Panthers News: Jaycee Horn, Shi Smith, Christian McCaffrey and Matt Corral
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers news stories are hitting the headlines as players and coaches ready themselves for their final OTAs later this week?
There's been no time for the Carolina Panthers to rest on their laurels throughout a busy period for the franchise. Frank Reich and his staff might only be halfway through their installation phase, but the final round of OTAs is rapidly descending and set to take place from June 6-8 this week.
This is the last stage before Carolina's mandatory minicamp and it promises to be intriguing. Until then, the stories generating headlines recently include Jaycee Horn's status among other NFL cornerbacks, Matt Corral's future discussed, Shi Smith being named as a potential cut candidate, and Christian McCaffrey receiving praise from his current running backs coach.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Former Carolina Panthers RB praised
It was no surprise to see Christian McCaffrey immediately thrive within Kyle Shanahan's offensive system when the Carolina Panthers traded their star player to the San Francisco 49ers. A necessary sacrifice when one considers the state of things at the time and the need to hit the reset button.
McCaffrey will look to spearhead the Niners' playoff quest with a full offseason under his belt, especially considering the questions at quarterback. When asked about what makes the All-Pro so special, running backs coach Bobby Turner stated via Yahoo Sports that it centers on football intelligence coupled with exceptional athletic traits.
"First and foremost, Christian is an outstanding individual that loves the game. And he wants to be the best of the best and is very coachable. And before I can even start coaching him, he knows what he did. He knows. And he wants those coaching points, and he enjoys it. But he's also a player that he can just look at himself, and even when the plays in it, he felt something just wasn't maybe right as far as his depth, or he could have gained another of the yard or his read or whatever it was. He's aware of it."
- Bobby Turner via Yahoo Sports
The Panthers have moved on from McCaffrey. But many within the fanbase wish him nothing but the best despite some recent comments that indicated there might be some animosity between both sides.