JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Things aren't always what they seem.
You can be walking around a manicured lawn on a sun-splashed Florida morning, admiring the way the Spanish moss dangles from the oak trees next to the pond, swaying gently in the light breeze, as a lone heron stands silent vigil nearby.
And then you see the sign warning you about the snakes and the alligators.
You can get all wound up about things you see and don't see in the preseason, or a joint practice, and convince yourself that's the way things are always going to be. Or you can understand that it's still August, and none of the individual plays you see clipped for social media are necessarily determinative of an entire season.
The Panthers' offensive starters didn't look great in nine plays against Buffalo, and they got off to a slow start against the Jaguars in Wednesday's joint practice. The scales started to balance themselves by the end of the day.
"I heard some good oohs and ahhs happening on the other field, so I know the Jags were making some things happen," Panthers head coach Dave Canales said Wednesday, since he was watching his first offense. "Even some of the defensive guys said, 'Hey, they got us pretty early,' and then they kind of settled down."
In general, that's my advice for watching preseason football. This is still a Panthers defense built around Derrick Brown, who forklifted guys in one-on-ones, swallowed run plays, and forced everything outside because running at Derrick Brown is a terrible idea. And it's still an offense built around a run game that magically looked better when you put $150 million worth of guards in the middle. Suddenly, Jonathon Brooks had more of a hole to run through.
This is a long season. The progress is the point. Don't get caught looking at your social media and fall in the alligator hole.
Have I mentioned that I'm ready to not be in Florida?
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What should we expect from Bryce Young and the offense this week? Did they just pull him for his own protection last week? — Will, Rock Hill, SC
Nah, Dave Canales said the 10-15 snaps were a goal, but they had capped them at three series. Ordinarily, three series is enough to get you past 10 snaps.
The plan going into Friday's game is to get the first offense something closer to a half, so 15-20 plays maybe.
The best part is that guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis are expected to play those snaps with him, which will help everything. Funny how that works.
I'll be more worried about Bryce when things start happening that are out of character. He's gotten better each year, and he tends to get better within games and within seasons. He's figured out the fourth quarter and December, and that's the hard part. So stabilizing things in the first quarter and September is the next step. Also, preseason is about playing the most vanilla versions of everything you have, because it's a long season. Consider what you see with context.
He should also have most of the starting group out there with him, at least the starting group other than starting tackles Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton. With every passing day, signing Rasheed Walker and drafting Monroe Freeling look like better pieces of individual business. (Walker in particular had a good day against a talented Jags pass-rush group. He's an excellent pass protector, and might be one of the best bargains of the entire offseason, league-wide).
We'll see in a few hours on Xavier Legette, who got rolled up on Wednesday, and Canales hedged on his status for the game. But that's a deep receiver room anyway, and it's still headlined by Tetairoa McMillan, who started making plays Wednesday, further evidence of the long game being your friend.
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Hey Darin. Thanks for all your hard work keeping us updated with the Panthers. My question is: what do you think about the receiver rotation once the season starts? Big fan of Xavier Legette so I'm hoping he gets his fair share. App State Alum — Jeffrey, Statesville, NC
We do it for the people, Jeffrey, especially when they're ASU people. Because we know they walk with a spirit of gratitude, thanks to being connected to the Earth and their neighbors in a unique way.
There's definitely a place in this offense for Legette, and he's had the kind of offseason that justifies the role.
To use Canales' words, McMillan will remain the "focal point" of the passing game, and Jalen Coker came on last year as a complement. But the Panthers still spend about two-thirds of their snaps in three-wide sets, so there's plenty of work.
Adding a Darren Waller to the mix could siphon some of his action off, because they haven't had that kind of pass-catching target in this offense (there aren't many targets like Waller in the league, period). But there still should be plenty to go around, if things go as planned. And his offseason has been quite good. You can see the progress.
