8 Panthers have impressed Matt Rhule the most in camp. Here’s how good they’ve been
Somehow, someway the NFL regular season is just around the corner.
The Panthers are almost a month into all of the players arriving at the team’s facility and over a week into practice in pads. The time for the 80 players in camp to prove that they deserve a spot on the 53-man roster, or even one of 16 practice squad slots, is now.
There are some more obvious players that are impressing in this year’s camp. Running back Christian McCaffrey, linebacker Shaq Thompson and defensive tackle Kawann Short will always stand out. But for the less-obvious starters or players fighting for a roster spot, this entire week is important as head coach Matt Rhule said he believes players make their biggest jump this week.
Rhule has not been shy about sharing the names of the players who have stood out to him. The players who have the characteristics that he wants to build the Panthers around, but are a not the usual big names
“We have enough stars, we have enough high-end talent guys. What we need is, we need a gritty, tough team that loves to play the game and creates their own energy and goes out there and loves the physical battle,” Rhule said Saturday. “I want a tough team. I want a gritty team. We’re going out looking for those guys we have, we’d love it to be the guys that we have that we’ve trained, but at the same time we also realize there’s lots of guys out there on the street that are good players that can help us.”
While the Panthers continue to tweak their roster throughout camp to find the perfect mix, there are some notable, less-discussed players that Rhule mentioned Saturday that have specifically stood out to him for having the toughness and grit he is looking for. Here’s a look at some of those players.
S Juston Burris
Rhule says: “One of the unsung heroes of the camp, one of the guys that like we signed and I thought he was going to be good, but I just love his work ethic, attention to details is Juston Burris. I mean he’s exactly the type of guy that I want to build this thing around, tough, fast, explosive, versatile. He plays really loudly. He doesn’t talk really loudly, he plays really loudly. He plays on special teams, he doesn’t complain. You get guys like him and (rookie Jeremy) Chinn, all of a sudden you really have something. Burris to me, I know he’s a starter, but he’s been he’s one of the guys this camp that you say to yourself: ‘Man, we got to keep this guy out here, and really let him have an effect on the entire franchise.’ “
Our takeaway: When the Panthers signed Burris, 27, this offseason, there were high hopes for what the Raleigh native and former N.C. State player, could do. As Rhule indicated, Burris has shone above and beyond in their eyes, playing special teams as well. Although he hasn’t necessarily made the splashiest plays at practice thus far, he has been consistent and has multiple good plays. At the sessions that have been open to the media, he hasn’t yet quite splashed the way Rhule describes him.
Burris is coming off the best season of his career with the Browns, starting nine games last year with two interceptions, seven passes defensed and 32 tackles. On Tuesday, he shared that something that has helped him get better is taking notes consistently. The Panthers defense has many vocally loud players, including safety Tre Boston and cornerback Donte Jackson, but Burris said Rhule is trying to get him to talk a bit more. He’s going to have a big opportunity this season and has clearly already impressed.
“I always knew that I could be a guy that the team counted on, and I just had to go out and prove it, had to go out and show it. Last year, I was able to do that,” Burris said. “I’m just trying to do it even better this year, do it 10 times better than I did last year, and just keep improving.”
Player at that position with a stock down based on practice: S Kenny Robinson
RB Mike Davis
Rhule says: “I think Mike Davis has had a great camp. I mean, just a great camp. He’s running, he’s getting open.”
Our takeaway: Davis has been one of the surprises of camp thus far. Due $3 million this year, the 27-year-old seemed to be a likely candidate to be cut, but instead he has established himself as the leader to be McCaffrey’s backup. Davis has been contributing on special teams and has looked good throughout the first week of practices. He runs with a lot of power and after losing some weight over the offseason, looks ready to play a role in Joe Brady’s offense. As Davis said Tuesday, the priority is keeping things rolling when one of the best running backs in the league steps off the field. “You just want to make sure that there’s no drop-off.”
Stock down: RB Reggie Bonnafon
LB Adarius Taylor
Rhule says: “He’s a true pro’s pro, and he’s a guy that he could start for us. He’s a really good player and fits us well.”
Our takeaway: The Panthers signed Taylor (formerly named Adarius Glanton), Rhule refers to him as “A.G.,” at the end of July and he has already made a significant impact. This is his second stint with the team after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He only has gotten more opportunities as of late and was involved in several plays during Tuesday’s practice, even giving him and other linebackers a chance to go with the ones.
This was a team in need of depth at linebacker with most of the undrafted players they brought in already gone. Taylor has been given opportunities over other players.
Stock down: LB Jermaine Carter/Andre Smith
TE Chris Manhertz
Rhule says: “Manhertz, I think has had a great camp so far. ... (He’s) a guy who’s a blocking tight end and developing into a pass receiver, who works at everything every day.”
Our takeaway: Rhule once referred to Manhertz as having the potential to be the best blocking tight end in the league. But the former basketball player makes this list because he’s going beyond that. He only has six receptions in his six-year NFL career. The Panthers are going to be using two tight end sets, as Rhule said Tuesday, and getting Manhertz, 28, more involved in the offense. He has made some impressive catches throughout camp, and without a lot of depth at the position, versatility will only help.
Stock down: TE Giovanni Ricci
DL Yetur Gross-Matos and Zach Kerr
Rhule says: “I think we have some guys on the D-line, Gross-Matos is a young guy, but I really liked Zach Kerr today, I mean he had great energy. He’s flying around, he’s a veteran. He stood out to me.”
Our takeaway: Gross-Matos is one of the many rookies who are going to make an impact early this season. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound defensive tackle has only gotten more opportunities as camp has progressed, and has shown potential to go against the team’s offensive lineman and be an asset in run blocking.
Kerr is one of the quieter free agent signings the Panthers made this offseason. He’s on his third NFL team and had his best season with Denver in 2018. The defensive line is going to feature substitutions and lot of different looks throughout the season. Kerr, who is about to turn 30, is likely to become a big part of that rotation
Stock down: DL Bruce Hector, DaVonte Lambert
WR Brandon Zylstra
Rhule says: ”Zylstra’s had a really good camp. ... He shows up every day, he’s had several good days in a row now. He’s challenging for an opportunity.”
Our takeaway: The Panthers are hurting at wide receiver with multiple out due to long-term injuries, but Rhule said Tuesday he’s hoping they get some of those players back soon. Zylstra has taken advantage of the opportunity, seemingly grabbing every pass, and there has been a lot of them thrown to him. His playing time last year came far past when the games mattered, with almost all of his production coming in the last game of the year (six receptions for 96 yards). While Carolina is looking to add more depth at wide receiver, Zylstra has shown thus far why he might be the last wide receiver in.
Stock down: Too many injuries
FB Alex Armah
Rhule says: “Alex Armah, who’s a guy that’s just showing us his versatility and saying, ‘Hey coach, you can count on me, you can play with me.’ ”
Our takeaway: Based on the previous offenses Brady has been apart of, there isn’t a whole lot of room for a fullback. But Armah has been used in a surprising number of ways throughout camp practices. A potential cut candidate has instead impressed the coaching staff so far. Although we can’t get into too many details about the ways he has been used, due to media protocols, he has looked good in camp and isn’t so bad with the ball in his hands.
Other names to keep an eye on: DE Marquis Haynes, DE Efe Obada, S Jeremy Chinn, G John Miller, OL Chris Reed
This story was originally published August 26, 2020 at 6:00 AM with the headline "8 Panthers have impressed Matt Rhule the most in camp. Here’s how good they’ve been."
