-Another day, another full practice for quarterback Cam Newton. Much like his performance on opening night, Newton participated in all periods and launched a couple deep balls. He spread it around to a variety of targets, hooking up with Jarius Wright on a number of occasions. Wright had the catch of the day, laying out for a pass over the middle during a team period and bringing the crowd to its feet.
- Daryl Williams and rookie Greg Little both got some time at left tackle with the starters. The first team on defense continues to look the same, with Corn Elder manning the nickel spot.
-Instead of going through specially choreographed handshakes with each guy in the huddle, Newton opted for hugs. Yup, before breaking the huddle for install period, he hugged everyone. Isn't that great?
-Running back Christian McCaffrey glides out there. It's nothing new, just an observation. We know he demands so much of himself, and that came to light when he reached out with one hand to corral a pass in the flat and he couldn't quite hang on. The degree of difficulty was extremely high, but that didn't matter to McCaffrey, who, um, voiced his displeasure.
-Speaking of voicing displeasure, head coach Ron Rivera was none too pleased with the defense after jumping offsides a couple times. Let's just say he got his point across.
-Good to see tight end Ian Thomas back in action during team periods. The second-year tight end missed the entire spring while working his way back from a knee injury. No splash plays to speak of, but a step in the right direction as he gets back in the swing of things.
-Rookie running back Jordan Scarlett had a strong day, and it somewhat surprisingly came in the passing game. The fifth-round pick wasn't involved as a pass-catcher during his college days at Florida, but he showed soft hands reeling in passes in the flat. That'll no doubt help his cause in the competition for reps behind McCaffrey.
-Good play all around late in practice, as quarterback Kyle Allen avoided the rush and heaved a deep ball down the sideline to wide receiver Terry Godwin. The rookie tracked the ball well but cornerback Kevon Seymour stayed with the play and did enough to force the incompletion.
-Safety Eric Reid has shown great command of the defense. He's getting everything organized in the back end, and with second-year safety Rashaan Gaulden still finding his footing, Reid has helped him along – in addition to making his own plays on the ball.
-Here's the list of guys who were fielding punts: Chris Hogan, Terry Godwin, Rashad Ross, Jayden Mickens and Damion Jeanpiere Jr.
-Shoutout to cleanest long snapper in the game, the one and only JJ Jansen. Visor game on point!
