Five major takeaways from Panthers minicamp: Bryce Young, Diontae Johnson have chemistry

Following the completion of the three-month long offseason program, the Carolina Panthers are on summer break as they get ready for training camp in late July.

First-year head coach Dave Canales has laid the ground work for how he wants his team to operate in camp and beyond. And with a new offensive staff in place, Canales worked to make improvements for a group that struggled mightily last season.

While the non-contact practices of organized team activities and mandatory minicamp offered opportunities for program installation, the real heart of the team-building program will begin during camp. For now, though, the staff has plenty of information to dissect from the early goings of the summer.

Here are five major takeaways from final week of the offseason program:

Diontae Johnson, Bryce Young build quick chemistry

Mandatory minicamp served as a platform for second-year quarterback Bryce Young and new veteran wide receiver Diontae Johnson to show off their offseason chemistry. Throughout the two-day minicamp, Young hit Johnson with a handful of highlight throws, including a pair of impressive touchdown passes in red zone drills.

Last season, Young struggled to find anyone — outside of slot receiver Adam Thielen — who could separate and make regular plays in the passing game. Johnson — who was acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers in March — has had no issue getting separation during the offseason program.

Johnson is considered one of the better route runners in the league and has the speed to take the top off the defense. Both traits were easy to notice last week, as Johnson sliced through the defense for big plays against cornerback competition of all levels.

It didn’t matter if it was Jaycee Horn or undrafted rookie Willie Drew, Johnson had a notable amount of wins in 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 work. Subsequently, Young looked confident as he launched passes to his newfound weapon, and the momentum of their connection carried over into plays for others such as Thielen, tight end Ian Thomas and wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr.

Xavier Legette — the team’s first-round pick — was sidelined with a hamstring injury during the week. But Johnson’s ability to make routine plays helped alleviate the woes of Legette’s absence on the field. While the Panthers need more from the passing game to go along with Johnson’s playmaking ability, his dependability could be a major blessing for Young, who noticeably struggled with his 2023 supporting cast as a rookie.

Johnson figures to be Young’s top target this season, and the wideout has every reason to have a successful campaign in Carolina. Johnson said he still feels like a “diamond in the rough” and is seeking the respect that he feels he deserves. If he can elevate Young’s performance, as well as the performances of Thielen, Marshall and others this year, Johnson will not only receive notoriety but also a significant contract here or elsewhere.

A good offseason program for the 2021 draft class

The Panthers’ draft classes under former general manager Scott Fitterer have received heavy criticism over the years, but Canales went out of his way to praise four of the five remaining members of the 2021 group over the past couple of weeks.

Canales has pointed out the talent and vocal leadership of Horn. He’s complimented the respective work ethics of running back Chuba Hubbard and tight end Tommy Tremble. And he’s also noted that Marshall — who has struggled for years to gain the trust of various staffs — had a “fantastic” final two weeks in his program.

This is a big summer and season for the 2021 group. While Horn had his fifth-year option picked up in April, the rest of the class is entering the final year of their respective rookie deals. A big season could lead to notable pay days for Tremble and Hubbard. Marshall and utility offensive lineman Brady Christensen could re-establish themselves within the NFL realm with notable campaigns as well.

Perhaps the group has been up and down due to the factors around them. If Canales can get career years out of the majority of the group, the narrative surrounding the class might change a bit to onlookers.

Tremble and Hubbard are primed for full-time starting jobs at their respective positions, while Marshall will look to find a role behind Johnson, Legette and Thielen as a primary backup receiver along with 2023 second-round pick, Jonathan Mingo. Christensen, the former starting left guard, is learning the center position and could ultimately be the line’s sixth man, as he can now play all five spots in case of injury.

As most Panthers fans have learned from last year, praise in June means very little for regular-season success. But if the 2021 class can carry over its performance to the summer, the Panthers can feel a bit better about their depth heading into 2024.

The kicker competition is worth monitoring closely

Veteran kicker Eddy Piñeiro chose to skip the voluntary portion of the offseason program this spring. Upon his return last week, Piñeiro declined to offer up a reason behind that absence, which extended from mid-April to mid-June. He did, however, note several times that he is currently third on the all-time field-goal percentage list.

While Piñeiro wouldn’t say he wanted a new contract, it’s only natural to discern that his citing of that stat means he wants to be compensated like the rest of the league’s elite kickers

The issue with that perspective is that unlike the two guys ahead of him on the list — Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker and Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker — Piñeiro really only has two years of consistent work on his resume. He was compensated for his 2022 breakout campaign with a two-year, $4.1 million deal, which is set to be completed this season. Piñeiro will make a base salary of $2 million but only $150,000 is guaranteed entering the season, giving the kicker little leverage in a negotiation.

