Black and Blue Review
PANTHERS SIX-PACK
This likely doesn’t come as BREAKING NEWS, but the media can be a selfish lot.
Example: Friday may have been the most pleasant Panthers training camp practice in Spartanburg ever*.
Temps in the 90s with suffocating humidity is usually a lock for the first day of August. But after a morning full of rain, the sun stayed away, and the high reached a cool 70 degrees. While it was tremendous for us, head coach Ron Rivera was irked.
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OBSERVATIONS AND NOTES
- QB Cam Newton: One of his better days so far throwing the ball. Made his biggest attempt yet to scramble, but he won’t be running much this preseason.
- QB Joe Webb: With Newton essentially banned from using his legs, the offense needs someone to simulate plays like the read-option. Webb got a chance to do that Friday, taking some reps with the ones. Head coach Ron Rivera said coaches also wanted to give Webb an opportunity to show what he could do in those sets.
- QB Matt Blanchard: He would have been sacked on the first, but for what it’s worth, Blanchard completed two straight deep balls — one to WR Brenton Bersin, the next to WR Toney Clemons.
- RB Kenjon Barner: Held out. Rivera said he’s dealing with sore legs and a sore lower back.
- RB Darrin Reaves: With Barner out, had his best practice this summer. The short and stocky undrafted free agent runs powerfully, but he also showed off some elusiveness.
- WR Kelvin Benjamin: Had some padding and ice on his bruised knee, but he also ran through some plays during installation. Rivera expects the rookie to practice Saturday, as long as he wakes up feeling fine.
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PLAYERS OF THE DAY
OFFENSE
WR Toney Clemons: Made a handful of grabs, including two in the “Woah” category. Still facing an uphill battle, but he’s making some strides.
DEFENSE
CB Bene Benwikere: Had perhaps the best day of anyone at camp so far with two interceptions and at least three pass breakups. S Thomas DeCoud screamed potential new nickname from sideline — “Big Play Bene”
QUOTES TO NOTE
“It’s going to be great when we do it, note I said when.”
When asked about his lack of awards and honors despite a career year in 2013:
“Obviously, the league doesn’t know about me. My goal going into this season is to earn the respect of the league. I know that I have to be better than I was last year, because obviously, last year wasn’t good enough.”
His early impressions of WR Kelvin Benjamin, whom he suggested for the Panthers’ before May’s draft:
“I told him not only have you put pressure on the organization, you have put pressure on me as well because I was calling for him.”
“Ummm, college. Freshman year.”
When asked if he’s felt snubbed from Pro Bowl conversations:
“People don’t consider me a Pro Bowl (defensive) end, you just have to earn it. You earn your right to get to the Pro Bowl. I don’t want anything given to me. I always want to earn my way to anything. I want to be considered a top end.”
“No matter what their record spoke of, this team was always trending and getting better. It always was a team that was harder and harder to beat each year.”
When asked about his memories of playing against talkative WR Steve Smith:
“I would be amused by it. He would start going off and I would just stand there and watch him, just laugh and have fun with it.”
PHOTOS
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