Matt Corral should get most reps in Panthers training camp
Carolina selected quarterback Bryce Young with the first pick in the draft and they signed veteran Andy Dalton as a buffer. Yet Matt Corral may be getting the majority of the snaps when training camp convenes later this month.
The Panthers selected Corral, the former Ole Miss star, in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. And with Young on the team now, the Panthers may want to flash a spotlight on Corral to get other teams interesting in acquiring him.
The Athletic reported this nugget in regards to Matt Corral:
The former Ole Miss quarterback figures to get the bulk of the snaps in the preseason games. That will give the 2022 third-rounder a chance to showcase his skills for the Panthers (and every other team) following what amounted to a redshirt season — Corral went down with a season-ending foot injury last August at New England. A strong summer could make Corral attractive to a quarterback-needy team. But there’s no reason for (general manager) Scott Fitterer to give away a QB he traded up for and who has three years left on his rookie deal.
Matt Corral broke his foot during last year’s training camp
Coaches try for the happy medium with some of their star players in regards to how much they see the field during training camp and preseason games. You want them to play long enough to shake off the rust. But then again, you don’t want them to risk a pull, strain or sprain, or something worse. Matt Corral suffered a Lisfranc fracture (foot) in a preseason game last year and was lost for the season.
Young needs lots of reps, if for no other reason than he’s a rookie. He did take a ton of snaps during OTA work and at mini-camp. But he already knows he’s No. 1 on the depth chart.
As mini-camp started, new coach Frank Reich had this to say about his quarterbacks. It’s when he announced Young as QB1.
“Bryce has taken the snaps with the ones this week,” Reich said last month.”That was something at the beginning that (general manager) Scott (Fitterer) and I kind of earmarked the time when we thought would be best. Kind of mapping out, talked it through with the staff, you know, at the beginning of the offseason, this was kind of the time that we had marked this week to just kind of move him up.
“It’s just the next step,” Reich said. “There’s really nothing to say other than, ‘Hey, we just wanted to move him up this week.’ Felt like it’s been the right time. He had a couple weeks to watch Andy (Dalton). That was really good stuff. Andy’s continued to perform at a very high level. Bryce is doing well. Matt (Corral) is doing well. Just trying to get our team ready.”