Carolina Panthers OTA recap: Canales eyeing Young’s footwork as he shows off accuracy

Bryce Young took a snap during the first day of organized team activities and launched the ball down the field roughly 40 yards. The ball glided through the air as wide receiver Adam Thielen broke free from a defensive back and eventually hit the wideout in the hands as he moved toward the end zone during 7-on-7 drills on Monday.

Last season, Young rarely threw deep as he finished the season with 2,877 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. But during Dave Canales’ first OTA session in Charlotte, Young took the opportunity to toss the ball for big gains, including a pair of heaves to veteran tight end Ian Thomas, who made impressive catches on both targets.

Young, 22, is coming off a disappointing rookie season. After completing just 59.8% of his passes in Year 1, Young — with Canales as his mentor — will look to make huge strides in 2024.

Canales already sees Young’s accuracy and footwork are on point.

“Deep balls, short, intermediate — he’s a really accurate passer,” Canales said. “One of the things that I love is: I can really focus in on his footwork and his base and the mechanics of where his eyes are at when I know the ball is hitting the receivers. So for the last couple weeks, as we’ve been throwing on air, I don’t have to worry about where the ball’s going.

“He’s very accurate. Andy (Dalton) the same thing. I know, they’re pros, so people have this expectation that quarterbacks are accurate. But I know that some guys are more accurate than others, so I think it’s the ability of Bryce to be able to throw to different body types, different speeds, different quicknesses at the top of routes. So I’m really impressed with that part of it.”

Young likes knowing Canales’ ‘why’ in OTAs

Young said that the uncertainty of the coaching search during the first month of the offseason left him without a team-designed plan during his break from the building. So, Young focused on his annual routine that dates back to high school days.

Young met with his QB trainers, scoured over last year’s tape, and worked on his technique.

With those offseason chores out of the way, he was ready to embrace Canales’ system and his new grouping of offensive weapons. On Monday, he showed a strong command of the offense, according to Canales, though the head coach said he would prefer the tempo of communication in-and-out of the huddle was a bit more swift.

Young, who showed off his arm strength during the first of 10 workouts, said this phase of the offseason program is about learning the new offense and putting it in motion.

“Right now, it’s been a great learning experience for me, learning all these new concepts, learning the footwork that we have with it, learning reads,” Young said. “The football is very similar — you do a lot of the same things. But we definitely have some new stuff. For me, it’s just been a good opportunity to learn and step back and look at things from a different perspective.

“You look at football through one lens for a long time. And you get super locked in with whatever the way (you are taught). And with this new coaching staff, this is a new energy, a lot of new philosophy. So for me it’s just about taking all that coaching, and I trust him, I’ve learned from him, so working to get better.”

With Canales focused on Young’s footwork, the quarterback said he has been making subtle changes to his approach, which is a common part of the process with a new coaching staff.

“It’s not foreign at all,” Young said. “Really little tweaks. It’s just there are certain things. If it’s this concept, we’re doing this footwork, which is what it’s always been. Very similar. It’s been little tweaks which has been great for me, but also great knowing their ‘why.’ And that’s another great thing about them: In teaching, they do a great job of not just telling you, ‘Hey do this.’ It’s, ‘Do this because of this. This is the reason why we’re doing this.’

“For me, it’s easy for me to buy in knowing the ‘why,’ knowing the details behind it and having that conversation. So that’s really all it is.”

Jaycee Horn happy to be surrounded by Gamecocks

Jaycee Horn — fresh off having the fifth-year option on his rookie contract picked up — was surrounded by a bunch of familiar faces on the practice field Monday.

Even with Brian Burns, Frankie Luvu, Jeremy Chinn and Donte Jackson no longer working on Mint Street, Horn had other longtime teammates — like Shaq Thompson, Derrick Brown and Xavier Woods — around on Monday. He was also able to watch fellow former South Carolina Gamecock and first-round pick, Xavier Legette, work with the offense on the opposite side of the field.

Horn and Legette are among four former Gamecocks with notable names on the Carolina roster this offseason. Horn played with Legette and pass rusher D.J. Wonnum in college, while Jadeveon Clowney is one of the biggest names to ever come out of USC’s football program.

