CHARLOTTE – This time last year, the Panthers’ newly hired coaching staff did all they could day after day to prepare for the season, but something was missing.
The players.
While the coaches worked away in their offices inside Bank of America Stadium, players organized practice sessions at an area high school.
The NFL’s work stoppage kept the two sides apart, but this June they’re very much together.
“I love being out here. It’s been an awesome offseason,” Panthers tight end Greg Olsen
said Thursday following the team’s final Organized Team Activity (OTA) of the offseason. “Having this offseason is going to do us a lot of good. We’ve been able to install a lot of our offense and continue to build on things while correcting some things from last year.
“It’s also nice coming out here and working with these guys for the familiarity aspect. It should lead to a big improvement.”
Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said the strides made over the last three weeks have been obvious, and he’s also looking forward to one more chance to improve prior to training camp with a three-day minicamp that begins Tuesday.
Any chance to work together is better than what the team endured last season.
“It was really tough on us last year not being able to build the rapport that we are right now,” Rivera said. “We’re seeing a lot of positives. We are getting better, but we most certainly can get much better.”
Last year’s team had remarkable chemistry given that Rivera couldn’t even shake hands with many of his players until the week training camp opened. The team grew closer over the course of the season, as evidenced by their 4-2 finish, and now they’re picking up where they left off.
“It’s great to come out here with these fellas every day,” wide receiver Brandon LaFell said. “Cam (Newton) brings a certain energy to the field every day, and Smitty (Steve Smith) takes it to another level. The defensive guys have even been talking a little trash.
