The Carolina Panthers will be without their top two draft picks and backup quarterback Andy Dalton as they get ready for their preseason opener on Thursday night against the New England Patriots. However, there’s some good news.
The Panthers found out that first-round draft pick Xavier Legette, who had been feared to have a foot fracture, actually didn’t have a serious injury. The wide receiver from South Carolina is listed as day-to-day, and the team will be cautious with him.
“It is fantastic news for us really to just find that out,” coach Dave Canales said. “So we’re day-to-day with him. I would not expect him to play in this preseason game just on the side of caution.”
Legette missed some time in OTAs due to a hamstring injury, but this is a different issue. Canales mentioned that Legette’s foot “was just kind of heating up on him” and he didn’t injure it during a specific play in practice on Sunday.
“We are just trying to get ahead of it,” Canales said. “And I think we did a good job of, or our training staff identifying that and making sure we took the necessary precautions to make sure he’s out there.”
Legette is working to earn a spot in a wide receiver group that includes veterans Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen, as well as former high draft picks Jonathan Mingo and Terrace Marshall Jr.
Running back Jonathan Brooks, a second-round pick from Tennessee, still hasn’t practiced with the Panthers. He tore his ACL in his last season with the Vols, and the team expects he won’t be ready to play until at least late September.
Brooks could compete for playing time with Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders at running back.
At quarterback, the Panthers are left with Bryce Young, Jack Plummer, and Jake Luton as their only healthy QBs since Dalton is sidelined with a strained quadriceps. Dalton is expected to be ready for the regular season. Luton was signed on Monday to fill in while Dalton is out.
Canales said he hasn’t decided yet if Young will play in the preseason. This is a bit surprising given that Young is learning a new offensive system and has only one year of NFL experience.
“I keep going back and forth with that because there’s some value to just allowing him to play with (center) Austin (Corbett),” Canales said.
“And then there’s also the flip side of which we know we’re counting on those guys, and that’s another approach, too, and different teams have different philosophies for how they do that. So that’s something that I’ve been kind of wrestling with.”
Young played in all three preseason games last year as a rookie No. 1 overall pick, getting 54 total snaps.
He shrugged when asked if he would be okay not playing in preseason games, saying he is “super confident” in whatever Canales decides.
“I think it’s a process, and I trust in whatever they feel like the process is,” Young said. “Obviously, us being back, we all are competitors. We all are excited for the season. We’re all excited to be on the field together and compete. We all have that competitive edge to us. And then, as far as the preseason goes, I’ll just trust coach with that.”
Whether Young plays or not, Plummer is expected to take most of the snaps at quarterback during the preseason.
