1. Worley showing he belongs: Cornerback Daryl Worley didn't look like a rookie Monday. The third-round pick from West Virginia intercepted quarterback Cam Newton's first pass of team drills. Newton was targeting tight end Scott Simonson, but Worley had a good read on it and jumped the route down the seam.

"You want to always start with confidence," Worley said. "Being able to get your hands on the ball boosts that confidence and allows you to play better."

Later, when the team began a red zone drill, Worley showed strength at the line of scrimmage, jamming wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin and forcing Newton to look elsewhere.

"It's not a small task at all (jamming Kelvin) but it's a part of the game," Worley said. "He's even bigger than me, but you've got to do what you've got to do to disrupt timing and routes."

2. Young fires up defense: Worley and the rookies weren't the only corners making plays. Lou Young stepped up in a big way at the end of team drills, energizing the entire defensive sideline in the process.

It looked like wide receiver LaRon Byrd had a clear reception deep down the sideline, but Young stayed with the play and dislodged the ball as they went to the ground.

The offense tested Young again on the next snap. This time, rookie wide receiver Keyarris Garrett was the target deep downfield, but Young was in perfect position to knock the ball away.

3. Norwood comes through for offense: The defense forced three consecutive incompletions to start that red zone drill, but Newton got the offense into the end zone on play No. 4. Wide receiver Kevin Norwood broke toward the corner, and Newton fired a strike to him for the touchdown.

4. Kalil gets a different perspective: All-Pro center Ryan Kalil was given a veteran's day off, which gave him a chance to help coach the offensive line.  

Gino Gradkowski stepped in at center with the first team, and Kalil was offering advice to the linemen between reps. He even rode the sled and barked out cadences during the pass-rush drill against the defensive line.

5. Coach Braylon returns: Braylon Beam, the young Panthers super fan and brave cancer survivor, made an appearance at Monday's practice.

It was amazing to see the players' faces light up when they saw Braylon heading their way. Head coach Ron Rivera got a chance to share some laughs with Braylon, who broke down the team at the conclusion of practice.