SPARTANBURG — The Panthers have gone hard the previous two days in training camp, and they know the joint practices with the Colts on Thursday and Friday will be intense.

That made Tuesday a day to refine some of the particulars, and get ready for things to ramp up.

The Panthers went through a shorter, non-padded practice Tuesday, working for about an hour and a half. As they did at the end of minicamp, they went through a lot of situational work, covering end-of-game situations and the like.

"I think the joint practices are going to tell us a lot about who we are," Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said. "We had two competitive days the last two days, and now we'll compete against somebody else. And we're talking about some great players Indy has, so it will be a great measuring stick for our guys. Both on a personal level, a unit level, and a team level, where are we compared to them."

While getting a barometer on the entire team will be helpful, Rhule mentioned that the joint work would be a real test for both lines, considering the talent Indy has up front on both sides of the ball.

"I think the offensive and defensive lines, it'll be a great test," he said. "Not going against each other, but going against someone new."

The Panthers will travel Wednesday from Charlotte, so the early finish Tuesday gives them a little break before what should be a more challenging couple of practices.

— There were two more interceptions Tuesday, with the defense creating the turnovers Rhule has been asking for lately.

Jeremy Chinn got his second pick of camp, and linebacker Jermaine Carter had another as well.

Chinn making plays is something that seems like is going to be a thing all year, as his instincts seem to lend themselves to creating interceptions. The Panthers only had seven as a team last year (next to last in the league), so moving Chinn to safety and drafting cornerback Jaycee Horn in the first round was done with increasing that number in mind.

Carter continues to have a solid camp.

While it was reasonable to wonder when they signed Denzel Perryman if he would have a place in the starting lineup, Carter has shown no indication that his job should be in jeopardy.

Perryman's still out with an injury that could last a while, and Carter continues to prove himself reliable, and capable of making plays.

— The Panthers are on the lookout for return options, and when they worked on punts, wide receiver David Moore was at the front of the line.

They had wideouts C.J. Saunders and Shi Smith back there as well (along with Christian McCaffrey and DJ Moore, but those are in-case-of-emergency-break-glass options).

David Moore has experience on special teams from his days in Seattle, averaging 8.5 yards per punt return the last two seasons.

"I feel like it'll be a big part (of my role)," Moore said after practice. "I did returning all four years in Seattle, so they asked me to do the same thing here. I like it; it's kind of fun."

While Moore has shown some competence there, it's still an area where they could upgrade later. Returners are generally available throughout the offseason, so it's not inconceivable that they might look for one later.

— The Panthers still had a large number of players sidelined and not participating Tuesday.

Left tackle Cameron Erving moved from yesterday's red jersey to a green model, suggesting limited availability. He missed Monday's work with what was described as a shoulder issue, though it didn't seem serious.

— With Erving out and Dennis Daley still away with an excused absence for family reasons, the Panthers got another long look at Taylor Moton at left tackle Tuesday.

Tuesday's wrinkle was Sam Tecklenburg working with the starters at center, since Matt Paradis was wearing a green jersey after leaving practice with some back tightness Sunday.