From The Athletic...
Excerpts below, but the full article is worth checking out if you're a subscriber...
1. It didn’t take long for Young to win the respect of his older teammates.
(W)hile Young is plenty confident, he carries himself like a fourth-round pick from Central Michigan just hoping to make the roster.
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Young seemed to go out of his way to soak up any morsel of advice a veteran had for him, be it a teammate on offense (Andy Dalton) or defense (Shaq Thompson), to name a couple. But listening to Young talk and the way his teammates talk about him, it’s not an act.
2. The batted balls are worth keeping an eye on.
Prior to the draft, Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer said Young only had two passes knocked down during his last year at Alabama. The 5-foot-10 quarterback matched that total during the two-day minicamp, with one each day.
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Young had a knack at Alabama for sliding in the pocket to create passing lanes, a skill set he showed off throughout OTAs. Wide receiver Adam Thielen, a free-agent acquisition this offseason, praised Young’s “ability to get the ball out on time but do that in a way that isn’t just sitting in one stagnant spot.”
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Still, it’s worth filing away this week’s batted balls — which, in fairness, happened to the 6-foot-5 Cam Newton, too — and checking back in August to see if they crop up again during training camp.
3. Is the Panthers’ answer at edge rusher already on the roster?
It depends on what level of pass rusher the Panthers are looking for opposite Burns. If they’re good with a sixth-year player who has improved each year, then maybe pairing Marquis Haynes with Yetur Gross-Matos, who’s solid enough in setting the edge, could work.
Haynes spent most of the past two days knifing into the backfield and generally making a mess of the offense’s plans. Haynes had what might have been three sacks on Young, had these been actual games (and if Young had not eluded him). The 6-2, 235-pound Haynes looks thicker this year, and it could be playing in space in a 3-4 suits him better than lining up in a three-point stance.
The sense here is the Panthers will sign another edge rusher before Sept. 10, but Haynes got Young’s attention.
4. Two young, offensive skill guys (not named Bryce Young) get noticed.
Reich...mentioned two guys — rookie receiver Jonathan Mingo and second-year running back Raheem Blackshear. Mingo, the second-round pick from Ole Miss, and Young spent a lot of time together on the practice field and that chemistry was evident during a couple of the practices open to the media.
Mingo is a big, strong wideout who should be an asset to Young on short crossing routes. Blackshear showed off good burst in the return game as a rookie. But he also has good hands and can catch the ball out of the backfield, which — similar to Mingo — should benefit a rookie quarterback.
5. A positive development in the secondary.
(T)hr Panthers might have found something in fifth-round pick Jammie Robinson, the former South Carolina and Florida State safety. Robinson (5-11, 195) does not have ideal safety size, but he plays with attitude and can also line up in the slot when the Panthers are in nickel.
Starting corner Donte Jackson, who was an observer during OTAs and minicamp while continuing to rehab his Achilles, liked what he saw — and heard — from Robinson.
“Jammie’s a pit bull. He’s one of my favorite players in the DB room, one of my favorite guys to talk to,” Jackson said. “He’s just football. That type stuff you just can’t teach.