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I know your crystal ball is still in Ben McAdoo's other pants, but what do you think of the possibility of trading XL? I can't see them keeping eight receivers, especially now that they signed Waller. It seems to me that Tetaroia, Coker, David Moore, Jimmy Horn Jr. and Brycen Tremayne are going to be on the roster. That leaves XL, John Metchie III and Ja'seem Reed (who seems to be having a good camp) fighting for two spots. We drafted Chris Brazzell II, and although he's injured and out for the season, he would definitely be part of future plans.
XL seems to be the one who would have the most value if a trade was made. Pair that with his lack of production and the depth of the room, it feels like a possibility to pick up a good pick for the future. — Bryce, Frisco, TX
If he has the most value, why are you trading him? Isn't the point to acquire as many talented people as possible?
Also, I don't think you can make too many assumptions about what that group is definitely going to look like, past the first two. It could get put together a lot of different ways. And as Canales pointed out the other day, special teams will have a heavy impact on roster construction, as in keeping an extra one of something means you might have to go one short of something else.
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It's been a while since I've asked a question, but I haven't missed a mailbag; I even wore my FOTM shirt to Fan Fest. My question relates to when the team gets down to the 53-man roster. If someone doesn't make the roster and they are placed on the practice squad, are they protected from being taken by other teams? I'm thinking about our receivers and quarterbacks in particular. Thanks. — Roger, Matthews, NC
Thanks for repping the brand. We are few, but we are mighty.
There were some COVID-era protections that allowed teams to squat on a number of practice squaders each week, but that's not a thing that's part of the current rules.
The real enticement for players is the situation — do they think they've got a better shot at establishing themselves in the NFL here vs. anywhere else? And when? And if they survey the position and figure they're a heartbeat away from being promoted in their current place (where the coaches know them best, and generally value them higher as a result), they'll occasionally remain if they think they'll be up soon.
When teams pluck players off the practice squad to their active roster, it's an offer, not an order. They can always stay. But since the rookie minimum is $885,000 for a full season on the 53-man, and a rookie on the practice squad can make $247,500 in a year, it's usually an easy call for them.
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First off, tell Ickey [from a State '83 grad] that I had patellar replacement surgery just a couple of months after Wesley Walls. It took a year to heal, but it did. Nic Scourton and Chris, hang in there. I lost count after a dozen knee jobs and three replacements [I'm 73 now], but I get around fine — doing the PT is the key; no pain = no gain is true!
My question comes up again after that travesty of a TV broadcast of the Bills game [they forgot to mention the Panthers!]. I know it is a great new stadium, but is there any way the NFL can pressure these home TV broadcasts that go national to at least mention who is catching or running with the ball or making tackles? It would be nice to know who is in the game, too, if it isn't too much bother! What really irritates me is when they show some bozo yakking away while several plays happen, yet they don't even mention the action on the field.
I have to say that the Bills are far from the only team that is guilty of this! I think our crew is much better at being balanced, but I am far from an unbiased observer in that regard.
Can anything be done about this? Since the TV broadcast was held until late night, we had to DVR the thing to watch Sunday afternoon when my wife could be up to see it — no way she could stay up that late at night. So as not to spoil anything, I didn't listen to the radio and ignored/tuned out any score listings so we would have a "new" game. Might as well have had the sound off and the stereo on! — Clay, Kingfisher, OK
There you go, 73-year-old Clay bounced back. That's all the comfort anyone needs.
First off, thanks for wanting to follow as an out-of-market fan. That takes as much dedication as coming back from all those knee surgeries.
Preseason broadcasts are tricky because the league always takes the home-team versions of games to broadcast on NFLN. And all home broadcasts tend to skew toward the home team, even ours.
But there are a couple of options for you, as outlined in our weekly how-to-watch post that tells you how to watch.
For fans outside of the primary broadcast area, NFL Game Pass is offering a free seven-day subscription for fans to watch preseason games live! Click here for more information on how to sign up.
Fans can also watch live out-of-market games on mobile devices through NFL+. Click here for more information on how to sign up for NFL+ and access it on your device with a free seven-day trial.
And not that I'm telling anyone what to do with their money, but the Panthers are closing the preseason at home next week, with that sweet, sweet Steve Smith and Jake Delhomme analyst crew being shared with a national audience on the replay. So a seven-day trial to cover this week would technically be all an out-of-market fan might need.
