Panthers News: Frank Reich, Bryce Young, DeAndre Hopkins and Josh Sweat
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers news stories are hitting the headlines as the rookie and veteran training camp dates were officially confirmed by the NFL?
Training camp hype grows larger today (Thursday) as the Carolina Panthers make tickets available for the wider public for a frenzied few weeks in Spartanburg. PSL owners got first dibs on Wednesday as interest is expected to be extremely high - especially when the New York Jets visit for joint practices.
Among the stories causing conversation recently include Frank Reich's ranking, Bryce Young getting more praise from a teammate, the Panthers going in a different direction during a 2018 re-draft, and two reporters quashing the notion of DeAndre Hopkins making a homecoming to the Carolinas.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Carolina Panthers take Josh Sweat in 2018 re-draft
The Carolina Panthers didn't do too badly out of the 2018 NFL Draft. Although only three of the eight selections are still around after first-round selection D.J. Moore was traded to the Chicago Bears this offseason.
In a recent re-draft by Gary Davenport of The Bleacher Report, Moore was gone long before the Panthers went on the clock at No. 24 overall. The writer had them take edge rusher Josh Sweat - an original fourth-round selection who enjoyed a standout campaign for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022.
"It took Josh Sweat a while to get going. He played sparingly as a rookie and posted only 10 sacks over his first three NFL seasons. But in 2021, the lightbulb came on, and he finished with 45 total tackles, 7.5 sacks and a trip to the Pro Bowl. In 2022, that lightbulb turned up the brightness to blinding. Sweat logged career-bests in both tackles (48) and sacks (11) on Philly's way to the Super Bowl. Last year's eruption might be as much of a fluke as a coming-out party. But when your pass rush is shaky and a Pro Bowl-caliber edge-rusher is available, that risk is worth taking 10 times out of 10."
- Gary Davenport, The Bleacher Report
The Panthers still have an edge rushing need opposite Brian Burns, which can hopefully be resolved by those already on the roster or by acquiring another option with an abundance of salary cap space available. If it were me, the pick would have been mammoth nose tackle Vita Vea of those available given the team's upcoming defensive system switch under Ejiro Evero.