Rookie Camp wrap-up

[TheSpecialJuan]

Head coach Ron Rivera enjoyed being out there with several new faces on his coaching staff for the two-day rookie minicamp that concluded Saturday afternoon.

“Watching some of the guys compete – that was great,” Rivera said. “A chance to watch our draft picks and signed free agents, and there some (tryout) guys that caught our attention. We feel good about what we got from these two days of practices.”

A lingering question facing Rivera and general manager Marty Hurney is what to do about the backup quarterback situation. Undrafted free agent Kyle Allen had his moments at minicamp, and the other current options are Garrett Gilbert and Taylor Heinicke.

“There really isn’t a leader in the clubhouse, but if I had to pick one I would go with Garrett,” Rivera said. “He’s done a nice job so far. He’s really doing some good things. Again, we’ll see. That’s why we go through this whole process.”

PHILLIPS BELIEVES HE BELONGS: Kalif Phillips, the invited tryout running back from UNC Charlotte, is more than just a nice local story. He can play, and he showed that during rookie minicamp.

“I can play in this league. I know my work ethic and how hard I push myself,” Phillips said. “I’m going to keep on pushing.

“It’s been a little hurtful looking at teams playing. I’m like, ‘I swear I’m better that this guy right here. I can beat out this guy.’ I’m going to get my name out there. I feel as though I did that throughout college, now my next step is to be here in the NFL where I think I belong.”

The undrafted Phillips was with the Packers last summer and was released prior to the start of the regular season.

[TheSpecialJuan]

http://www.panthers.com/news/article-2/Notes-Wrapping-up-rookie-minicamp/95e3573b-1930-42e0-9f84-048a6b21b71d

[TheSpecialJuan]

• The Panthers wrapped up their rookie minicamp in nearly 90-degree heat Saturday afternoon, but no one allowed the unseasonable temperatures to slow them down. The pace was crisp and level of execution impressive for a group of rookies and tryouts that laid eyes on each other and the Panthers playbook for the first time just 48 hours ago.

http://www.panthers.com/news/article-2/Observations-Rookie-Minicamp-Session-3/77a8efdf-bef2-4969-a057-20684370a82c

[TheSpecialJuan]

• While the camp provided a first glimpse at the team's draft picks and undrafted rookies, those guys already have a spot on the 90-man roster. The 28 tryouts were the ones aiming to beat the odds and stick around. There are currently three empty spots that Carolina likely will fill with the addition of some tryout guys, though head coach Ron Rivera listed three times that many guys when asked for standouts: Wide receivers Da'Ron Brown and Bug Howard, running back Kalif Phillips, offensive linemen Quinterrius Eatmon and Kyle Friend, defensive linemen Ashaad Mabry and Karter Schult and cornerbacks Brad Watson and James Caine.

[TheSpecialJuan]

http://www.panthers.com/media-vault/videos/Rivera-Some-tryout-guys-caught-our-attention/c6de7efb-29e5-4a8a-b6b0-7d8348c75947

[TheSpecialJuan]

[TheSpecialJuan]

[TheSpecialJuan]

[TheSpecialJuan]

Here are some quick impressions I gathered from today’s morning session, the final rookie mini-camp of the weekend:

• DJ Moore was again as advertised, taking jet sweeps, reverses and passes over the middle for what would have been big gains even if the defenders had been allowed to tackle them, which they weren’t. We also got to see him try his hands at punt returning for the second day in a row, although it wasn’t so much returning as simply catching punts, but it was still exciting to see.
• Also back to practice catching punt returns? Cornerback Donte Jackson, who certainly has the swagger of a punt returner – at one point, he transitioned from one drill to another by running down the field with his arms outstretched like an eagle. Picture Cam running out of the tunnel before a big game, except with no crowd and ninety-degree heat.

https://theriotreport.com/panthers-rookie-mini-camp-day-2-quick-hits/

[TheSpecialJuan]

• Ron Rivera made a point to point out certain invited tryout guys that caught his eye: Wide receivers Da’Ron Brown and Bug Howard, running back Kalif Phillips, defensive linemen Ashaad Mabry and Karter Schult, cornerbacks Brad Watson and James Caine, and offensive linemen Quinterrius Eatmon and Kyle Friend.
• The Panthers have three empty spots on their roster, expect those three to come from the names above, although I’d bet the following: Phillips, Schult, and Eatmon – Phillips in particular was excellent catching passes out of the backfield in all sessions, saying after today’s session that he believes he “can play in this league”