Carolina Panthers Training Camp: Week 1 Stock Report
It’s rare to get any serious negative news out of training-camp practices, but even by that standard, the Carolina Panthers have had a nice first week-and-a-half of camp. The news coming out of Spartanburg, South Carolina, has been overwhelmingly positive, which bodes well for the team entering its first preseason match against the Buffalo Bills on Friday night.
Apart from a skirmish between Cam Newton and Josh Norman and an unfortunate stress reaction for Star Lotulelei, the team has been doing quite well. There have been no significant negative reports for anyone coming out of camp, and everything seems to be clicking quite well at the moment. The closest thing to a worry would be the continued struggles of the offense in the red zone, per Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer, but even that can be attributed to the skill of the defense rather than the play of the offense. If you’re looking for optimism, the Panthers training camp has been overflowing with it.
We’ll see if that optimism holds up when the Panthers get live action against other teams, including Friday’s preseason game and the joint preseason practices with Carolina and the Miami Dolphins in the middle of next week, but for now, things are looking up.
Here are some of the names who have stood out the brightest so far—as well as those who are dragging behind after the first week of camp.
Stock Up: WR Ted Ginn Jr.
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Since leaving the Dolphins, the team that originally drafted him, Ted Ginn Jr. has had a total of one solid NFL season as a receiver—2013, with Newton in Carolina.
Back in Carolina after a one-year sojourn in the desert, Ginn has surprised a lot of people. David Newton of ESPN.com called him the “biggest surprise” of camp, as Ginn appears to be ahead of the younger Corey Brown in the race to be the deep threat of the offense.
In a press conference last week, Ginn admitted that heading to the Arizona Cardinals last season was “going out and chasing a check,” per Tim Durr of Black and Blue Review, and that he was happy to be back in Carolina, where he thinks the team will utilize him properly.
Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review has agreed with Newton's assessment, picking out Ginn’s highlights as top plays on multiple days, including a dramatic leap over a plastic fence. When Ginn gets the ball in his hands, he’s capable of making highlight-reel plays, though those generally happen on special teams and not on offense.
Ginn’s 556 receiving yards in 2013 were probably somewhat of a fluke, out of character with what he’s done since reaching his mid-20s. However, returning to Carolina and reuniting with the quarterback and offense that produced those 500-plus yards is the best way to re-create that. Maybe it wasn't a fluke—maybe it was having Cam Newton as his quarterback rather than Alex Smith, Drew Stanton or Troy Smith that triggered Ginn's success.
If the Newton-to-Ginn connection produces something in 2015, that’s a humongous boon to an offense that mostly has larger, slower men at the receiving positions, including Kelvin Benjamin, Greg Olsen and Devin Funchess. If the Panthers can get consistent production out of the speedy Ginn, they will have grabbed one of the better under-the-radar free agents of the year.
Stock Down: LB Shaq Thompson
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When Shaq Thompson has been on the field, he’s flashed what made him a first-round pick. He’s a great athlete with fantastic range and projects to be the next Thomas Davis one day.
However, to do that, he needs to stay on the field, and that hasn’t been the case so far. A bad hamstring, originally suffered in rookie minicamp, has kept Thompson on the sidelines more than the field to this point. Thompson’s already in the tough position of switching from a hybrid linebacker-safety role in college to a full-time safety in the pros; missing any training-camp time delays his development.
He’s been able to work in position drills but hasn’t seen much action with the team as of yet.
“We’ve just got to be careful. It’s one of those things where, right now, it’s just about learning and growing,” head coach Ron Rivera said, per Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. “But at the same time, you don’t want to put a guy in position where it will linger, and especially hamstrings. Those are kind of nagging.”
Eventually, Thompson will be healthy, and his development can continue. It’s just been disappointing that the crown jewel in a small draft class has been unable to get crucial reps at this stage of his development.
Stock Up: WR Kelvin Benjamin
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Last year’s first-round pick, on the other hand, is looking great.
After missing most of this year’s offseason workouts with hamstring injuries of his own, and watching his coach throw questions about his weight around, Benjamin has entered training camp focused and ready to contribute.
Jerricho Cotchery has called him the “lead dog” of a young and competitive receiving corps, per David Newton, and the beat writers are universally singing his praises. He was Newton’s camp MVP, and Voth named Benjamin his daily offensive MVP during the big open Fan Fest practice Saturday, saying that “he continues to do what he wants to the defense.”
Benjamin got lost in the shuffle among rookie wide receivers last season, despite going for over 1,000 yards. Players like Odell Beckham Jr. and Mike Evans received more press than Benjamin. That could easily change in Year 2—with more targets on offense to draw attention, Benjamin should get better matchups and chances to succeed. Expect him to take a step forward this season.
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Stock Down: OT Michael Oher
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The only player with negative enough reviews to require Coach Rivera to address them to the media has been Michael Oher.
During the first few days of camp, Oher struggled against the speed rush. David Newton charted him as getting beaten, and badly, at least four times on his worst day of practice. Coach Rivera jumped in the next day, noting that it was Oher’s first practice as a left tackle in pads in multiple years. “He was a little bit rusty coming out of his stance. … But as practice went on and he started getting into the team events, I thought he looked really good.”
Some rust is to be expected, moving back from the right side to the left side, certainly. Oher also hasn’t had nearly as bad of a day since then as he’s gotten more comfortable at the position, but the reviews have only risen to the point of “mixed.” Voth praised him for a dominating block on Frank Alexander on Monday, though on August 2 he noted that defensive ends were blowing by Oher on a regular basis.
Oher does seem to be trending in the right direction, with the worst practices at the beginning and better ones more recently, but it keeps the brunt of the limelight on Oher’s position at left tackle. We’ll have to see how he holds up Friday against the likes of Jerry Hughes and Manny Lawson. The success or failure of Oher will probably have a larger impact on the fate of the 2015 Panthers than any other player not named Cam Newton will.
Stock Up: Frank Alexander
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The battle to replace Greg Hardy is an open one. Frank Alexander has to not only win that battle but also convince the coaching staff it can trust him after twice being suspended for substance abuse last season.
So far, so good.
David Newton described Alexander as having the “early edge” to be the every-down right end, thanks to the inconsistency of Kony Ealy. The early depth chart lists Alexander as the starter, though that could easily be just a tip of the hat to his status as a veteran.
Coach Rivera, in a press conference, noted that Alexander was doing all the things necessary to earn a second chance:
"He’s a solid young man. Guys make mistakes, they don’t make malicious mistakes, he made a mistake, an honest mistake in trying to figure some things out. Frank made the commitment to try to do things square, to make things right, and that’s what he did. He went out and did the things you’re supposed to do to prove you deserve a second opportunity. We’re not going to throw guys to the side who are solid young men that really show us that they’re committed to make things right. Frank is trying to make things right. Why not give him an opportunity.
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The likely end result of the training-camp battle at right end is a rotation of some sort, but Alexander’s three years in the system and success in his first two seasons give him a leg up until Ealy can prove he can produce consistently. Alexander’s problem has never been production; it’s been staying on the field. If he can do that, he could help fill the gap caused by Hardy’s departure.
Bryan Knowles is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the Carolina Panthers. Follow him @BryKno on Twitter.
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