Biggest takeaways from the Panthers' 1st day of mandatory minicamp

After missing voluntary minicamp and team organized activities, kicker Eddy Piñeiro returned to the squad on Tuesday. But he did not practice, and head coach Dave Canales wasn’t sure why.

“I don’t know, I’m gonna have to check with Tracy [Smith] just to see where he’s at,” he said. “Maybe just a conditioning thing or something like that. But Harrison [Mevis] had another good day. Kicked it hard. Was great to see Eddy today. Got the chance to kinda hang with him a little bit.”

Canales did, however, confirm that Piñeiro’s inactivity is not related to last season’s groin injury.

Wideout Xavier Legette’s inactivity on the afternoon did have to do with an injury. Canales told reporters that the team is still proceeding with caution on their first-round pick and his bothersome hamstring.

“No, not really,” Canales replied when asked if Legette’s injury was more serious than initially anticipated. “It’s just any hamstring—so, like, again—we’re looking at the time really getting shorter and shorter to when we go to camp. So we just really can’t afford to say, ‘Well, it’s good enough.’

“I think if we’re playing a game this week, he’s practicing and we’re getting ready to go. But right now, this is not the time to test that. So I think being cautious on that side, looking towards training camp is the right thing to do.”

As for the players who actually practiced, quarterback Bryce Young made quite an impression. Canales praised the 22-year-old passer for getting the offense down.

“I would just say the comfort and familiarity with our terms, with the plays,” he said when asked of Young’s growth. “Today was, by far, his best day just operating the offense. The execution of the plays—defense makes plays, too. But as far as getting out of the huddle, getting to the line of scrimmage, moving the shifts and motions, using the cadence, figuring problems out with the protections—this was a fantastic day for Bryce in understanding what we’re trying to get done.”

Outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney returned to the field after skipping out on OTAs. He was asked if he’s still trying to get his Rock Hill buddy and free-agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore to the Panthers.

“Oh yeah, that’s my guy, I talk to him all the time,” he replied with a smile. “He want me to move out here though. I was like, ‘Bro, I ain’t movin’ up there.’ But we can hang out. Just come on and sign with the Panthers and be up here with me.

“I stay out of it, let him do his thing. I just hope and pray he end up here with me. But it’s fun. It’s fun. Like I said, just talking to him and just picking his brain. He got options. When you got options, it’s even funner. So, I ‘m just ready to see where he end up.”

Receiver Diontae Johnson is entering the final year of his contract here in 2024. He was asked about the big-money deals that have been struck at his position as well as the possibility of his own.

“It’s crazy,” he said. “Everybody getting all these big contracts—it just motivates me to keep working. God gonna give it to me when he ready, so I just gotta keep stacking days and not really worry about . . . keep pressing. ‘Cause if I press, that’s gonna throw my game off and I’ma be doing stuff I don’t normally do out there trying to make plays.

“But just gotta stay relaxed, just keep being humble, make my plays. Help the team win the best way I can and my game gon’ speak for itself. And if they feel like they want to extend me, then I’m all for it.”

There’s a bit of a crowd in Carolina’s running back room, one that includes veteran Miles Sanders. And Sanders, who’s coming off the worst campaign of his NFL career, spoke on the new offense and how all the rushers are coming together thus far.

“Lookin’ at the new scheme—we’re gonna run the ball, we gon’ run the ball, we gon’ run the ball, we gon’ run the ball,” he said of Canales’ system. “And we’re gonna create a lot of opportunities for the guys that we have to get the ball in their hands. And it’s gonna be a fun year. It’s gonna be a very fun year.”

He continued.

“We had chemistry since I got in here last year starting with Chuba [Hubbard] and Raheem [Blackshear],” he replied. “And now we got Jonathon [Brooks], we got a couple of other new guys, we got [Rashaad] Penny, Penny in there too and [Mike] Boone. The guys are great. We all get along very well. We compete real good. And the chemistry in there, we all help each other to learn to the playbook.”