Dave Canales on Panthers offense: 'We're not there yet'
Rome wasn't built in a day.
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales spoke with reporters following Monday's outing of training camp, where his offense tried to bounce back following a bumpy weekend. He was asked what the group should look like when it's not bumpy and, in particular, how quarterback Bryce Young can master the approach.
"Really, it's just functioning," Canales replied. "It's the pre-snap mechanics of getting us up to the line, getting us to the right place, in the run game, in the pass game. It's about throwing it to that first open guy within the time that we want. And then, when the pocket breaks apart, extending and making those extra plays.
"He's showing all those things. But I still think, just in terms of getting our group polished, we're not there yet. We still have strides to make as an offense as a whole. I want for all of our groups, particularly our first group, to be able to function so it just looks like a really fine-tuned machine. And we're not quite there right now in that regard. But I love the understanding that we have right now with our concepts."
While not the most encouraging update, it's not the most surprising either. Not only is a first-year head coach trying to implement a completely new system, but he's attempting to do so with a unit that was especially ineffective a season ago.
The Panthers, who just finished with an NFL-worst 2-15 record, averaged the fewest yards (265.3) and points per game (13.9) in 2023. That offense was led by No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, who only passed for 179.8 yards a contest and 11 touchdowns.
So although the organization is undergoing some refreshing change, don't expect this offense to be built in a day—or maybe even in a year.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Dave Canales on Panthers offense: 'We're not there yet'
