The Panthers had a virtual offseason with virtually a complete roster overhaul. Training camp is going to be a big challenge for new coach Matt Rhule.
The Carolina Panthers open 2020 NFL training camp at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on July 28. Here’s a closer look at a few storylines:
How has a virtual offseason made an impact on first-year NFL coach Matt Rhule?
Rhule insists that he and his assistants have become better coaches and teachers because they had to use new and innovative tools during the pandemic. But Panthers players haven’t gotten a feel for the mental and physical toughness needed to be a part of the culture Rhule sees as essential to rebuilding. Rhule has met only 20 players personally. His assistants haven’t met that many on a roster that has been almost completely overhauled since the end of the 2019 season. Gone are key leaders such as Cam Newton, Greg Olsen and Luke Kuechly.
So training camp will be as much about the players and coaches getting to know each other and how far they can be pushed as they implement systems. It will be about learning how leadership off the field will translate to on the field. It will also be about learning how the staff with the least NFL experience will adjust to the pro game. Rhule has only one year of experience in the league — as an offensive line assistant for the Giants in 2012. His 30-year-old offensive coordinator, Joe Brady, hasn’t called a complete game — ever. Even Rhule acknowledges he won’t have a real idea of how well Brady will do until the games begin. If any team needed a face-to-face offseason, it was the Panthers. So, as well as the virtual offseason went from a teaching standpoint, it has to be considered a major setback for all that was missed.
What will be expected from quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in his first season in Carolina?
No Carolina player has more pressure on him than Bridgewater, who will be following in the footsteps of Cam Newton — arguably the most popular and dynamic player in team history. Newton was released and signed an incentive-laden deal with the New England Patriots. Rhule moved on from the 2015 NFL MVP in part because he and his staff believed Bridgewater was a better fit what they were trying to do.
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Source: https://www.espn.com/blog/carolina-panthers/post/_/id/33791/carolina-panthers-training-camp-questions-can-matt-rhule-hit-ground-running
