The Carolina Panthers head into 2024 training camp as the only NFL franchise to cycle through four different head coaches/interims in the last two seasons. The consecutive regime changes have led to five major questions surrounding the franchise before they report to camp.
Unanswered Questions Ahead of Carolina Panthers Training Camp
Dave Canales now gets the head coaching reins in Charlotte, becoming the sixth official head coach in team history. Canales has five big questions to address once camp starts, including our most pressing question for Carolina.
Will Bryce Young Improve After a Disastrous Rookie Season?
One reason behind the Canales hire involves the 2023 first-overall pick.
Young’s rookie season failed to match his immense production as a Heisman Trophy winner at Alabama. And it didn’t take long for Young to witness an abrupt coaching change as Frank Reich got canned.
Canales, though, is considered a quarterback whisperer. He most recently worked wonders with Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay, who produced the best season yet out of the 2018 first-overall selection. Before Mayfield, Geno Smith earned his first Pro Bowl with Canales as his QB coach in 2022.
Perhaps Canales is the man who can connect with Young and build him up. But that’s not the only pressing question involving the second-year passer.
Who Will Step Up as Bryce Young’s Favorite Target in the Passing Game?
Canales will have to find out who rises to WR1 in Charlotte as he installs his offensive scheme. He’ll need camp to immediately find out which wideout produces the best chemistry with Young.
And just who is at the current disposal for Young? One is a newcomer: past Pro Bowler Diontae Johnson, who was added via trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Johnson, though, will have to bounce back after a disappointing 2023 campaign in which he settled for only 51 catches, 717 yards, and five touchdowns. Carolina will want the version of Johnson that had 193 total receptions from 2021 to 2022 to help ignite Young’s confidence.
Adam Thielen is already one former Pro Bowler on the Panthers’ roster. Thielen even delivered 103 receptions for 1,014 yards while playing for a struggling offense last season. However, he’s battling Father Time as he turns 34 before the season.
If Johnson struggles and Thielen shows wear and tear, count on first-round selection and local talent Xavier Legette to be trusted early. The South Carolina star got taken 32nd overall as the Panthers moved up to snatch him.
Will the Offensive Line Make Strides After Key Free Agent Additions?
Canales and Carolina’s front office addressed another crucial area to help Young’s development — the offensive line.
Robert Hunt comes over via the Miami Dolphins armed with a five-year, $100 million contract with $63 million guaranteed. Hunt’s not the only top trench addition, though, as Damien Lewis signed for four years and $53 million in coming over from the Seahawks. Canales and Lewis already share a past Seattle connection.
Both are expected to bolster the guard spots and upgrade a unit that allowed 65 sacks last season. Lewis has surrendered three sacks in more than 925 pass-block attempts across the past two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus. Hunt, meanwhile, allowed just one sack on 376 passing plays per PFF.
But Canales and Carolina will need more than the new guard duo to step up. Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu has endured a rough start since getting selected No. 6 overall in 2022. Taylor Moton has been a steady presence, but he turns 30 before the season.
Who Steps Up in Replacing Brian Burns as Top Pass Rusher?
Crossing over to the opposite trenches, someone has to light a fire under this pass-rushing unit with Carolina’s top sack leader traded away.
After hearing two years of trade rumors, Burns finally got dealt away before the ’24 draft to the New York Giants. Burns leaves Charlotte producing 46 career sacks over the last five seasons, including 12.5 in 2022.
Carolina is pivoting back to a 3-4 alignment under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, which will become reminiscent of the early years with Dom Capers. Evero will have one trusty veteran to turn to in free agent signing Jadeveon Clowney, who snatched nine sacks with the Baltimore Ravens last season.
But at the opposite WILL linebacker side, Carolina has three WLBs with past injury histories in free agent addition from the Minnesota Vikings D.J. Wonnum, Amare Barno, and D.J. Johnson.
Can Dave Canales Win Over His New Team Immediately?
Finally, Canales will need to use his first camp as a head coach to instill trust right away between himself and the players.
As an older head coach, Reich had difficulty meshing with the players. At 44, Canales brings more youthful spunk to Carolina.
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But Canales is taking over a team that not only fell to a league-worst 2-15 mark, but a franchise that’s produced five straight double-digit losing seasons.
If Canales has Carolina in the mix for the NFC South crown, expect many analysts to write his name down as a potential Coach of the Year winner.
Panthers’ Training Camp Primer
When Does Training Camp Start for the Panthers?
Rookies will report to Panthers’ camp on July 19, with veterans reporting on July 23. Carolina will practice from July 25 to August 14, with Back Together Weekend being held on July 27.
How Long is Panthers Training Camp?
While the ramp-up period for the NFL can feel like a long time before Week 1, NFL training camps are typically only two weeks long.
This has changed in recent years as the NFL’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) focuses on protecting players, which has limited the time for training camp.
Teams will use training camp to prepare for the preseason, install schemes, evaluate position battles, work on conditioning, and more. Once camp ends, there’s a change in tempo and demeanor on the practice field.
Are Training Camps Mandatory?
Yes, there is no way around it — training camp is mandatory. With it signaling the start of the new season for every team, not showing up for training camp would be like not showing up for your first day of work.
Furthermore, the new CBA has made it incredibly difficult for players who are looking to “hold out,” no matter the reason. The fines are hefty, and even though that used to be a negotiating practice by players looking to be paid, those days are all but over now.
Do NFL Players Get Paid For Attending Training Camps?
According to Article 23 of the CBA, veteran players are entitled to per diem payments beginning on the first day of training camp and ending on the final day. In this case, a veteran is defined as a player with at least one season of credited service.
In 2024, veteran players will earn $3,200 per week during training camp. That will increase to $3,500 during the 2025 and 2026 league years.
Meanwhile, first-year NFL players will receive a weekly rate of $1,850 in 2023 and 2024. That will jump to $2,000 per week in 2025 and 2026.
How Many NFL Players Are Cut After Training Camp?
Entering training camp, teams can have up to 90 players on their roster. However, they must trim their roster down to 53 players by cutdown day. Teams can carry 16 players on their practice squad, so some of the individuals who get cut will be retained as part of the practice squad.
Teams spend all of training camp and the preseason evaluating their players, and then the front office and coaching staff must make these tough decisions prior to Week 1 of the regular season. During the 2024 season, roster cutdown day is Aug. 27 at 4 p.m. ET.
