There’s still two weeks to go before Bryce Young and the rest of the Carolina rookies report to Panthers training camp. However, the No. 1 pick of the NFL Draft spent this week in Dallas doing some extra work with his new receivers.
Young worked out with receivers Adam Thielen, the former Viking, Terrace Marshall, DJ Chark and Laviska Shenault on the SMU campus. Rookie running back Camerun Peoples also hung out with the receivers. They’re all working with Craig LeBlanc, a quarterback turned specialized private coach.
LeBlanc, under the social media handle 2LiveCraig, shared some video of Bryce Young throwing to Thielen, who signed with Carolina in the off season. Thielen spent his first decade in the NFL with the Vikings. Last year, he caught 70 passes and six touchdowns from Kirk Cousins.
LeBlanc also posted a gallery of photos of Bryce Young and his Panthers wideouts. He captioned the gallery “embracing our divine purpose, we make waves that echo throughout eternity.”
Vets compliment Bryce Young for his work ethic
Dallas is a must stop for some of the leagues top quarterbacks and receivers. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, along with a host of Chiefs receivers, spent time in the Metroplex earlier this off season. Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb also has trained with LeBlanc. It’s not that far from Cowboys headquarters in Frisco down to the SMU campus in Highland Park.
If Bryce Young is to have any sort of success in his rookie season, he needs to develop on-field chemistry and know the nuances of all his receivers. Thielen could have a steadying influence on the former Alabama star. The Vikings needed to cut Thielen because of salary cap issues. The former undrafted free agent turned himself into an NFL star, so he knows how to work a defense. So far, he likes what he sees in Young.
“There was so much talk about him, so there’s not a whole lot of surprise,” Thielen told reporters last month. “For me, it’s probably just been his movement in the pocket. His ability to get the ball out on time, but do that in a way that not just like sitting in one stagnant spot.”
Panthers running back Miles Sanders also is impressed with Young’s work ethic. He raved about the quarterback late last month during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show.
“I look at him and he’s very sharp, and on it with everything. He’s there early, he leaves late,” Sanders said. “His decision making is smart. He doesn’t force anything really. His pocket presence is what really stands out to me. So, again, the height doesn’t matter at all—I hope nobody’s worried about the height. But I like him, and we got a bright future ahead.”
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