SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- The more mental work an NFL wide receiver does away from the field, the less thinking he'll have to do on it.
That might appear ironic, but it really isn't. Study, know your opponent, know your offense and why all the parts fit as they do and your mind will be free to focus on the core elements of the job -- run the route, make the catch, add yardage following the reception and when your number isn't called, block like mad.
This is what sets Dwayne Jarrett's third NFL season up to be markedly different from his first two. He understands the classroom work and study involved and puts in the necessary time. And when he puts the helmet on at training camp, the mind inside of it is free; instinct and ability can do their jobs.
"It's like night and day," Jarrett said. "I go out there, I don't have to think about it. I can just go out there, execute my assignments and let my talent take over.
"This year coming in, it's just like a cakewalk. Even though you still have to work hard and try to get better, it's more comfortable. You don't have to think about things so much. You can just react and play."
Doing that will allow the Panthers to glimpse at what
"There's never been any doubt about Dwayne's talent. He's an unbelievable receiver; he's somebody who has phenomenal hands; he catches the ball flawlessly," Kalil said. "I think the biggest setback for Dwayne has been trying to soak up everything in a short period of time."
The most daunting part of the adjustment might have been in others' expectations of him -- not from the public, but of teammates and coaches.
"He's had a chance to get a little bit older, learn his coaches and his coaches' styles -- which may have been a lot different than what he had at USC -- and learn his mentor styles -- which are obviously a lot different than he had in college -- how he's coached and how he's criticized," Muhammad explained. "In the NFL there's no leniency, so you've got to be thick-skinned; nothing's personal; it's all to make you better. I think he's learned that, too."
Added Kalil: "In college, there's a little bit of leeway for development, letting guys get away with things. In the pros, it's a right-now type of atmosphere. He handled it the best he could his rookie year and he grew a lot more last year."
While Jarrett's numbers weren't prolific, the timing of his receptions was exquisite -- a catch to set up a fourth-quarter touchdown in New York, a third-down grab to resuscitate a game-clinching march against Arizona, a reception in San Diego territory during the drive to a game-winning
The health of
It was when the light "just came on."
"I understood the offense, the ins and outs, why this person did this or that," he said. "I didn't just understand what I did; I understood the whole offense. That just makes it so much easier for you and the quarterback to be on the same page."
This month offers a few more opportunities to be in sync with
"When we need the key third down, the guys are definitely going to key on Steve and Moose. That leaves me one-on-one," Jarrett said. "It's easy pickings, just to go out there and pick it up. And whenever they call my number, go out there and produce."
But just because he's in position for that doesn't mean it's guaranteed. His progress still leaves room for growth, Muhammad notes.
"Some of the things he's worked on -- just how he's been working in practice, how he's been hustling and paying attention to some of the small details -- he's getting better at (those)," Muhammad said. "I wouldn't say that he's necessarily arrived where he's a perfectionist at running routes and this and that, but you can see him starting to pay attention to little details.
"I think it's important to him that he does things right in practice, where there may have been an impression that he didn't care. I think he's showing that it's important to him."
Just as Jarrett is important to the Panthers.
