Panthers practice breakdown: Andy Dalton’s absence, diagnosing state of O-line, more
Ask offensive line coach James Campen what was said in the widely discussed offensive line meeting after Saturday’s preseason drubbing against the New York Jets — and he’ll say he’d prefer to keep it all “in the room.”
But was the meeting warranted?
He won’t shy away from that one.
“I just think at times when things don’t go so well, obviously, as a group, getting together and making sure that things don’t overlap into the next day (is important),” Campen told reporters after the team’s practice on Tuesday. “There are a lot of things like that. That’s why they call it training camp, preseason games.”
He continued by saying that Saturday’s performance was a matter of executing fundamentals, but he tempered it, too, by addressing the urgency of the situation: “The expectations are higher this year (for the offensive line). That’s my opinion. And the expectations weren’t met.”
Tuesday marked the second practice after the 27-0 loss to the Jets and the fourth day since the Panthers’ offensive line — initially considered one of the most steady units on the team — became the leading story of the preseason.
Specifically, the story now revolves around a pair of questions: Who will take over the right guard spot in veteran guard Austin Corbett’s absence? And will they do an adequate enough job to give rookie quarterback Bryce Young the time and space to shine?
Here’s a quick diagnosis of the offensive line, plus a rundown of the injured absences, after Tuesday’s practice:
Diagnosing state of offensive line
Corbett could only watch on the sideline on Saturday. He’s still working his way back from a torn ACL in his left knee that he suffered at the end of the 2022 season. The most optimistic timetable for his return includes being placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list for the first four games, and playing the other 13.
Still, the veteran guard was present for the postgame offensive line meeting Saturday and has been with the unit every day on the field, and he said they have responded well.
“Obviously, we had a day off after Saturday, had a helmets practice and then with pads today,” he said. “They’re grinding through, and I think they understand — just from sitting in meetings with them — that there’s (positives) to be had.”
Corbett’s absence has been notable through training camp. The Panthers had three different players play the right guard spot in Young’s three offensive series Saturday, and a similar try-and-replace method has been used Monday and Tuesday in practices.
One key absence from Tuesday’s practice, though, was Cade Mays, who’s considered to be one of the team’s most dynamic offensive linemen — and who even saw a few snaps at fullback last year. (When asked about his status, Campen said that was a question for head coach Frank Reich to answer.)
There are still some positives to be had — even beyond just relying on the bodies of work among Bradley Bozeman, Taylor Moton and left tackle Ickey Ekwonu (who Campen said made a big leap in improvement from 2022). Among those positives include the two rookies who hope to make an instant impact: Nash Jensen and Chandler Zavala.
Corbett had a lot of positives to say about them, anyway.
“I think Nash has done a phenomenal job just getting up in there,” he said. “He’s coming from a small school (North Dakota State), right? But he’s not letting the moment be too big for him. Chandler-wise, he obviously hasn’t gotten a ton of reps yet, but he was out there today, and we’re really starting to see him move around. He just has a great understanding of offensive line play, of angles.”
He added: “Both of those kids are coming in and making the most of every moment, every snap.”
Zavala, specifically, has been a name Panthers fans have heard a lot about. Carolina’s fourth-round draft pick this year played alongside Ekwonu at N.C. State on the left side of the line. Could he be a guy the Panthers look at to plug-in-and-play at that right guard position?
Corbett explained that changing sides of the ball is certainly possible but, like anything, takes time.
“I went through the same thing my rookie year in Cleveland,” said Corbett, who was drafted in 2018. “Played left tackle in college and then got bumped inside, bounced around, played all five positions. I mean, it’s tough, but it’s part of rookie year. And I think the good thing about our staff, overall, Coach Campy: They understand it’ll be a struggle at first. They understand you’re going to get beat, and they’re going to see how you adapt, how you grow. That’s what training camp is for.”
Andy Dalton absent from practice
Speaking of injuries: Backup quarterback Andy Dalton did not practice Tuesday. Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown told reporters that the 35-year-old veteran was dealing with a little bit of “tightness in his back.”
That opened the door for Jake Luton to get some reps. The 6-foot-6, fourth-string quarterback got a few more substantial live reps than he had all training camp on Tuesday.
The 2020 sixth-round pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars started three games as a rookie and threw for 624 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions in those starts. He’s since traveled to Seattle, Miami and New Orleans; he hasn’t appeared in a game since 2020.
Brown spoke in generalities when asked about the third-string quarterback competition between Luton and Matt Corral, the Panthers’ draft pick from a year ago.
“I think every time you talk about the overall matters of your roster, you want to have competition in every single spot,” Brown said. “So whether it’s the quarterbacks, the running backs, the O-line, receivers — it’s about being able to be consistent every single day. So we’re always evaluating that as we go through the process of finding the best available guys.”
Quick hits
▪ Terrace Marshall. Terrace Marshall wasn’t at practice on Tuesday after leaving practice early on Monday after “tweaking a little something in his back” during drills. The 2021 second-round pick has had a remarkable training camp and is competing for a spot in the starting lineup alongside Jonathan Mingo and DJ Chark.
▪ Injury updates on Miles Sanders and everyone else. The team’s starting running back missed Saturday’s preseason contest against the Jets and hasn’t practice since after straining his groin. Kicker Eddy Piñeiro was also off to the side after his own groin injury Tuesday. Derek Wright (knee), defensive end Henry Anderson (foot) and offensive tackle Cam Erving (ankle) all sustained injuries in the preseason opener; Reich said Monday that the team would be monitoring these injuries over the next few days to map out a plan for them.
▪ What to make of the Reich-labeled “generic” preseason playbook Carolina played with Saturday. Brown and Reich split playcalling duties in Saturday’s preseason opener. Brown (offensive coordinator) said that a similar split would take place on Friday, when the Panthers travel to play the New York Giants. Brown’s assessment: ”Our approach, whether it’s vanilla or it’s dynamic from a playbook standpoint, execution is our overall goal. So it’s always frustrating when you don’t get the results you’ve been working for, especially after going against that same opponent and having some success earlier in the week in a joint practice. It’s definitely frustrating. But it’s also a preseason game. We’re excited about getting ready to work.”
This story was originally published August 15, 2023 at 4:19 PM with the headline "Panthers practice breakdown: Andy Dalton’s absence, diagnosing state of O-line, more."
