Tag: OTAs

Panthers QB Andy Dalton talks about Dave Canales, new offense

Panthers QB Andy Dalton seems to be impressed with how new HC Dave Canales operates.

New Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales is making no bones about what he wants in an offense.

Veteran quarterback Andy Dalton attested to that on Tuesday, following the latest session of team organized activities. But first, he was asked about Canales’ integration into the building.

“I just think from the beginning, Dave has come in and he’s tried to build relationships with everybody as quick as he can,” Dalton said. “It’s been fun for me to get to be around him. Kinda knowing what he’s done, his time in Seattle and obviously last year in Tampa.

“But it’s all about building that personal relationship, and he’s been trying to do that in a lot different ways with a lot of different guys. Obviously, when you’re new and there’s a lot of new faces, it takes a lot. But you can tell how important it is to him.”

A familiar face has come along with Canales, one belonging to offensive coordinator Brad Idzik. The two spent four years together in Seattle and one in Tampa Bay, where Idzik served as the Buccaneers wide receivers coach.

So Dalton, with Canales and his workout pal now at the helm, was then asked about the difference between last year’s offense and this year’s.

“I will say this—and this has nothing to do with last year, this has everything to do with what we’re doing right now—Dave and Brad came in and they know exactly what they want,” he said. “They know what they want it to look like, they know how they wanna install it and they have had a plan from the very beginning and it’s been known.”

Well, that must be refreshing.

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Panthers HC Dave Canales asked about absent players during OTAs

Panthers HC Dave Canales was asked if he’s been in contact with players who have been absent from OTAs.

Despite the new and exciting vision for the Carolina Panthers, they have yet to be joined by some of their new and exciting players. But as of now, head coach Dave Canales knows he can only do so much about it.

The third week of team organized activities resumed without the likes of a few notable names—specifically outside linebackers Jadeveon Clowney and K’Lavon Chaisson as well as kicker Eddy Piñeiro. Canales, who spoke with reporters following today’s session, was asked if he’s been in contact with any of them.

“I have not asked them,” he said of their whereabouts. “What I don’t wanna do is I don’t wanna send a message that I’m pressuring them to be here at all. This is voluntary. But what I have done is kinda reached out and touched base with them and makin’ sure they’re doin’ alright and just kinda hearin’ what their life has looked like.

“That’s what I’m concerned with is that during this time—we don’t just have this huge personal absence of just not connecting. And from the reports I’ve got, the coaches have also had a chance to reach out and connect with guys–just to let them know that something good is happening here. I just don’t want them to come back in with us and just not have a feel for the whole thing and what’s happening.”

Mandatory minicamp, which is not “voluntary,” is set to run starting next week—from June 11 to June 13.

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Panthers HC Dave Canales has grander vision for possible stadium renovation

Panthers HC Dave Canales is envisioning a bigger picture when it comes to playing in an upgraded stadium.

Playing in an upgraded stadium seems to be an exciting prospect for Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales. But as of now, he’s focused on upgrading what could be put inside that venue.

On Monday, the organization announced their proposal for a massive renovation to their home of Bank of America Stadium. Canales, following today’s outing of organized team activities, was asked about the plans.

“As far as the stadium itself—what I try to sell to the guys is . . . it’s gonna be green, it’s gonna be 53 and a third, it could be grass, it could be our artificial turfs that we use, it could be frozen, it could be kind of, late in the season, a lighter tan color,” he replied. “So for me, it’s all about what happens in that 53 and a third right there and the guys on the sideline.

“That’s been a focus. I stole that straight from Coach [Pete] Carroll. And for our guys, for us—it just didn’t matter whether we’re home or on the road. It was what happened inside those lines.”

Canales battled inside those lines alongside Carroll for 13 seasons. That time saw him serve as the Seattle Seahawks wide receivers coach (2010 to 2017), quarterbacks coach (2018 to 2019, 2022) and passing games coordinator (2020 and 2021).

He continued.

“With that being said though, all the excitement of the new stadium—I can’t help but just get fired up about that. Saw the renderings that became public. And for me, as you get to know me, it’s like I have this huge possibilities mindset of just like picturing what it would be like to have championship-caliber team, a team that the Carolinas can be proud of, to get that football part ready.

“So as much as I get focused and excited about what’s happening, it just brings me right back to this practice today. And we got a long way to go to be able to play the kind of ball that we want, with the communication and all that. But it’s certainly an exciting time.”

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Panthers OLB D.J. Wonnum ‘still working through’ complications of quad injury

Panthers HC Dave Canales told reporters that OLB D.J. Wonnum, who remained absent at OTAs, is still working through his recovery from a quadriceps tear.

The road to recovery for Carolina Panthers outside linebacker D.J. Wonnum continues.

Head coach Dave Canales chatted with reporters after Tuesday’s session of team organized activities, one that did not feature projected starting outside linebackers Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum. He was asked about the importance of the edge rushers, specifically Luiji Vilain and Eku Leota, who are there.

“Huge,” Canales replied. “So these are two guys that were with us—so some carryover there as far as just getting our calls, getting lined up properly. Both of those guys just being around, being familiar with the terminology is just really critical for us—especially with D.J. being out right now and Jadeveon, of course, just not being here right now. I can’t thank those guys enough for really carrying that along for us.”

