Luke Kuechly's spring and summer plans have been widely known for a while now. After undergoing shoulder surgery in February, the Carolina Panthers' linebacker will be limited in offseason workouts. He's then expected to be full-go come training camp in late July.
But Kuechly has had plenty of company on the same timetable during his rehab. Defensive ends Mario Addison and Ryan Delaire, along with tight end Scott Simonson, are also coming back from shoulder surgery. So is receiver Philly Brown, who dealt with shoulder issues in each of his pro seasons.
Brown's previously unreported procedure is arguably the biggest setback among the group. The Panthers will keep at most six receivers on their final 53-man roster. Kelvin Benjamin, Devin Funchess and Ted Ginn Jr. are locks. That leaves Brown in a bunch that includes Brenton Bersin, Stephen Hill, Kevin Norwood and undrafted free agent Keyarris Garrett.
Missing the bulk of on-field work during offseason workouts isn't a killer, and Brown's speed helps separate him from every other receiver not named Ginn. But Brown's surgery does at least somewhat increase his need to have a big training camp and a better preseason than he had in 2015.