6 critical observations from Carolina Panthers 2024 training camp Day 6
Thursday night represented one of the prized events for the Carolina Panthers training camp. Fan Fest was in a new location: Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.
The franchise chose this site as their new location for Fan Fest to keep the “two states, one team” motto intact. It was also chosen to commemorate the team’s 30th anniversary of its existence when they played their first season at Clemson while Bank of America Stadium was under construction.
Carolina is in the thick of training camp as they’ve begun to practice in full pads. This gives fans and media a better understanding of some of the underdogs and how they may perform against the competition. Some of the best moments of camp feature the position battles and one-on-one drills with wide receivers, defensive backs, offensive linemen, and defensive linemen.
I was in attendance at Clemson for Fan Fest and saw how things are progressing up close. Despite the rain early on, the event seemed to be a smashing success. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Panthers returned to Memorial Stadium next summer.
Without further ado, here are six critical observations from Fan Fest.
Critical observations from Day 6 of Carolina Panthers 2024 training camp
Scrimmage gets sloppy
Thursday evening’s practice was more of an intrasquad scrimmage to get players and coaches in the flow of game planning, adjustments, and locking down cadences. It turned out to be quite messy as both offense and defense looked sloppy and undisciplined.
It felt like every other play was a penalty - whether it was an offsides call by the defense or a false start offensively. This is something that won’t cut it on Sundays. Thankfully, the season doesn’t officially start for over a month. Head coach Dave Canales has plenty of time to get his players in check and steadfast.
The crowd and music likely played a role in the disorganization. This was the first time every player was competing in a game-like environment. It’s loud and chaotic. The Carolina Panthers didn’t fill the entire stadium, but the noise seemed to be impactful. Better that significant mistakes happen now rather than in Week 1.
Or, this could be a sign of things to come. Remember, this is a Carolina team that is coming off a league-worst 2-15 season. There are still a lot of unknowns at this point. It’s better to let the preseason and training camp play itself out.