Clowney and Wonnum both signed two-year deals with the Panthers this offseason. While the former’s absence can possibly be attributed to his veteran standing, the latter’s is a tad more complicated.

Canales went on to add that Wonnum, who tore his quadricep in the Minnesota Vikings’ Week 16 matchup against the Detroit Lions this past season, is still healing up.

“Just working through some different things,” he said of Wonnum. “He had some complications . . . he had a quadricep tendon rupture there. And so he had a repair and there was some different things they had to clean out. So it’s kinda just like this back-and-forth trying to get him as healthy as we can so we can get him on the field and get him back to full speed. So he’s still kinda working through some of those things.”

Wonnum, who posted a career-high 8.0 sacks in 2023, did not play in the final two games of the campaign.

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Panthers RB Miles Sanders dealing with heel injury during OTAs

Panthers HC Dave Canales told reporters that RB Miles Sanders is currently dealing with a heel issue.

The Miles Sanders Revenge Tour isn’t off to the best of starts.

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales spoke with reporters following Tuesday’s outing of organized team activities. He was asked about Sanders, who did not participate in drills on the afternoon.

“Miles just has a little something in his heel,” Canales stated. “It flared up on him a little bit a couple weeks ago. So we’re just trying to be really cautious with that. He’s been doing some running on the side, getting treatment, all that. He’s here, he’s locked in. So, just another precautionary measure there.”

Sanders, who signed a four-year, $25.4 million deal with the Panthers last offseason, is coming off one of the NFL’s most disappointing campaigns from 2023. He recorded career-lows in starts (five), attempts (129) and rushing yards (432) while scoring just one touchdown and averaging 3.3 yards per carry—the third-lowest amongst all qualifying players.

His down year gave way to teammate Chuba Hubbard, who rushed for a team-high 902 yards. Sanders may also be giving way to rookie Jonathon Brooks, whom Carolina selected with the 46th overall pick of the 2024 draft.

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50 photos from Day 7 of Falcons organized team activities

LOOK: 50 best photos from Day 7 of #Falcons organized team activities

The Atlanta Falcons wrapped up their seventh day of organized team activities on Monday afternoon. Second-year running back Bijan Robinson made his OTA debut after sitting out the previous practices due to an ankle injury.

While there were some notable injuries on defense, the Falcons continue to build chemistry and lay the foundation for the upcoming season. Check out the 50 best pictures from Monday’s OTA practice below:

Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix taking offseason one day at a time

“You have to take them one at a time, just learn as much as you can and not make the same mistake twice,” Broncos QB Bo Nix said.

Rome Denver’s quarterback competition wasn’t built won in a day.

The Broncos have a three-way battle this summer between Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson and Bo Nix. As a first-round draft pick, Nix is the presumed favorite, but he’ll have to win the job on the field.

The rookie was asked about his progress during rookie minicamp last month.

“It’s a day-to-day process,” Nix said on May 11. “You have to go from one meeting to a practice to a walkthrough. You have to take them one at a time, just learn as much as you can and not make the same mistake twice.”

Nix, 24, spent five years at the college level and coach Sean Payton has praised the QB’s smarts that have helped him pick up the offense quickly.

“It’s all about studying and taking one play at a time,” Nix said. “Master it and make sure you know the fundamentals and technique of that play and what the play-caller’s intent is. Essentially, they just want to see you got out and execute it.

“It’s my job as a quarterback to get the plays started and get the ball where it’s supposed to be. A lot of that is completing passes and run-game operation. It can be a lot but I feel like I’m being taught really well by the coaches. They’re doing a really good job of narrowing everything down and making it simple so I can just get up there, process and play really fast.”

Payton was been rotating first-team snaps between the three QBs, a rotation that is expected to continue through mandatory minicamp next week. Training camp will later begin in late July, followed by game reps during preseason in August.

Nix has picked up the offense quickly and he’s making good decisions at light practices. If that continues when the action speeds up later this summer, the rookie QB should be able to win the starting job.

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Rick ‘Doc’ Walker likes what he sees in the Commanders, but…

Doc Walker likes what he sees from the Commanders so far, but he puts things in perspective.

“The only interest I have in tackle football is seeing them in full pads and in a competitive environment.”

That response was Rick “Doc” Walker‘s when Kevin Sheehan asked him on Friday’s podcast what he thought about the Commanders after their OTA workouts last week.

Ask anyone else in the media and their likely first response has been Jayden Daniels and the assembling by head coach Dan Quinn of an impressive coaching staff.

Who else but Doc Walker would downplay the OTA workouts because they were not in full pads and true football contact? But that is “Doc,” and he is not going to change now.

There is some shtick to Doc; of course there is. But there is also something fresh about Doc that I have loved for years. He knows football is so much a contact sport. The contact affects so much of what goes into a player’s mind, how he plays with pain, how he reacts to contact. For Doc, it’s almost as simple as, “as long as they are only in their gym clothes, they are not yet playing actual football. So, let’s discuss it when they are playing actual football.”

