Kony Ealy Taking Ribbing On and Off Field

Proclaimed steal of the draft, Kony Ealy has taken a beating both on and off the field.  Drafted 60th overall and graded as a first round talent, Panther fans praised Gettleman's commitment to drafting the "best player available" when selecting the 276 lbs Missouri Tiger in the 2nd round.  Some fans were bewildered as the Panthers passed on guys like Morgan Moses or Jack Mewhort, but later consoled when Gettleman grabbed Trai Turner in the 3rd, who many viewed as perhaps the draft's most valuable steal.  Greg Hardy's legal troubles and looming suspension, the unlikeliness of signing him long-term, and the potential parting of ways with Charles "Big Money" Johnson, only made the Ealy selection look that much wiser.

Ealy, however, has struggled in his first training camp, leaving some questioning his ability to make an immediate impact.

Panther Training Camp 8-5 in Images

C3 made it out to camp today and got a lot of work done, but also had a lot of fun.  We were fortunate enough to interview +Bill Voth from +Black and Blue Review for this week's podcast.  Because we are attending camp today and tomorrow, we are going to push the podcast back until Thursday to get some edits done to the interview and to also mull over what we see tomorrow in addition to today's Panther performances.  Until then, check out some of the shots C3 snapped.



Brensin Bersin is working hard to make this team.  Here he is with the #1 unit catching a TD and making Melvin White look silly.

MORE TO COME!!! 

Practice Makes Perfect

As I reminisce on the 2013 Carolina Panthers, I can’t help but get extremely excited about the upcoming season. Five more Sundays and regular season Panther football is back in action.

Now, I know that nothing is guaranteed and I know that no one can predict the outcome but there’s something about a new year that makes my heart smile.

Training camp and preseason football gives us the opportunity to see the potential of each individual player. We’re able to see the second, third, and fourth string players give their all in hopes of making the team. I feel for these guys; when they’re on the field, I can see their dreams hanging in the balance and one blown play may be the end.

I made the trip to Spartanburg over the weekend to get an up-close look at our 2014 Panthers. Despite the heat, the crowd was fantastic; fans dressed in their Sunday best – black, blue, and white jerseys, of course– made the trip to support our team and being in close proximity to other Panther fans made the upcoming season all the more real.

Were Worries of Benjamin's Hands Unfounded?

The general consensus was that that Kelvin Benjamin has butter fingers at times.  This has been the greatest criticism of the giant receiver.  This training camp has offered a lot evidence contrary to those criticisms.

Training Camp Chronicles Part 1 Panthers And Falcons (July 29, 2014)

Can't play the embed player, try this link: https://ia902507.us.archive.org/10/items/TrainingCampChroniclesPart1PanthersAndFalcons/Training%20Camp%20Chronicles%20Part%201-%20Panthers%20and%20Falcons.mp3

Panthers Team Depth and Surprise Cuts

Going into training camp, General Manager Dave Gettleman and Head Coach Ron Rivera will hope to fill all roster needs to have a productive camp. If that means going longer or shorter at certain positions, they will have to make those tough decisions for the benefit of the team. Because the Panthers are such a young team, Rivera doesn’t have to worry tremendously about managing veteran reps to save their bodies for the season. Let’s be honest, no one wants to see a star player go down to injury before seeing any real game action. Injuries happen, however, especially to Jonathan Stewart (injured already), and Carolina’s front office needs to be prepared for any and everything.  The will also have to mine a few unknown gems to fill a few needs offensively and defensively.

Panthers 2014 Fan Fest Fan Album

Panthers Fan Fest kicked with a party and ended with an impressive fireworks display.  Check out some of the C3 fan images.  More will come, but check out the first round.

Panthers Training Camp Guarantees to Cut Deep

Panther Nation is eager for training camp. I am  for sure! I’m taking the kids to Fan Fest on Friday 7/25, and then heading to the first practice in Spartanburg on 7/26. Fans may be excited to see the football fly, but there are 90 athletes, who now call themselves Carolina Panthers, that will be focused on making the cut. For some, this is a non issue. The Panther stars, the Luke Kuechlys, Cam Newtons, and Charles Johnsons, can breath easy, focus on their game, and enjoy the fan festivities. For many, however, this will be a grueling, high pressure opportunity to make the squad. Each dropped pass, miss blitz pick-up, or poorly run route will be scrutinized and could just make Sundays a day off, rather than
a day at the office. NFL teams are allowed to have 90 man rosters to start camp. The first cuts will occur on August 26, where the roster slims to 76. On August 31, Dave Gettleman will have to pull out the cleaver and hack the roster down to the final 53, leaving 37 guys unsure of their NFL futures.

C3 Audio Podcast: Reacting to Hardy Verdict and Forecasting Training Camp Cuts

ORDER IN THE TWITTER COURT! The Crew reacts to the Greg Hardy guilty verdict and the circus surrounding it!  We've brought in +PantherNasty aka @Begasu26 to discuss the Panthers training camp roster and preview the cuts to come.  The reactions are raw and immediate and the analysis is a must listen.

C3 Video Podcast: Camp Cuts

Live 10 PM Tonight! 

(7/15)

The C3 Crew discusses who needs to have a strong camp to avoid being cut and some of the positions that have an abundance of players, which may lead to an unexpected roster cut.  C3 contributor and TTC member +PantherNasty aka +Willie Perry  will be poppin through the show to give everyone the low down on training camp expectations.