Six Carolina Panthers minicamp storylines: Will improved WR depth help Bryce Young?

The Carolina Panthers will wrap up their offseason program this week with mandatory minicamp. During those practices, the Panthers will finalize their preparation for training camp ahead of the summer break.

Unlike the 10 workouts during organized team activities, this week’s attendance is enforced by the league. Players who choose to skip the practices this week will be subject to fines for their absences.

Here are six storylines to follow during the final week of the offseason program:

Bryce Young’s development under Panthers HC Dave Canales

Young’s rookie struggles have been well-documented. But with a new play-caller in town, the hope is that he will thrive the way that Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield did with Canales guiding them in recent years.

Canales is the overarching tutor for Young, as he will be the primary voice in the quarterback’s ear throughout his second offseason and beyond.

Young has noticeably opened up his passing range during the offseason program. Last season, largely due to the collection of an uneven playbook, unreliable passing weapons and an unstable offensive line, Young limited his targets mostly to the short-to-intermediate areas of the field. Canales wants to mix and match his weapons and push the ball down the field while training Young to get rid of the ball quickly.

While Young will never be hit in a practice — at least on purpose — the Panthers can work on his timing and efficiency in the pocket during the week before the break. Young has earned praise from Canales for his attention to detail and his eagerness to improve, and Carolina would benefit from wrapping up their offseason program with the quarterback in full command of the offense.

Carolina’s wide receiver group needs to step up

Panthers GM Dan Morgan was aggressive in his pursuit of improving the wide receiver depth chart this offseason.

The team made a shrewd trade to add former Pro Bowl pass-catcher Diontae Johnson to the mix in March. Morgan then traded up into the first round of April’s draft to bring in Xavier Legette as a big target for Young.

Those two weapons — on paper — should vastly improve the passing game. Johnson and Legette complement each other well, and they should also bring out the best in Adam Thielen, who was Young’s lone dependable target last season.

Along with that trio, the Panthers still have last year’s second-round pick, Jonathan Mingo, as well as Terrace Marshall and Ihmir Smith-Marsette. They’ve also brought in intriguing undrafted rookies like Sam Pinckney and Jalen Coker. Longtime Canales pupil David Moore can also provide experienced competition and depth.

In order for Young to thrive, the aforementioned wide receiver depth chart needs to come alive. Legette dealt with some injuries during OTAs, but he could return to the field this week. Johnson, who missed some of the OTA workouts, could also jump back into the action.

It’s important that the newcomers show that they have enhanced the dreadful passing game from last season. Young needs the new group to step up and the returning group to improve, or he will continue to struggle in Year 2.

Who will step up opposite Jaycee Horn at cornerback?

The Panthers’ situation at cornerback is a tad murky. The team went into the draft with the position stationed among its most pressing needs, but the squad didn’t select a defensive back until the fifth round with the pick of Chau Smith-Wade.

So, with the offseason program nearing its end, it’s time to figure out what the Panthers have in the way of depth.

Jaycee Horn is clearly the alpha player at the position. However, while he is among the most talented cornerbacks in the game, his injury history is concerning. Horn has played in just 22 of the 51 games for which he’s been eligible since his first-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. He has been sensational when on the field, but those performances have been few and far between due to various ailments.

With Horn dealing with annual injuries, the depth of the cornerback group is paramount.

The team re-signed Troy Hill, but he is set to turn 33 this season. The squad also brought in Dane Jackson during free agency, and he is expected to compete for a starting job, despite his up-and-down tenure with the Buffalo Bills.

The rest of the group, including Smith-Wade, is relatively inexperienced. Dicaprio Bootle — who flashed as a special teams ace and fill-in starter last season — and D’Shawn Jamison are likely to compete with Jackson, Hill and Smith-Wade for playing time.

The team also hasn’t shied away from addressing its discussions with former defensive player of the year and one-time Panthers cornerback Stephon Gilmore. The performance of the incumbent group during the offseason program will likely factor into whether or not Gilmore — or someone else — is added to upgrade the position before training camp.

Running back committee is a work in progress

Canales has been adamant that he wants to run the ball frequently on offense this year. The front office has built up its running back depth chart this offseason as a result.

Along with housing returning running backs Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders and Raheem Blackshear, the team has also added second-round pick Jonathon Brooks and veteran free agent Rashaad Penny. The team also has journeyman Mike Boone and undrafted rookie Jaden Shirden under contract.

Hubbard is coming off a career year, while Sanders is looking to put 2023 in the rear-view mirror. Blackshear is an intriguing asset with the new kick return rules, and Penny is a low-risk, high-reward flier with plenty of experience and ties to Canales. Brooks, though, is the future of the backfield, and after undergoing ACL surgery, will be brought along slowly during training camp.

Sanders recently suffered a heel injury, while Penny has mostly watched practice from the sidelines with Brooks, who is not cleared for contact. With that trio seemingly out of the mix, Hubbard can gain even more ground with new position coach Bernie Parmalee. Boone, Blackshear and Shirden can also try to take advantage of more reps.

Ultimately, the rotation will be decided during training camp and the preseason. But Sanders’ injury status and Penny’s availability will be worth monitoring this week.

Is there an actual competition at kicker?

Kicker Eddy Piñeiro was among the notable group of veteran players who decided to skip all or some of the voluntary phases of the offseason program.

Piñeiro, the team’s starting kicker of the past two seasons, lost his biggest fan in the building when former special teams coordinator Chris Tabor was let go this offseason. Piñeiro was originally signed by the Panthers in 2022 as a result of his relationship with Tabor. He then signed a two-year deal with the team following a strong first season in Charlotte.

He enters this offseason with a new special teams coordinator in Tracy Smith, and he has some competition — unlike last offseason.

The team signed undrafted kicker Harrison Mevis to a contract in May, and so far, the rookie has impressed in workouts that have been open to the media. Mevis has also drawn praise from Canales for his leg strength and accuracy.

Piñeiro will presumably return during mandatory minicamp, and he will need to get off to a strong start to make a positive impression on the new staff. The veteran kicker has just $150,000 in guaranteed money remaining on his contract as he enters the final year of his deal. After battling through a pair of injuries last year, Piñeiro needs to prove that he’s locked in and can stay healthy. If not, Mevis — or someone else — could take his place.

As of now, it appears that the team is open to a legitimate kicker competition this summer.

Can Jadeveon Clowney lead an underwhelming edge rusher group?

The Panthers have an underwhelming situation at the edge rusher position following the trade departure of Brian Burns.

While the team signed veterans likes Jadeveon Clowney, D.J. Wonnum and K’Lavon Chaisson in free agency, the squad didn’t add any talent at the position in the draft.

Clowney is coming off a career-year with the Ravens, but the Panthers aren’t built with the surrounding cast that Baltimore had to offer.

Clowney was more of a cog in the high-powered machine of the Ravens, rather than the centerpiece of the group. Carolina needs Clowney to be a top-three player on defense after losing Burns and linebacker Frankie Luvu to the NFC East in March. The veteran’s 9.5 sacks last season were undoubtedly impressive, but it remains to be seen if he can duplicate that production with a less-talented squad around him.

Wonnum is coming off Achilles surgery and Chaisson is more of a flier than a proven talent. The team will also try to get more production out of the likes of D.J. Johnson, Eku Leota, Luiji Vilain and Amare Barno this summer. Johnson, last year’s third-round pick, offered little in the way of pass rush last season.