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First and foremost, glad to see you back from your mini-vacation. I missed your insights, and hopefully you can provide more on one of the background players on the Panthers staff.
Eric Eager, by all accounts, was a hidden key to much of the work done in preparation for the most recent draft. Can you shine a light on his hidden input and let us know what he is working on at this time of the year? — Randall, Branchville, SC
Yeah, that "vacation" was spent preparing a small book about Luke Kuechly's Hall of Fame induction, which kept me from preparing these weekly meaty pamphlets of Mailbag.
But Eric is a guy lots of fans are curious about, because his job title (vice president of football analytics) isn't quite the same as tight ends coach or area scout.
Eager's input in the draft process is invaluable, as he built a model showing the probabilities of specific players being in specific places. (It's way more complicated than that.)
And when the season starts, he'll turn his team of wizards onto the football product. In the same way he analyzes thousands of inputs in the pre-draft season to come up with a reliable model, he looks at in-season stats and other numbers the same way.
So if coaches want to know which pass routes are most or least productive, or who's covering the most ground, or any of the game-specific things that can be quantified, he can tell them. And he meets with coaches regularly, because his input is the kind of thing that's valuable 12 months a year.
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Hey Darin. I know it's only been one game, but what I saw from Haynes King was not even a full game. Do you think he could be used as a Taysom Hill type? I've been an ACC fan for my 83 years and know it's more of a basketball league. But how does a talent like that go undrafted over all seven rounds by 32 teams? He's got a good arm, and he's fast. How about putting him in on certain plays as a running back or tight end? — Marc, Indian Land, SC
How about if we let him get well, and then let him be a Haynes King-type?
He certainly does have the versatility to run, but he's gotten better at throwing by leaps and bounds since he's been here, and that's the primary job description. And if that means a year spent on the practice squad learning more about being a professional quarterback or being on the 53 and never playing a snap, then that's cool too.
Besides, they have people better at running and catching than him, so let them do that. And if you really need a Taysom Hill, he's available. Not that I think a 35-year-old hybrid player is anything they ought to be targeting, but he's probably heading to Denver to reconnect with Sean Payton if he plays anywhere.
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So glad you're back on a weekly basis to keep us all informed and answer our myriad of questions. I was wondering what the Panthers can do to "hide" Haynes King while he recovers. And while they determine if his HOF performance was the sign of a budding star or the result of a poor Cardinals defense. Thank you! — Linda, Charlotte
Technically, you could hide him by keeping him on the 53-man roster, and that way no one else has the option to claim him.
If you're thinking about him as a practice squad candidate, the gamble you're making is whether another NFL team is so moved by two quarters of the lowest end of the preseason spectrum that they'd claim him off waivers without knowing a lot about his physical status. Most teams have some promising rookie or young player they signed they think they can groom for the future, so it's not automatic that if you cut him, someone else wants to invest one of their 53 spots on their active roster for him.
He's shown some signs, but that hamstring injury means he's shown us about half of football in the extra game. Is that enough? That's something we'll find out over the next 10-11 days.
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Hi Darin. Shout out to the entire Panthers organization for hosting the pregame party at the Brew Kettle in Canton. My 12-year-old grandson got pics and autographs from TD, Smitty, Tre Boston, Mike Rucker, and Kurt Coleman. We flew to Canton on the plane with you. At baggage claim, my grandson wanted to ask you for an autograph and picture, but I said we shouldn't bother you.
My question is about the pregame warmup routine. Monroe Freeling mentioned on "The Huddle" that he was surprised we don't do the traditional team warmup. Just go right into drills. How do the players get stretched out and warmed up before games? Seems like it's a hammy waiting to happen. — Steve, Landrum, SC
Man, Steve, I wish you'd have said hello. I love connecting with fans out in the wild, and Canton remains one of the best places to do so. The vibes are always good there. Several others flagged me down, and I don't mind at all, especially in the context of Luke Kuechly — you might have gotten a bonus Luke story if you did.