“It is crazy having Gamecocks on the team,” Horn said. “I was in school with D.J., so I’m closer to him than Clowney because he was gone when I got there, but me and D.J. were there for two years. And it’s good having Clowney here also ... keeping the Gamecocks in the building.”

Horn also wouldn’t mind seeing former Defensive Player of the Year, Stephon Gilmore, rejoin the franchise this offseason.

“I mean, we got plenty room,” Horn said. “So that’s on them upstairs. We’ll see what they do.”

Horn has come away impressed by Legette during their limited time competing against each other outside of Bank of America Stadium. Horn practiced against Legette during the receivers’ first two years with the Gamecocks, and the cornerback has seen a big improvement in the playmaker’s performance since he arrived in Charlotte earlier this month.

“He’s a hell of a player,” Horn said. “And now we’re still going to be competing everyday, except I’m going to be trying to help him a lot more and try to go as hard as I can against him, so when he get out there on Sunday, it’ll be a lot easier for him.

“He’s a different receiver (than) when I was going against him in college. He got way more technical with his routes. Just works at a different speed. So I’m excited to see him this year.”

Horn has only played in 22 of the 51 games he’s been eligible to appear in during the first three years of his career due to various injuries. While it’s tough to question Horn’s talent, his durability has spoiled his run in the league so far.

Horn decided to lift weights more this offseason to protect himself from the injury woes he’s experienced over the past three seasons.

“I watch tape, I know what I’m capable of,” Horn said. “And I still feel like I’m one of the best (defensive backs) in this league, and I just got to be out here to show it. So that’s what I’m looking forward to doing.”

Eddy Piñeiro still away from workouts

The Panthers are working without veteran kicker Eddy Piñeiro during organized team activities. Piñeiro missed the team’s voluntary veteran minicamp in April, and he has decided against showing up for OTAs, which are also optional.

Canales said Monday that he has not spoken with the kicker but is grateful to have undrafted rookie Harrison Mevis around for drills.

“I think we’re just focusing on the guys we have,” Canales said. “I’m glad we have Harrison Mevis here so that we can actually go through our field goal and field goal block period. So just really focused on the guys who are here, and I’m sure Eddy, he’s got a plan for this whole thing.”

Piñeiro is entering the second and final year of the contract that he signed last offseason. He has just $150,000 in guaranteed money left on his deal. The Panthers would gain $1.85 million if they were to move on from Piñeiro, who was a favorite of former special teams coordinator Chris Tabor.

During Monday’s workout, Mevis — who will presumably compete with Piñeiro — made all of five field goal attempts during the portion of the session that was open to the media.

Quick hits

▪ Following the workout, Canales clarified that pass rusher and special teams ace Amare Barno was recovering from an ACL injury that he suffered last season. Barno was placed on injured reserve and shut down for the remainder of the season following a Dec. 10 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

“He’s progressing great,” Canales said of Barno. “He was on the field doing some straight-line running stuff today. He’s been here every day working with our athletic training staff. Just to build the strength around it, his flexibility. And all the reports we’re getting is great. So he’s trending in the right direction. I don’t have a specific date. But he is out there working and got his cleats on doing stuff. So I’m looking forward to getting him back up to speed, where we can have him at practice at some point.”

▪ While Barno was in attendance for the workout, several veterans were not seen during the portion open to the media. The workouts are voluntary, and it’s typical to have absences during OTAs.

Clowney, Wonnum, Piñeiro, guard Robert Hunt, linebacker Josey Jewell, pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson and wide receivers David Moore, Cam Sims and Mike Strachan weren’t seen in uniform.

▪ Wide receiver-turned-tight end Jordan Matthews made an impressive play during 7-on-7 drills. He caught a short pass over the middle and surged up the field roughly 40 yards for a touchdown. Matthews, 31, is battling to earn a spot on roster after a whirlwind career that has been full of hurdles due to injuries and constant roster moves. The 2014 second-round pick has caught 274 passes for 3,288 yards and 22 touchdowns in his NFL career. He spent time last season the Panthers’ practice squad and played in one game for Carolina.

▪ Running back Rashaad Penny appeared in uniform on Monday. However, like second-round pick Jonathon Brooks, Penny spent the entire workout watching from the sideline. Brooks is recovering from ACL surgery, while Penny was signed to the roster last week.

Alex Zietlow contributed to this report.