Source: Jacob Kupferman / Getty
Tuesday was arrival day in Spartanburg for the 2023 Carolina Panthers, as the remaining members of the roster moved their belongings into the dorms at Wofford College. Among those who spoke to the media were general manager Scott Fitterer and rookie quarterback Bryce Young. Here is a look at some of the biggest takeaways from reporting day.
Bryce Young Garnering a Ton of Attention
Every single person that spoke to the media that wasn’t the rookie quarterback himself was asked about him on Tuesday and you can feel the excitement even from his teammate to work with him this year. “That boy’s sharp,” said running back Miles Sanders. “I’m excited to see what he can do this year.” Even guys on the defensive side of the ball are excited about the No. 1 pick being in camp. “Bryce was great in OTAs and I’m excited to work with him and maybe pick him off a few times,” corner Jaycee Horn joked. Even GM Scott Fitterer seemed excited after what he saw from him in OTAs. “Everybody talks about the intelligence and the processing. We saw that in an NFL offense. We saw him in an NFL huddle, going up to the line of scrimmage and managing line calls. He was going through his progressions in an NFL offense and that was really encouraging.”
All About Earning Respect
While Panthers fans may be excited about the possibility of this season, many nationally see the team finishing third place in the division this year. Their skepticism is understood in some respects with the struggles the team has had in recent years and it has the players motivated to prove them wrong and earn some respect. “I feel like since I came in the league going into games, I feel like we don’t have a lot of respect as an organization right now,” said corner Jaycee Horn. “I feel like going into Year 3, I’m just so focused on the team and us winning and getting respect around this league.” Defensive tackle Derrick Brown shared a similar sentiment. “I don’t think very many people give us a chance to do much of anything. You know what they say about snakes, man, they won’t bite you till you see em.”
Running Back Remain a Hot Topic
The lack of payments to big-name running backs has been one of the biggest storylines around the football world in the past week and it was a hot topic in Spartanburg. “I’ve said my thoughts,” said Sanders. “As of right now, I’m at where I’m at, I got my contract.” Fitterer says that he hasn’t had many talks with other GMs about the value of the position, but said that it is one that is seen as important by the organization. “Obviously we still value the running back. In Frank’s offense, running back is a very important position.”