The least I can do is make you and your grandson this week's Friends Of The Mailbag, so you know next time you can just roll right up since you're part of the family.
The Brew Kettle party was a cool part of a cool week; glad you got there and got some real autographs (I would never destroy the value of an item by signing it).
As for Monroe, that's a story about a first-year player, and why you have a Fan Fest.
Players are given pretty explicit schedules for their day, and they're in an app on their devices, and on screens throughout the building. So when Monroe told Kristen Balboni and TD on "The Huddle" the other day about being caught off guard by the warmup period, it was only because he didn't see the many screens he encountered that day which read "warmup period."
And trust me, the warmup is extensive, with parts of it happening inside the weight room, under the stadium, on a side turf field, and then on the field itself. It's a whole process, conducted under the watchful eye of a small army of trained professionals.
Again, no harm, no foul; he's learning a lot about being an NFL player now, but chalk that one up to rookie being rookie.
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Thank you, Darin, for your kind words. I'm so glad the FOTM is so supportive. I so wish I could go to at least one more game while I still can. I guess time will tell. Now onto my questions.
1. Why are there always so many injuries? Is the prep for the season by the ones that work with them not doing their jobs right? Or is it players not conditioning themselves correctly?
2. Do you think Metchie will make the 53?
3. Do you think they will keep Haynes King on the roster so he doesn't get stolen in the waivers like they risked with Coker last year? — Cheryl, Fuquay Varina, NC
For starters, we've got you, Cheryl, and your shirt's going in the mail next week so you can wear it the next time you come see us.
As for your questions, in order:
1. Mostly, it's football. It's a violent sport, and guys get hurt every year. The Panthers aren't necessarily worse off than other teams, and they're definitely well-staffed. I keep going back to cornerback Damarri Mathis, who was claimed off waivers last year about this time and tore his ACL in his first practice. Also, the poor guy was placed on IR by the Browns after another knee injury last week. It's just bad luck sometimes.
2. Metchie's got a long road ahead of him, and there's a lot of traffic because that receiver room is extremely deep. But he's had a good camp, which is part of the reason the room is so deep.
3. It's at least possible, because he's got potential, and quarterbacks are a valuable commodity. But until his injury situation is resolved, it's hard to gauge. If you keep him on the active roster knowing he's probably not going to play unless things go haywire, you're basically working with a 52-man roster. Again, if you think he can develop into something more, that might be worth it.
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Happy New Football season, Darin!
I got a positive question and a negative one. I'm not as worried about our guard situation as others; I feel like even if, sadly, what we have on the roster doesn't right the ship, there are a lot of serviceable guys Dan and Co. will find. My question is about our secondary's play this offseason. I know Jaycee Horn is only going to be moving around like 30 percent of the time max, but is the shuffle causing some "adjustment time?" At first I was like, "awesome, our receivers are just being that good!" To kind of getting nervous after preseason and joint practices. Jaycee is All-Pro, and Mike Jackson is too, in my opinion. So something besides them might be off?
And lastly, I'm not sure how much time you get to watch everything, but who do you think has distinguished themselves the most for the WR4 spot? — Stephen, Goose Creek, SC
Maybe it's because I'm old, but I try not to participate in preseason panics. Brady Christensen is a good sixth man for any NFL team, because he can capably start at any position. The rest of it, we'll see. They have a lot of options inside between Chandler Zavala, veteran Jake Curhan, and rookie Albert Reese, along with Sam Hecht and Nick Samac. Guards are also easier to find after rosters reduce to 53 than other positions.
When you start thinking about fourth wideouts, you have to be able to do more than one thing to justify the spot on the game-day roster. So even though fans have been trying to replace David Moore for years, he keeps hanging on because he's smart and helps on special teams. But there are no locks.
I honestly hadn't considered the secondary as a problem. I think this might be a case of highlight-reel bias. By moving Horn around, the way these coaches did with Jalen Ramsey in Los Angeles, they're adding value to an already talented secondary.
