The Carolina Panthers took a brief break from Spartanburg on Wednesday, returning home to Bank of America Stadium for this year’s edition of Fan Fest.
Let’s run down the top takeaways and observations from the fun fan-filled night:
Bryce Young shines again
The No. 1 overall pick shined for the second straight practice, going 11-for-16 in team drills. And the one notable mistake he made, an interception by linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, wasn’t even his fault.
“When you get in those situations at the end and you got 15 seconds left, so what do you wanna do?” head coach Frank Reich explained. “Do you wanna take a shot into the end zone? Well, that’s what the defense is gonna do. So sometimes it’s just good to take your medicine, kick the field goal with 15 seconds to go. And then, you gotta kick off.
“But, in this situation, sometimes what you find is—man, I feel like we’re in midseason form right now, this is good stuff. Sometimes you wanna see, ‘Is the defense gonna screw it up?’ I wanna see what the defense is gonna do. So I said, ‘Hey, let’s just go out there and run four verts, see if the defense plays the wrong coverage and then we’ll just throw it away. And then they got a pretty good rush and I put him in a hard position.”
. . . and he knows how to command a huddle
Center Bradley Bozeman also had the chance to speak about the rookie quarterback. He told reporters that Young, although calm, always commands the huddle:
“I wouldn’t call him soft-spoken at all. I’d call him more confident. I mean, just even-keeled and confident. It’s everything that I get from him. When he steps in the huddle, everyone shuts up and looks. So, that tells you a lot. There’s a lot of huddles I’ve been in where people are still talking in side conversation about the play that happened before. Whenever he steps in, it’s silent.”
Jeremy Chinn (sorta) describes his new role
Although undefined, the role Chinn will play in Ejiro Evero’s defense will be an exciting one. The fourth-year defender said the following about his position in the new 3-4 base defense:
“A nickel, a dime. But I feel like that puts it in a box a little bit,” he said, via Joe Person of The Athletic. “To say nickel doesn’t really do it justice.”
Jeremy Chinn says his role in Ejiro Evero's defense will be "a little bit different" than what he's done the last two years. Calls the Panthers' DC creative.
— Augusta Stone (@augustalstone) August 3, 2023
Chinn on his role in Evero's defense: "I'm not so far from the ball, I'm closer to the ball. That's the biggest difference. I'm definitely feeling a lot more comfortable."
— Schuyler Callihan (@Callihan_) August 3, 2023
Notable observations
PUP list players Chandler Zavala and Jalen Redmond not in pads either.
— Augusta Stone (@augustalstone) August 2, 2023
CJ Henderson back after missing yesterday with a groin injury.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) August 2, 2023
Rookie G Nash Jensen just walked in the tunnel with a trainer during individual drills. Camerun Peeples, who was sideline for Tuesday’s practice, is back in uniform. #Panthers
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) August 2, 2023
TMJ #Panthers pic.twitter.com/Nqa4r83ObB
— Nick Carboni (@NickCarboniWCNC) August 2, 2023
T-Marsh 🔥@_bryce_young x @Terracemjr pic.twitter.com/Xv7NgQxO9T
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 2, 2023
DJ Chark from Dalton pic.twitter.com/c0hNHuKPdb
— Nick Carboni (@NickCarboniWCNC) August 2, 2023
And your obligatory DJ Chark deep ball of the day.
Those are becoming regular occurrences.
— Darin Gantt (@daringantt) August 3, 2023
Bryce Young with a DIME to Laviska Shenault downfield. Shenault hit the gas down the sideline and blazed past rookie safety Jammie Robinson. #Panthers
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) August 3, 2023
Nice rollout pass from Bryce Young to Terrace Marshall Jr, rolling right and firing on the move.
— Nick Carboni (@NickCarboniWCNC) August 3, 2023
Another nice pass from Bryce Young, over the middle to TE Hayden Hurst #Panthers
— Nick Carboni (@NickCarboniWCNC) August 3, 2023
Bryce Young is dealing in 11-on-11. He starts 6-of-7, and the lone incompletion was a strike he put right on Tommy Tremble, who allowed the ball to bounce off his shoulder pad. #Panthers
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) August 3, 2023
💪💪💪@haydenrhurst pic.twitter.com/KYtYD2zSgB
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 3, 2023
During the 3 vs. 3 "opportunity period," Matt Corral with a nice completion to TE Stephen Sullivan.
Sullivan's made some plays lately in camp.
— Darin Gantt (@daringantt) August 3, 2023
With the starters working against each other to close practice, Bryce Young slips one to RB Raheem Blackshear for a nice gain.
Blackshear's ability to catch-and-run will keep him involved in the offense.
— Darin Gantt (@daringantt) August 3, 2023
Chark been on it. pic.twitter.com/FhpAxqPHge
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 3, 2023