Walker clarified, “Oh, I like them, but what do you want me to do? The guy won the Heisman Trophy. Am I supposed to be excited that he can throw a ball in practice?”

“I am positive about everything I have seen and heard to this point…I was high on Dan Quinn before they hired him.”

But what about Quinn’s team losing in the Super Bowl after holding a 28-3 lead? “His failure was in the Super Bowl. If that is your form of failure, I’ll take it.”

Walker did state he is very impressed with some of the new people hired by the Commanders “because you really do need good character people to be successful in any business.”

“I like this group, I really do. I would be surprised if this group fails…I don’t think they are going to fail miserably like that last group. This is a group that has really good intentions. If they stay healthy I do think they will be pretty hard to beat.”

Leave it to “Doc” to remind us that football isn’t football until players are in pads and making full contact.

Touching the brakes a bit to slow us down, keeping it real, that’s Doc. Thanks, Doc.

Ian Thomas says Panthers’ new offense is ‘perfect’ for TEs

Panthers TE Ian Thomas on HC Dave Canales’ offense: “You get to be yourself.”

A fourth-round pick in 2018, tight end Ian Thomas has seen quite a bit during his six seasons with the Carolina Panthers. But what he has yet to see is sustained success, particularly at his position.

The Panthers have experienced some of the NFL’s worst production out of the tight end spot in recent years. Over the last four, in fact, all Carolina tight ends combined for just 1,734 yards and 10 touchdowns on 181 receptions.

Thomas, however, thinks there’s a change on the horizon. He spoke with ESPN’s David Newton about the team’s new offense under new head coach Dave Canales and had this to say:

“It’s perfect for tight ends because you get to be yourself. They give you a lot of opportunities, a lot of chances to fit in and mold into the offense. It’s different setups that have given us mismatches. It is working well so far.”

Going into his seventh pro campaign, Thomas has amassed just 1,055 receiving yards and four touchdowns grabs himself. The team restructured his deal earlier this offseason to keep him onboard for 2024.

Newton also asked Canales about his tight end-friendly system this past Wednesday.

“Within our system, we use their skill sets and we’re looking for tight ends with versatility,” he replied. “We’re not necessarily looking for that big 275-pound mauler type of tight end, although those guys are awesome and they have a place in this league. But if you have a smaller guy who’s more of a route runner and he’s a little bit crafty—then at the run, you can slide him back and block a defensive end on the backside. You can send him up away from a defensive end, in or out depending on where his alignment is.”

In addition to Thomas, Canales and the Panthers may look to feature fourth-year veteran Tommy Tremble and this year’s fourth-round pick Ja’Tavion Sanders.

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Broncos pleased with ‘extremely smart’ QB Bo Nix picking up offense

“There’s a patience to how he plays … [he makes] pretty good decisions,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of QB Bo Nix.

Entering his first season in the NFL, Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix is just seven months younger than fourth-year quarterback Zach Wilson.

Wilson spent three years in college before entering the NFL while Nix spent five years at the NCAA level. Nothing compares to experience in the pros, but Nix believes his experience with multiple coaches and offenses on his resume should help him pick up Denver’s offense quickly.

“I’ve been able to learn a lot, and I’ve been given a lot of information, and I’ve had to put it to use,” Nix said during a call with reporters on April 25 when asked about playing for multiple offensive coordinators in college. “I feel like that prepared me at a high level, and I feel like my experience has been really good for me to where now in this situation, I’ll be able to learn and grow as time goes on as we go into camps and get into practice. I just feel really confident in myself that I’ll be able to pick it up, ask good questions, be very intentional and enjoy the process.”

Nix’s hunch has proven to be true.

“Good, he’s farther along than most,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said on May 23 when asked how Nix was picking up the offense. “We’re talking about a player who has played 61 games. He’s extremely smart. He’s picked it up very quickly.”

Smarts are a key part of playing quarterback at the highest level, but Nix needs that knowledge to translate to success on the field. For a rookie quarterback, moving the chains with quick, efficient decisions might look like a boring practice to fans, but it’s exactly what Payton wants to see.

“Location of throw,” Payton said on May 11 when asked what makes a good practice for a quarterback. “[Nix] had two or three down-the-field throws today. It’s almost like watching a good golfer. Sometimes when you watch his game over two years, there’s a patience to how he plays. The ball comes out, and — I don’t want to use the term ‘boring,’ that’s not the right term, but [he makes] pretty good decisions. With each play, the efficiency of how he’s operating, and all of that.

“We’ve done these camps for a long time, and some teams no longer have a true rookie minicamp. It might be more of an orientation. I like to have the workout players here because we’ve found a tryout player every now and then. Then it also allows you to have the full-team drills, and I think it develops not just the quarterback, but everyone else. So often times your first exposure to huddle, snap count, verbiage, that can be challenging, but I thought he threw it well.”

We’re still early in the offseason program — Denver has a final set of organized team activities next week followed by a mandatory minicamp the following week. After that, players will have a summer break leading up to the start of training camp in late July. The quarterback competition will really start to heat up at training camp, but so far, Nix certainly appears to be off to a good start.

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