Jeremy Igo

Carolina Panthers sign Stanford fullback Lee Ward. Ward is listed on the Panthers roster as being 5'11 246lbs. I noticed him today during one on one pass drills where he looked pretty good catching balls out of the backfield. With Mike Tolbert's roster shot not being a sure thing this season and Richie Brockel being hurt last season, Ward could have an opportunity to showcase his skills and make a case for himself.

Lol

The kid has the legs of a 190+ player. A little upper body work and he will get there. He is the opposite of guys like Joe Adams who had sticks for legs.

Yesterday I told you how Damiere Byrd (UDFA WR-USC) stood out to me during his first practice. That kind of quickness is hard to ignore. Well, today, Damiere solidified my notions as he put on a clinic of sorts. During the final team drills after the installations, Byrd made play after play. More plays, in fact, than Devin Funchess made. On one long pass, Byrd was knocked down and landed awkwardly on his rear (players were not in pads). He limped to the sideline, and concerns over his size and injuries sank in. However, Byrd was able to recover and soon thereafter had yet another 20+ yard reception. After practice, with ice strapped to his rear, he told me he was feeling good and could barely stop from grinning. While there is a long way to go in proving himself enough for a practice squad (or even regular roster? ) position with the Panthers, Byrd could not have asked for a better start to his pro career. View full article

In shaqs defense, his position may be the most complex on the team.

He doesn't have a NFL TE Body really. Kelvin is more of a TE than him.

As far as how Funchess looks while he plays.... it reminds me a bit of this guy. No, I am not saying he is the next TO. But the way he moves and his athleticism is similar.

Reacting. I wouldn't go so far as to say Shaq struggled, but Mayo definitely looked more comfortable, which is understandable as that is his full time position. I really like this Mayo kid. He may take Klein's spot on the roster.

13 Innacurate Blvd Clueless, NC

Funchess was more than impressive today.

Here are some general thoughts and musings on how day one of the Carolina Panthers 2015 rookie camp went down in no particular order... Yes, Devin Funchess appears to be worth that first round grade Dave Gettleman tagged him at. I understand why people want to compare him to Kelvin, but when they see him on the field they won't ever again. He is much more of an athlete than Kelvin is. I don't mean that as a knock on Kelvin at all. Benjamin uses his size and length as his main weapon while Funchess appears to use his legs. He is sneaky quick. Funchess and Benjamin are two completely different types of receivers. Devin caught everything that was catchable in the team drills. A few balls were very poorly thrown, and somehow he was still able to get a hand on them, a major accomplishment in itself. I was actually more impressed with David Mayo than Shaq Thompson as far as the linebackers go. Of course, Mayo stayed mainly at the middle linebacker spot where he is most comfortable. Shaq definitely has more of a learning curve ahead of him in the Panthers defense. Mayo didn't have a perfect day and did get burned in coverage a couple of times, which is concerning. Still, I feel he had the better performance of the two. Unfortunate Shaq could not get in on the team drills due to injury. Maybe that is where he would shine. Damiere Byrd had the best play of the day, a gorgeous one handed grab over Corey Trim. I really like this Byrd kid and am excited to see more of what he can do in camp. UDFA Garry Peters out of Clemson also looks like he could push for a roster spot early. He made more than one really nice play on the ball and a nice strip on a ball that would have been a touchdown. Keep an eye on this, he could change the roster up a bit. Daryl Williams so far looks to be a real keeper. Its funny how obvious a true tackle is to spot now that we haven't seen one in a while. This kid has a future. Compared to the performance of David Foucault last year, he already looks like a 3 year veteran. Not sure why people say Cameron Artis-Payne is a "bowling ball" or is compared to Tolbert. He looks and plays nothing like Tolbert. Truth be known, his performance today reminded me of the first day of the old #34 back when he was second string to Desean Foster. His game resembles Deangelo's much more than Tolbert's. He had a few really nice quick shifts at the line today and found the hole quickly. That was encouraging. The quarterbacks this year have been.... bad. I mean.... really bad. I feel sorry for the receivers trying to make a name for themselves on such little opportunity to begin with, much less the fact that the ball is no where near them. View full article

If it won't let you sign up for all=pro try using paypal or another credit card. For some reason some banks and out merchant provider don't talk well together.

Today I had the opportunity to get a look at the newest Panthers wide receiver, second rounder Devin Funchess, at Panthers rookie camp. Devin strolled into his first practice as a NFL player like he had been there before, having some fun with NC State guard Zach Allen. Lots of comparisons will be made between Kelvin Benjamin and Funchess this season, but right away it was clear to me these are two completely different receivers. Funchess is much more fluid in his movements, relies less on his height to achieve his objective. He runs more like smaller slot receiver. There were no team drills today, so my observations are limited to positional drills. I can tell you that Funchess caught every catchable ball that came his way, sometimes in athletic fashion. (More about that in All-Pro). His eyes in all of my shots of him are clearly fixated on the ball, a skill that other more experienced players on the roster still have trouble with. Overall, and yes I know this is early, I can definitely see Funchess as the opening day #2 receiver. But you know what? Here is the shocker.... I could see him as an eventual number one as well with Kelvin Benjamin being the second receiver. Funchess looks every bit as good at this rookie camp as Kelvin did last year at his. There is still a long way to go, but this initial look was very encouraging. View full article

Pleased to announce the Huddle will be providing Roaring Riot with a forum to plan and discuss their events and happenings. It is also a good way for you huddlers to keep up with it and join in on the fun. Forum Location: -> http://www.carolinahuddle.com/boards/forum/37-the-roaring-riot/ RR is getting a ton of great press today that you all should read. Zack does a great job at getting fans organized and excited, something this franchise really needs. Observer Write Up -> http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nfl/carolina-panthers/article20162124.html Grats Zack!

I like these threads where hundreds of nicknames are given but none ever work.

From Panthers.com That last part is key I think. People love to talk about 40 times in regards to receivers, but never talk about football smarts. Being a great receiver in the NFL means so much more than just being fast, you need to understand the game. Apparently the Panthers were impressed not only with his size, but his football smarts as well. Btw, according to the Panthers website he ran a 4.47 at his pro day, which is more than quick enough for his size.

All this hate he is getting only makes me want to pull for him. Did everything he was asked to do, caught clutch first downs.

From his twitter.... Staying in the Carolinas... PANTHERS!!!!!!! Let's get it

Good call on locking this up.... however I just popped a beer and feel like pie is in order. Unlocking.

Lets get this thing wrapped up early, I have a sixer of coors in the cooler that won't drink themselves. - Dave Gettleman

Sorry Gettleman doubters, this year's draft has been pretty genius. The NFL gives him 9 draft picks, but thanks to last year he really doesn't need that many. Solution? Turn the 9 picks into 5 picks and target your guys. Address areas of need (WR, Tackle) but also draft a guy that will change the entire defense for you in Shaq. And he STILL has 2 fifth rounders to select. It is like watching Michelangelo in very high coaching shorts paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

Seems like it. Round 5 maybe?

Titans on the clock.

Panthers select a possible day 1 starter at right tackle, was projected as a third rounder. Excellent move by Dave Gettleman. Like Trai Turner from last year's draft, Williams is a "road grader" who should aid in the run game. The prospect of Williams and Turner playing next to each other is a very exciting prospect for Panthers fans who love smash mouth football.

James Westfall and Dr Kenneth Noisewater