atmosphere I enjoyed seeing. I loved the competitiveness and effort of everyone on the field and it was one of the best practices I’ve gotten to witness in the last several years I’ve come down to Spartanburg.

Expect the same results tomorrow for the final day of training camp and another chapter closed in Carolina’s time at Wofford College.