Ikem Ekwonu

Panthers LT Ikem Ekwonu said the team has been building through the trenches and he’s happy to take on the responsibility as part of the engine that powers the team’s offense.

“I mean, it’s definitely nice, having that trust and having that onus on us,” Ekwonu said, via the team’s website. “That’s kind of a mindset we tried to embrace in the last couple of years, like the offensive line, as we move like the team moves with us. We take pride in being that group that is like the rock of the team — we like to consider ourselves the rock of the team. So definitely we take pride in that and we’re going to work each and every day to keep that mindset going.”

Panthers G Robert Hunt said he realized the team was making a heavy investment into the offensive line and said RT Taylor Moton would be a Pro Bowl player if he played in a bigger market.

“At the end of the day, for me, I don’t want to play football if I’m not going to play it at a high level,” Hunt said. “I want to be good. It’s not even about what I got paid. I’ve been playing the game to be good. My goal when I got in it was to try to be a Pro Bowler, All-Pro, Hall of Famer, so that’s just for me, that’s my standard. So when I got in and saw other guys to that caliber, … I think an underrated guy is T-Mo, who if he were in a bigger market would be a Pro Bowler. So when you realize those are the guys I’m working with, everybody else raises their game.”

Hunt acknowledged that he saw QB Bryce Young‘s second-half resurgence last year and became more aggressive.

“Bryce has got a little more in him. I learned that last year against Denver, we scored a touchdown early in the game, we’re competing early,” Hunt said. “I got beat actually on this one play. Bryce throws a strike to a guy. My guy actually hit him. He gets up, yells, and has a couple of words where he’s at him in his face, let him know he’s there, and that’s OK. He’s got it in him. I love that.”

Panthers

After signing with the Panthers this offseason, DT Bobby Brown III talked about what it’s been like sharing a position room with DT Derrick Brown. He praised Derrick Brown‘s work ethic but also touched on his outgoing personality, which helps keep things fun during the hardest mental days in the offseason. 

“Oh man, he’s a character, man; full of life,” Brown said, via Darin Gantt of the team’s website. “But you know he’s a hard worker, you know what I’m saying?

“While he’s working, you’re going to have fun, you’re going to laugh. But it’s real work in there.”

“I didn’t expect him to be as goofy as he is; I didn’t expect that. Him and Shy [Tuttle], they sit next to each other in meetings and everything, and all they do is talk trash, like all day every day during the workouts… They both call each other fat. Like they’re both not over 300 pounds.”

Carolina OLB D.J. Wonnum also talked about the goofy dynamic between Derrick Brown and DT Shy Tuttle, and also outlined what Derrick Brown does for him and the rest of the defense on the field. 

“Shy and Derrick, they’re like brothers, always bickering going back and forth, but it’s hilarious, man,” Wonnum said. “I’m here for it. When you’re in the dog days and that kind of stuff, we need that. I mean, they’re both big dudes, bro. So really, the fat jokes are wild. Because a fat dude calling another fat — I’m not saying that they’re fat — but a big dude calling another big dude big, it’s actually hilarious.”

“Oh my God, it makes my life a lot easier. Man, just having him back, he can do it all, he can rush. Obviously, he’s a dominant run defender; he had over 100 tackles a couple of years ago. Just getting him back, man, it’s going to propel us to be what we should have been. He adds that dog nature, adds that physicality to this line, and we know that nothing’s coming his way.”

Buccaneers

Veteran WR Sterling Shepard is entering his second year with the Buccaneers. Shepard played alongside Baker Mayfield at Oklahoma and is glad to see the organization trust him after Mayfield’s tumultuous time with the Browns, Panthers, and Rams. 

“I love playing with Baker,” Shepard said, via Ira Kaufman of JoeBucsFan.com. “Ever since I was with him in college, he has played with that chip on his shoulder. He’s going to find some reason to give himself motivation. Everything he went through gave him that kind of motivation. He just needed someone to believe in him — and that’s exactly what this organization has done. With his toughness, you can’t help but feed off him. You see Baker play every single snap like it’s his last.”

Shepard is glad to be working with OC Josh Grizzard after he was promoted from pass game coordinator. 

“We added some pieces that are going to be great pieces for us,” Shepard said. “The more playmakers you have out there, the better. It’s going to be hard to match up with us. I love Grizz. I was with him last year, picking his brain a lot. He’s a very smart guy. Liam Coen definitely did a good job and Grizz was right there behind him. I think Grizz is going to have a great season.”

Shepard called RB Bucky Irving a “special” player and compared his vision to Saquon Barkley. 

“Bucky’s one of those special backs,” Shepard said. “I played with Saquon Barkley, so I’ve got that to compare anyone to. Let me tell you, Bucky’s special when he gets that ball in his hands. It’s his vision, his feet. And let me tell you, he’ll turn into a physical back if he has to and the kid can catch. He does it all.”