Along with his lack of sustained success and contract leverage, Piñeiro also has a relatively notable history of injuries. He sustained a pair of injuries last season, which forced the Panthers to bring in another specialist during training camp and the final week of last season. Piñeiro also lost his biggest fan in the building with the offseason departure of special teams coordinator-turned-interim head coach Chris Tabor.

The Panthers also hedged their bets on Piñeiro’s absence this offseason by signing undrafted kicker Harrison Mevis, who has earned praise from Canales and reporters for his consistency with field-goal tries over the past month or so. The kicker job is obviously Piñeiro’s to lose, but the competition at the position isn’t just posturing at this point.

The Panthers have the ability to cut Piñeiro with little blow back. While Mevis might end up faltering at some point, the two kickers are also competing with kickers from around the league this summer and in the preseason. The Panthers own the top priority on the waiver wire, so if a kicker falls through the cracks this summer, the team could opt for a younger, cheaper option than Piñeiro.

Despite the optics of his OTA absence, Piñeiro still has a lot going in his favor. He has a strong chemistry with long snapper JJ Jansen and punter Johnny Hekker. He has also been a relatively reliable field-goal kicker on a team that has historically struggled to move the ball.

If Piñeiro is prepared to put whatever led to his absence behind him, he should be considered the favorite to be kicking in uptown Charlotte this year.

Edge rusher, cornerback are clear concerns on defense

The Panthers have noticeable depth concerns at two major spots on defense.

While the team signed Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum in free agency, the edge rusher group as a whole is underwhelming. And the signing of Dane Jackson and drafting of Chau Smith-Wade haven’t necessarily satisfied the outside perception of the cornerback group this summer.

During minicamp, Wonnum and Smith-Wade were both sidelined, offering a glimpse of the paper-thin depth at both positions.

At edge rusher, the group — led by Clowney — worked with limited bodies as Wonnum continued to recover from a quad injury, Amare Barno nursed his repaired ACL, and Eku Leota and DJ Johnson were sidelined with their own leg ailments. K’Lavon Chaisson and Cam Gill were among the contributors working alongside Clowney, who is the only proven top-tier talent on the position depth chart. Unfortunately for the Panthers, the outside options at the position aren’t really considered to be major upgrades.

At cornerback, the Panthers are trying to figure out what to do opposite Horn. Jackson had some solid moments in coverage last week and is competing for the No. 2 job. Jackson is a favorite of general manager Dan Morgan, and the hope is that he can be a serviceable starter in a rotation with veteran nickel corner Troy Hill, who turns 33 in August. From there, it’s a competition of young players with Smith-Wade, Drew, Dicaprio Bootle, D’Shawn Jamison and Lamar Jackson to fill out the group. Horn, who has a long history of injuries, is the key to the position’s success, as another long absence from the lineup would be as detrimental as it’s ever been during his young career.

While Stephon Gilmore remains an option in free agency, he is set to turn 34 this summer and is likely to want a healthy base salary to re-join the local squad.

Familiarity leads to flexibility

During free agency, the Panthers signed several players who had connections to the coaching staff. Those connections helped the staff establish a culture and understanding within the locker room immediately.

While the likes of A’Shawn Robinson, Jordan Fuller, Josey Jewell and Damien Lewis should be considered as locks for the 53-man roster, other veterans who were brought for depth purposes offer the Panthers quite a bit of roster-building flexibility.

Vested veterans — players with four or more accrued NFL seasons — will have their base salaries guaranteed if they are on the Week 1 roster. Shrewd teams typically avoid those guarantees with a few veterans that they plan to bring back after their season-openers to give them flexibility with the salary cap during the regular season.

Players like wide receiver David Moore, running back Rashaad Penny, safety Nick Scott and linebacker Tae Davis could be part of the Panthers’ 2024 plans. But since those players aren’t eligible for waivers, the Panthers could try to save some younger enticing talent — think Jalen Coker, Michael Barrett and Jammie Robinson — from the wire.

Moore, Penny, Scott and Davis know the system. They’ve been around the coaches. They also probably won’t have notable markets if they were to be released, barring exceptional camp and preseason performances. And if they were to shine publicly, the Panthers would be less inclined to risk losing them.

New executive VP of football operations Brandt Tilis is known for his ability to manufacture opportunities with the salary cap to create flexibility within the depth chart. Given the amount of journeymen with staff ties that the Panthers have at the bottom of their roster, Tilis and Morgan should be able to map out a fluid plan for the roster this summer with Canales.