CHARLOTTE — The Panthers are getting used to adjusting lately.

Not only did they have to get through Thursday's game with a minimal number of linemen by the end of the night, but they also had to get through a non-conventional return home.

So practicing in the heat for the first real time all camp seemed like a minor inconvenience.

Panthers head coach Dave Canales said the temperature and humidity would be good prep for the 1 p.m. starts to come in Buffalo in a few weeks and then in the regular season. I mean, it wasn't Spartanburg, but it was in the 90s for the first time this summer since they moved back home to Charlotte.

"Just two days removed from a game, you had a good opportunity to really work in the heat today," Canales said. "This is one o'clock kickoffs, right? So just getting ready to work. A lot of times things aren't going to be perfect, but can we refocus with the challenges of the weather and the different things like that?"

The work was reasonably clean for a first practice after a game in which a lot of guys had to play a lot of reps, since more than 30 of the regulars didn't play.

"Today on the field, it's kind of like you're practicing two teams almost," Canales said. "You got a group of guys who didn't play in the game, so we're pushing them to get their running in. You got a whole other group; some of those guys played 50-plus reps in this game and just were completely outstanding."

— As it pertains to the injuries, Canales said backup center Cade Mays would miss a couple of weeks with an AC sprain, and that tackle Badara Traore was getting his knee checked out.

Mays left Thursday's locker room with his right arm in a sling, and without him and Traore, the Panthers finished the game with just five healthy offensive linemen, and Brady Christensen, Chandler Zavala, and Ricky Lee each played every snap of the first preseason game.

Rookie defensive lineman Jaden Crumedy suffered a high ankle sprain, so he'll miss some time, but Canales didn't have a firm timetable.

— The injury news wasn't all bad.

Rookie wide receiver Xavier Legette was running around more than he has in recent days, after he's missed some time with a foot issue. Canales said the signs were encouraging, and they want to be careful with the first-round pick.

"He's doing great," Canales said of Legette. "It's kind of a day-to-day thing, and we're trying to just get that to get the discomfort out of the foot completely cleared up before we start getting him into really fast change-of-direction things. The in-line stuff is great, and we'll just be smart about that and bring him along."

— The Panthers are getting to look at a lot of options at outside linebacker with D.J. Wonnum remaining on the physically unable to perform list.

Eku Leota made the most of his chances the other night, with two tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry against the Patriots.

Canales recalled seeing Leota during the Chicago game last year and thinking Thursday was familiar.

"He kind of showed us what he is again. It was consistent, as I saw in the film. It's a guy with high effort, just his pass rush, playing the run physically, special teams, just really laying it all out there. And so he really just showed me what it looks like in person to see the type of effort and who he is as a guy and at practice a lot."

Leota, who hung around last year as an undrafted rookie from Auburn, said he doesn't think effort is the kind of thing he deserves credit for (which is part of his charm).

"Effort should always be the number one," he said. "It should be the standard, but just trying to be consistent and improve every day is my goal, and just trying to stack days as well."

He's among a group, including former Jaguars first-rounder K'Lavon Chaisson, trying to earn snaps in a rotation that also includes DJ Johnson.

Chaisson has shown a few flashes in camp, and said he thought coming here provided an opportunity for him.

"I think a 3-4 defensive scheme is made for outside linebackers to make plays and compete. And there's an opportunity here for me to do that and I'm excited for it," he said. "Just to get better every day, obviously. There's a certain level of respect and attention that everybody wants in their game, and that's the ultimate goal.

"So every day I come out here just to get better and obviously to make the team better, for sure."

— While many people might have been alarmed by sensational headlines about the team's Friday morning landing on the flight home from Providence, Canales said he actually slept through it.

After what he described as "a clean, safe landing," the plane went off the taxiway and was stuck for a bit before they could bring in stairs and buses to get the team off the plane and to the terminal.

"As we were taxiing, the plane was under control; we just felt a little jolt, and the pilot informed us that there was something going on that they were going to have to bring people out to evaluate," Canales said. "So I promptly went to sleep and was like, OK, I know these things from flying commercial and it might take some time. So I took a little nap.

"For me, there's only one way to grade landings, and that's safely. And so that's a pass-fail deal, and he passed it with flying colors, and the rest of it, we kind of deal with."

— The Panthers were in shells Saturday (they'll be in full pads tomorrow), but there were a few highlight plays.

The best might have been a deep ball from Jack Plummer to David Moore. The veteran receiver has always been able to run, and he showed that deep speed for a touchdown.

— Starting guard Damien Lewis was out Saturday dealing with what Canales referred to as a "family" matter, and Zavala worked with the starters in his place.

— Big alumni presence at practice Saturday, with Charles Johnson and Mike Tolbert on hand as assistant coaches for the Charlotte Police Athletic League team that was on hand.

Luke Kuechly, Mike Rucker, and Thomas Davis were also here, and former linebacker James Anderson made an appearance as well.

— Second year guard Nash Jensen was back on the field after missing the game Thursday to be home for the birth of a son.

"Colby Russell Jensen was born, good solid eight pounder," Canales announced. "We were all excited to congratulate him."