CHARLOTTE — Dave Canales was all smiles on his Work Wednesday, as usual. But seeing so many of his old friends he's been missing had to help.

The Panthers had three key pieces back on the field who have missed time in recent weeks in Jaelan Phillips, Damien Lewis, and Will Lee III, and also opened the practice windows for Xavier Legette, Jonathon Brooks, and Mike Jackson. And other than Chuba Hubbard's vet rest day, linebacker Bobby Okereke was the only player who didn't participate fully in practice. Other than Jaycee Horn, who is coming soon, it's approaching a whole roster.

That made the fact that they didn't add anyone at the trade deadline on Tuesday a non-factor.

"I'm excited about the guys that we have kind of staring right at us that are going to come back to us in whatever order that looks like," Canales said. "And so, while we're excited for that, the improvements Mike, that Jaycee will add, getting Xavier back to get back out there, and get back on track with things.

"Even some of the guys that weren't on IR but that are coming back to us, you know, we're excited about, seeing DLew out there working Jaelen Phillips and all that, and we feel, we feel really strongly about this group.

"I've got a lot of confidence in this locker room and the guys we have here, and it's just going to come down to us playing together, all three phases, and having that solid football product that we're looking for Panthers football."

Wednesday was a modified and lighter practice, and Canales said he didn't want to make any determinations about any of them — the ones on the active roster or not — until he saw the rest of the week.

But he liked what he saw from all the guys they had back.

"They were bouncy, they were poppy, they were feeling good about just being with their teammates out there working on their craft," he said. "You know, watching Mike go out there, JB back on the grass as well, these are guys that have been waiting for this, to get back out there to help their teammates, and so they attacked today. Tomorrow will be a higher intensity; we'll be able to throw some football at them and see how they respond."

Decisions in the future

By opening the practice window for Jackson, Brooks, and Legette, the Panthers have accounted for six of their eight return from injured reserve designations. Trevor Etienne and Bam Martin-Scott are already back, and Brady Christensen returned to practice last week. With one coming for Horn, that leaves just one for the rest of the season.

(Tershawn Wharton didn't count, and Ikem Ekwonu wouldn't either since they were on the PUP list, with different rules.)

"You just have to prioritize the guys that we're expecting to come back and, and hedge your bets on those things," Canales said. "It's a complicated process and the timing is sensitive of all of that too."

While there are guys who can't physically come back this year because of the nature of their injuries, they could have choices to make, as players such as Thomas Incoom and Akayleb Evans are working their way back as well.

Teams aren't allowed to exceed those eight designations — unless they make the playoffs, when they get two more.

Xavier Legette bringing more than speed

The last time we saw Legette on the field was in Atlanta in Week 2, when he caught a 55-yard pass that helped break the game open.

And that deep-ball ability is part of the reason they were excited to see him on the field Wednesday, but quarterback Bryce Young said it was the entire game.

"Special player, obviously special ability, the stuff that he does in the deep game, but intermediate underneath as well, ball in his hands, all that," Young said. "Again, we're excited for him to be back. We're excited for what he brings to this offense, so.

"Obviously for me, it's making sure whatever it is for best for the team, we're going to have a scheme and a plan and all that. It's going to be about executing at the end of the day for all of us, but of course having a guy like that out there, obviously makes my job easier."

Not thinking about Denver

Considering the controversy over last week's loss to the Broncos, it's perhaps understandable that Canales is being asked about different elements of the officiating decision.

He shut that down quickly, however.

"I'm really moving on to the next game," Canales said flatly. "I don't want to go back and think about those things."

And that was that.

The classics never go out of style

Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown just laughed when asked about the Saints' run game, because the answer has been the same as long as he's been playing here.

"I keep hearing everybody say Alvin Kamara's old, but he still got it," Brown said simply, the respect evident in his voice. "He's still got it."

The Saints added Travis Etienne in free agency, and have gotten a bump lately from Audric Estime, but Kamara has stood the test of time.

In 14 games against the Panthers (10-4 record), Kamara has 195 carries for 922 yards (4.73 per carry) and eight touchdowns, along with 63 catches for 454 yards and a touchdown.