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SPARTANBURG – Another week of training camp at Wofford College is in the books as the Carolina Panthers turn their attention to Thursday’s preseason opener at Chicago.

Notable from head coach Ron Rivera’s press conference on Tuesday: quarterback Cam Newton and linebacker Luke Kuechly will not play against the Bears. Rivera, citing carefulness as the main reason for the decision, has made it known he is eager to get a look at a group of second-tier players.

You can add starting right tackle Taylor Moton to the list of players expected to miss this week’s game. Moton suffered what Rivera described as a contusion to his thigh and will be given the night off. This presents several possibilities along the line for the game at Chicago. Greg Little, who currently sits at #2 on the left tackle depth chart, could start there, while starting left tackle Daryl Williams may slide back to the right tackle spot, a role he has played before with success.

It’s also worth nothing, for any fans who may fall victim to a media-driven panic: Kuechly is not in the concussion protocol, and Newton has thrown plenty of passes with velocity the past three practices. It’s all precautionary, and wise, limiting risk for two proven veterans who have a firm grasp on their respective roles and systems.

As for the last couple of days in steamy Spartanburg—here’s our view:

Elliott Energized

Defensive back Javien Elliott, the former Buccaneer who notoriously picked off a wounded Newton last season in a game at Tampa, has shined this week at camp.

Elliott received a health dose of first-team reps at nickel on Monday, coming up big with several good plays in tight coverage. An impressive break on slot receiver Jarius Wright led to an athletic PBU on an out route, a hard one for a slot corner to defend.

His best play yet? No question: Elliott’s crafty read and react interception of Newton on Monday was a show-stealer.

The former division rival just might prove to be one general manager Marty Hurney’s more valuable finds in the second wave of free agency.

Corn Harvests a Big Play

Not to be outdone, defensive back Corn Elder—the early leader in the clubhouse for the starting nickel role—regained some much-needed momentum on Tuesday.

The second-year cornerback sat down in a zone and waited for Wright to make a break on his signature pivot route. Elder timed the play nicely, jumping the route for a somewhat generous interception on this questionable decision by Newton.

https://twitter.com/OnePantherPlace/status/1158787226685399040?s=20

It wasn’t Newton’s best read, but there could have been some QB/WR communication issues at play. In any event, it was a positive development for Elder and new secondary coach Perry Fewell, whose DB’s are playing with tremendous physicality and effort. There have been multiple interceptions by the secondary over the past few practices.

Carter’s Chance to Shine

With the absence of Kuechly on Thursday, Jermaine Carter gets the nod at MLB. Carter, the second-year product from Maryland, has flashed with his increased workload.

On Sunday, Carter came up big with a PBU on the team’s best pass catcher, D.J. Moore.

Carter–who measures in at 6-0, 225—lacks the size you’d want from Kuechly inside against the run game, but he flashes with safety-like quickness and good instincts in coverage. The play against Moore was man coverage on one of the league’s toughest young receivers to blanket.

Carter appeared in all of Carolina’s 16 games in 2018, registering 13 tackles, one for a loss.

Allen Gets the Start

Kyle Allen gets the start at quarterback for Carolina this week. We like Allen as the #2 option.

Both he and rookie Will Grier have shown flashes at camp, but Allen still strikes me as the most capable of the two for this offense—at this moment.

While Allen has game experience as a starter (putting up a stellar first half against the Saints’ formidable starting defense last year), Grier still looks like an incomplete product at times. It’s improving, but early on, Grier tended to rush through his reads, abandoning the play prematurely and opting for a scramble.

This is commonplace, even among first-round rookie signal callers, so it’s no cause for panic. Allen looks to be just a shade more commanding of the offense, routes and reads thus far. Here’s a more detailed look at what we saw from  Allen in 2018. 

Your Daily Free Safety Digest

Ross Cockrell continues to get the first-team reps at free safety, while newly signed Tre Boston continues to ramp back up into the system. It’s too early to tell if Boston will take over the role full-time, as likely intended, but Cockrell isn’t giving up on his chance at redemption after breaking his leg last summer here in Spartanburg.

I will say this: Cockrell does look lost at times in coverage. He has the requisite size and quickness to excel, but I noticed Cockrell getting mixed-up on a post corner route to tight end Greg Olsen this week. A free safety can’t lose sight of those incoming routes. Boston hasn’t made any “splash” plays thus far, but he’s been solid, almost mistake-free in his run fits and coverages.

