An exciting training camp for the Carolina Panthers is coming to an end. Wednesday’s training was the penultimate session for Dave Canales’ men and the last one they completed against each other in a controlled environment. They will conclude the most intensive phase of preparation with a joint training session against the New York Jets.
This is the best evaluation tool yet for Canales and general manager Dan Morgan. Players will give it their all to boost their hopes of a prominent involvement or a spot on the 53-man roster. Performance against a serious playoff contender will be a key factor in who makes the cut and who doesn’t.
There are still two warm-up games to go, but the tension is palpable. Now it’s the decisive phase. It’s a case of buckle up or run.
With that in mind, here are five key observations from Day 14 of Carolina’s training camp in Charlotte.
Carolina Panthers value turnovers
One of the biggest problems with the Carolina Panthers defense last season was their turnover differential. Ejiro Evero made the most of a bad situation by keeping this unit competitive despite a mediocre offense and countless injuries to key players. However, they will need to fix the problem of not forcing enough turnovers in 2024.
It’s crucial to do that in a competitive environment, but all signs point to that in recent camp workouts. Carolina’s defense managed two more interceptions on Day 14 – something Evero emphasizes in his preparations, according to veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson.
“That’s what we lacked last year. That’s a big emphasis this year. That’s what E (defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero) is putting on us this year, is attempts to intercept the ball, actual shots on the ball. I think the best defensemen that have been at the top of that category have had about 66 attempts a game to actually hit the ball. That’s how all those turnovers happen. So we just have to get more attempts every game.”
– Shaq Thompson via Panthers.com
Carolina’s defense has been applying more and more pressure as training camp has gone on. They are building positivity at the right times. If Evero’s group can carry their newfound momentum into the regular season, this team’s chances will be better.
