It’s no surprise, but quarterback Bryce Young performed well in his first time on the Panthers’ practice field.
Head coach Frank Reich said the No. 1 overall pick “made a great impression” on the first day of rookie minicamp.
“Obviously, mentally and physically looked the part in every way,” Reich said in his Friday press conference. “Threw the ball exceedingly well. You could tell he was in a good space mentally, really had a firm grasp on everything we asked.”
Reich noted that the coaching staff kept what they installed from the scheme “extremely light,” with the goal being for all players to best display what they can do. But Young also aided in that process by taking on a clear leadership role.
“I thought Bryce did not only a good job with himself, but just really commanding the huddle, kind of keeping everybody loose, keeping everybody dialed in to what we were doing,” Reich said. “I thought the guys did a good job.”
Reich added that effectively “everything is a test” when it comes to trying to get Young acclimated and eventually ready to play. And while the team will constantly talk about decision-making, timing, and accuracy, those elements looked pretty good on Friday.
” Some of it’s a feeling-out process, like between he and [QBs coach] Josh [McCown], just talking about — we do allow a little flexibility and freedom with each quarterback within their footwork, depending on what they’re comfortable with,” Reich said. “So, we kind of have certain requirements that are musts. And then we have other things that are more of a feel thing for each quarterback. So there’s a little bit of working that out with Bryce and Josh in this process. But that’ll go smoothly.”
There’s a long way to go between Friday’s first practice and Week One. But Young’s first day in Charlotte went off without a hitch.