My money is still on Boston to be your week one starter along side strong safety Eric Reid, while Cockrell—who will likely make the team, regardless—may be moved back to corner, given his experience and the team’s lack of depth at LCB and RCB (nickel corner, again, appears to be: Elliott/Elder/Cole Luke).

Ian Thomas: A Quiet Weapon

Ian Thomas is lightning quick for a tight end. In year two now, Thomas put up solid production over the last half of 2018, and appears poised to be a more permanent fixture in offensive coordinator Norv Turner’s TE-friendly pass attack.

Turner has used 12 personnel extensively in his career (two tight ends, one back), and he began to roll it out again last year.

Olsen’s injury set this plan back a bit, but it’s a new year and I’m keeping a close eye on TE utilization.

88 and 80 together presents a multitude of matchup headaches for opposing safeties and linebackers who will, in large part, be keying in on HB/WR Christian McCaffrey pre-snap. Thomas has shined in the passing game this week.

Holyfield Ready to Rumble

Rookie running back Elijah Holyfield is emerging as the early camp favorite to land Carolina’s third (and likely final) seat in the HB room.

The former University of Georgia star and son of legendary boxer Evander Holyfield, hasn’t flinched in the NFL’s proverbial ring. Holyfield has good hands and runs solid crisp routes from the backfield, whereas fellow rookie Jordan Scarlett has struggled with several drops and is now sidelined with a soreness in his back.

Scarlett will not play this week, and this will give Holyfield a chance to shine in prime time. For a guy who stays late almost every day working on fundamentals and technique, the door is wide open.

Kickoff for Thursday’s preseason game against the Chicago Bears: 8 p.m. OnePantherPlace.com will provide a full recap, as well as live in-game observations: twitter.com/OnePantherPlace.

Here are our best shots from Monday’s practice session for the Carolina Panthers at Wofford College. (Photos by John Ellis)

A look back at some moments from Sunday’s practice session for the Carolina Panthers. (Photos by John Ellis)

In their first practice since returning from Charlotte, a rare late afternoon affair at Wofford College welcomed the intriguing 2019 Carolina Panthers back to the upstate for another week of training camp.

There were some interesting moments, good and bad, from a steamy Sunday session in Spartanburg. We have a trio of observations–and a few quick hits–to share with you from today’s practice.

Moore. Yes, Moore please. I’ll take Moore.

DJ Moore is sensational. Spoiler Alert, right?

Moore is demonstrating tremendous growth in his second season in Carolina, mastering more of the route tree while learning how to use some veteran savvy to create a little more separation downfield.

Last year, the Maryland product led all NFL wideouts with a stout 7.9 yards after catch average. This, in large part, was born out of his explosiveness as a runner on short routes (shallow cross, swing passes, tunnel screens). What we’re seeing this camp is a more traditional rotation of route assignments from #12.

His signature route here at Wofford has been the intermediate out (7-12 yards) usually against man coverage, as seen in the highlight below:

Moore is creating more separation on these routes with nuanced, subtle hand placement on opposing corners, not extending his arms, but keeping them closer to his body while using his rock of a frame to nudge his man off a tad. It’s something Michael Irvin did with notorious success: the art of creating space without drawing the foul.

As for his hands, Moore is becoming somewhat of a vacuum cleaner on these incoming passes. I have yet to see him drop one catchable pass. I’ve also seen him lay out to snag several high balls from Newton.

He’s the centerpiece of the intermediate passing game now, and his mechanics are in step with this role.

Palardy. The hefty left leg.

One of former Panthers GM Dave Gettleman’s gems was finding punter Michael Palardy after 2016 offseason acquisition Andy Lee ran into a bad patch of misfires and injuries.

It’s a joy to watch Palardy at work. Bill Belichick will attest to this: a left-footed punter is a rare find. It’s one reason why the game’s most successful head coach of all time employs lefty punters–almost exclusively. Such a punter presents challenges to returners, as the spin and angles of the ball vary a bit from the more standard, familiar flight of the right-footed boot.

It doesn’t hurt that Palardy can bang out 65-yard rockets upon request. His directional game is solid as always, and the hang time has been strong in camp. This is not only relevant in games, but in practice, as the added challenge of facing that hefty left leg helps the return specialists to learn the art of fielding a wide variety of kicks from one of the league’s best punters.

Burns left. Burns right. Burns rushes. Burns covers.

Rookie first-round selection Brian Burns is all over the field in camp.

Left side EDGE. Right side EDGE. Stack position at LB. Dropping into intermediate coverage and into the flat against flare routes.

