CHARLOTTE, N.C. (CHARLOTTE SPORTS LIVE) — The first day of the Panthers’ rookie minicamp Friday was considered a light launch for things to come.
Head coach Dave Canales weighed in what he saw out of first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan. The wide receiver is one of 42 players participating in the rookie practices.
“He looks smooth, easy to throw to, just like we thought,” Canales said. “The little bit I saw with the individual drills, you can see the route craft, he’s a guy who works on his craft.”
McMillan said there wasn’t much of an adjustment as a new player in the NFL. He signed his first pro contract this week and was wearing jersey No. 4.
“I was fortunate enough to play in pro-style offense, have pro-style coaching,” he said. “The tempo, speed of the game is the same. The only difference is it’s humid out here. It’s not a dry heat like in Arizona. I got to get used to that for sure.”
Canales also addressed the team releasing veteran edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, referencing the second-round picks Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen.
“There’s a lot of things from a general cap standpoint and it’s about opportunity,” he explained. “We’re developmentally minded. We’re bringing in two edge rushers. I want to make sure those guys are getting the volume of the reps in and learning that’s going on.
The team concludes the two-day rookie minicamp Saturday.
