According to Panthers.com senior writer Darin Gantt, the Carolina Panthers continue to look pretty good at training camp. There were some botched snaps offensively. One of them resulted in Brian Burns scooping up the ball quickly, which is what he was supposed to do.
But there were also some highlights from some players that might invoke hope in fans for the future. Rookie wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. shined at practice on Thursday. He made a few highlight-reel catches, demonstrating the type of player he has the potential of becoming. Listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 200 pounds, the rookie out of LSU will be joining a receiving core that includes Robbie Anderson and DJ Moore who are both coming off 1000-yard seasons last year. So he will hopefully be able to produce and learn in a reserved role and not be pressured to start and make a significant impact immediately. He also should be familiar with Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady from their time at LSU. During the 2019 college football campaign, Marshall caught thirteen touchdowns for the national champion Tigers via Joe Brady's play calling.
Jeremy Chinn primarily played safety in college at Southern Illinois University. Last year as a rookie, he was mainly a linebacker, largely because the Panthers had no depth at the position. At six feet 3, 221 pounds, he was a little undersized but made some big plays. Some that stick out to me, include the game in Minnesota where he scored two defensive touchdowns in a span of twelve seconds.
The team is trying him out at safety now and he showed Thursday that he might be able to make plays there in the pros too. During a seven-on-seven period, Chinn intercepted a Sam Darnold pass that bounced off DJ Moore’s hands and took the ball into open space. If Jeremy Chinn can continue to be the Swiss army knife on defense, and if rookie cornerback Jaycee Horn can develop into what they hope he will, might be the start of an effective secondary.
Coach Rhule and staff are not calling Chin’s switch to his old college position a permanent change, but then nothing is set in stone yet. They’re still trying to figure out the O-line, and they still are getting ready for full padding next week. Among other things. I’m just challenging myself to fully follow the Carolina Panthers this year from start to finish. I have never been able to do that because I honestly hate when they loose and find it very difficult to talk about my teams’ losses, let alone write about them. Since the 2018 season, the Panthers have been losing a lot more than winning. But so far after Day Two of camp, things seem as good as they can be.
