Newly hired Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales plans to build the offense around second-year quarterback Bryce Young, he said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
For Canales, that doesn’t necessarily mean he needs to “fix” Young, the 2023 No. 1 overall pick who struggled as a rookie last season. That just means leaning into his strengths and creating more explosive plays as an offense.
“We gotta create more explosives, and of course, we have to minimize damage with exotic pressures and things like that. I think just elevating the whole group and really asking Bryce to just do his part,” Canales said. “Without getting into the specifics of it, I have a lot more chance to really dive into some film since the last time we‘ve talked. I have a specific plan, can’t wait to put that into play. But again, we’re not talking about a guy that there’s a big fix for, really.
“You’re looking at an accurate player. A really smart player. He’s aware of what’s happening, and we got to build the whole thing around him, the whole offense around him of something we can really say, ‘This is our identity.’”
Can Dave Canales work his magic with Bryce Young?
Whether Canales wants to admit it or not, a big reason in Carolina hiring him is his reputation for being a “quarterback fixer.” Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith had a resurgence under Canales’ tutelage when he served as the team’s quarterbacks coach. Smith made his first-career Pro Bowl in 2022 and was named the AP Comeback Player of the Year.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired him to be their offensive coordinator in 2023. Tampa Bay brought in Baker Mayfield on a one-year, $4 million deal and he proceeded to have the best season of his career with Canales calling plays.
The Panthers certainly are banking on Young taking a leap under Canales. In 16 games this past season, he threw for 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 59.8% passing. Carolina owned the league’s worst offense.
Young had trouble getting the ball out on time, holding onto it for an average of 2.9 seconds before releasing the ball, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Canales wants to change that in 2024 — 2.7 seconds for checkdowns, 3.4 seconds for downfield throws and 4.2 seconds for play-action passes.
“We’re going to be on a clock every single time in the spring, every time in camp. That’s not going to be something that’s new or original to the Panthers,” Canales said. “I’ll be a crazy stickler about it.”
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