Let’s not forget his role as a special teams contributor. He has the same type of opportunity to shine in a coverage teams role as former Panthers LB Thomas Davis did in 2005 as a rookie. Davis made a tremendous impact on punt teams, including a key fumble recovery from a Jason Baker punt before halftime of the 2005 Wildcard Round rout against the Giants.

Make no mistake—Brian Burns will make an impact in 2019. He’s not getting lost in traffic against the run. His first step is legendary at this point, as he has turned heads by turning rookie LT Greg Little into a turnstile at times.

Smoke Screens:

• Chris Hogan is still working with the punt returners, but had limited reps today. Godwin is still my favorite to land the job, but we will see how he fares in live action.
• Jaydon Mickens is listed as the first team PR on the team’s newly released “unofficial” depth chart. Do yourself a favor: ignore that depth chart. It’s fun to have new info, I know. It means next to nothing at this point.
• On Mickens: he has ability, and experience—returning a pair of long scores in 2017 while in Jacksonville. He has also muffed two punts and dropped a handful of catchable balls, including a wide-open gaffe on a beautiful Will Allen 9 route last week.
• Efe Obada had the day off, so we saw more of Brian Cox, Jr. in the 5-technique defensive end spot on the team’s 3-4 base package. Cox didn’t stand out, and doesn’t strike me as a good fit in that role. He struggled off the blocks, rarely facing a double team. Ends in a 34 need to hold ground and command their turf. So far, I’m not seeing it. Plenty of games to show it this preseason, however.
• Donte Jackson had a precautionary day off, so Corn Elder manned his spot at RCB. He played well, locking up with Moore on several routes and getting in on a great PBU with free safety Ross Cockrell. This allowed newcomer Javien Elliott to shine at nickel today. Elliott was money on the jam and made a spectacular play on an interception.

Sometimes, you can go home.

This week, Panthers general manager Marty Hurney looked back to a Dave Gettleman draft pick to help solidify a perpetually tenuous free safety situation.

Sixth-year veteran Tre Boston has agreed to a one-year deal with Carolina, with the full intent of stealing a starting deep safety spot away from Rashaan Gaulden and/or Ross Cockrell.

Fitting. After all, he did play quite the criminal role in a late 2014/all of 2015 string of theft on the notorious Thieves Avenue.

Boston isn’t shy. He loves to talk. He also loves to take chances. Sometimes that can lead to bad angles and an occasional missed tackle or assignment.

But it’s exactly that mindset that works in harmony with his sneaky-elite skill set.

Timing. Vision. Acceleration.

Let’s take a look back at a couple examples from Boston’s first stint in Carolina.

OnePanther Rewind – 2015 NFC Title Game: there are a lot of questions today about Boston’s production in his first stint with the Panthers. In today’s OPRW, here’s Boston in action against Arizona in the 2015 NFCCG. This INT officially put the Cards out of their misery.

Observation: tremendous pressure from the LDE. Palmer is already shaken up, eyeballing receivers, staring them down. Boston does a great job anticipating the in cut, positioning himself nicely on the route and showing his signature burst on the break.

Boston has a knack for making big plays in huge moments in the passing game. In the de facto 2014 NFC South Title Game (week 17), 33 fielded this Matt Ryan pick and ran it back for a lengthy score. The play illustrates superb timing, speed and acceleration—-great assets for any deep safety.

Another wider look at the play reveals savvy work by RCB Josh Norman, big nickel Colin Jones, and Boston. Norman actually hands off his assignment to Boston mid-route, baiting Ryan into a risky pass with less arc: a scenario and spot Boston clearly anticipated. It takes a great deal of acceleration and timing to pull this off. Boston is one of the quicker safeties in the league.

At the time, this play was the longest Carolina interception return in more than a decade (2004, Julius Peppers near the goal line at Denver—-one hell of a play). It also ranks as the fifth longest return in team history.

Tre Boston is a gambler. He’s the type of free safety you want on a team that presumably will build big leads. In such situations, you can have a lot of fun as a defensive coordinator with this piece patrolling the deep end of the DB pool.

Against the run, sure: he can use some work. His technique hasn’t always been sound. There have been some well-chronicled bad downfield angles and sloppy run fits. But if he can improve that part of his game marginally, and maintain his prowess as a borderline-elite pass patrolman, I would expect good things for Boston—and the Panthers—in 2019.

Thieves Avenue might just be one step closer to reopening for business.