Speaking of which, spend some time with Kassidy Hill's "Secondary Functions" project if you haven't. She went inside the mindset of Horn, Jackson, and underrated safety Nick Scott in a really cool way. It's well worth your time.
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Football coaches keep saying that joint practice reps are as good as, if not better than, preseason games. Why is that? — Cliff, Cornelius, NC
Mostly it's about being able to dial up a specific situation and work on just that. If the Panthers were curious about their red zone offense, they can script a 12-play segment and work specifically on that. In a game, there's no guarantee you see that situation, as we witnessed last week.
I think a hidden benefit of the joint practices is that they give teams a chance to get away together in a way that's lost with the league-wide trend toward having training camps in your own facility. I have always been a fan of the theory of going away to camp because teams can sequester themselves in their work and bond in a way you can't at home. The practice of it is often less than ideal, because it requires packing everything up and moving it twice, and spending three weeks in Spartanburg. The charm wears off at a certain point. But a joint practice allows you to do it for three or four days at a time, usually in a pretty nice hotel instead of a dorm. This week, I've seen teammates going out for meals in large groups, hitting golf balls, hanging by the pool together in their off hours. If you're home in Charlotte, guys will default to their own homes and their own lives. But the time together can be beneficial for the human beings, as long as the practices don't devolve into brawls like the Saints and Cowboys this week.
And if they made me commissioner for a day (this will never happen), I'd take a step further. I'd replace preseason games with scripted joint practices. You just take the two-field approach and make them the first and second halves, and maybe have a concert at halftime from a regional act to add a little bang for your entertainment buck. The Jaguars could just keep Limp Bizkit on retainer, even though Fred Durst grew up in Gastonia. I'm willing to share.
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And on that note, let's go lightning round, brought to you by the patron saint of the lightning round Jeff from Fuquay-Varina, to close it out this week.
Darin, you were absolutely right in calling me out on begging for a shirt. Thank you for shining light on my selfishness, and please send the shirt out to someone else! Thanks again and Keep Pounding! — Scott, Phenix City, AL
I respect your accountability, but I regret to inform you that FOTM status is non-transferable, and as I told former linebacker Shaq Thompson, it's a lifetime appointment.
What's your all-time favorite joint practice location? — Bob, Belmont, NC
I'll always have a soft spot for the 1998 trip to Saginaw Valley State to practice with the Lions. The rental car place was out of mid-sizes, so I drove around Michigan for a week in a huge Cadillac, and the late Fred Lane was so star-struck when he met his idol Barry Sanders that he asked for his autograph in the meal room. He didn't have an item to sign on him, so Sanders signed his cafeteria tray.
But man, after the last three weeks, I mostly want to go home. Going from a week in Canton to Buffalo to Jacksonville makes me feel like a AAA baseball player. We'll close out the preseason next week at home against the Durham Bulls.
Hey dude. Everybody is harping on the first team not doing anything on offense, but they don't take notice that we didn't even play our three top receivers. Is this because the coach wanted to see what he had at the TE position after just signing Waller? And the other coach has expected them to focus more on that position group? After all, the first three passes were to TEs. — Paul, Corpus Christi, TX
Eh, they threw it to Legette and Coker, but a first down was wiped out by penalty. I think you're reading too much into a nine-play slice of action.
Why is Chuba Hubbard's hamstring rated "week-to-week" and Haynes King's hamstring "out indefinitely?" I really liked his play Thursday night and would like to see him back on the field. — Joseph, Concord, NC
I don't know, one's worse than the other? That's why people get nervous about timelines, because they create expectations.
Will the Panthers get new uniforms for the 2027 season? I believe that we need new ones, especially after ranking 29th in the NFL uniforms rankings. I would like to see a blue helmet and change the jersey with claw scratches and maybe a whiteout uniform with a white helmet. I have a pdf of ideas. — Jacob, Fort Mill, SC
You're hired. I'm the wrong person to ask about uniforms, since I lean traditional in my tastes, but I love the creativity. As for rankings, those are in the eye of the beholder. It's good offseason discussion fodder, and fortunately, the offseason is almost over.
