John Ellis Reviews the First Week of Panthers Training Camp

John Ellis joins the show, as he reviewed the first full week of Panthers training camp, he talks about what is different this camp, as opposed to last year, what he has seen from young wide receivers, Xavier Legette & T-Mac, & more

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So let's talk to our next guest about it. What
do you think of yesterday's feisty competitive camp. It was
a huge camp day for Bryce and t Mac. It
was probably the most competitive one of all of training camp.
And John Ellis joins us at One Panther Place, one
of the best Panther follows for Panther fans on Twitter,
and he and Billy Marshall got the podcast going again,

(00:21):
the Roar Podcast. He's going to tell you all about
as well. John, Good to see you yesterday, man. How
you doing, Man?

Speaker 2 (00:27):
I am doing great. Mac Photo's great to see you
guys at camp, particular you mackett Is. There's just another
case of bad timing for you. I hate it. I
will say this coach rule would have made them run
gasters after his guy punting the ball away after things
got a little heated. But I love it, man. It's
that time of year, boy.

Speaker 3 (00:47):
And I love what canal. You're right?

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Would that be like a DBO message he would have
to send to those guys for doing those things?

Speaker 3 (00:53):
Where canalis? I love it.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
He's like, okay, I kind of don't like it because
those things are penalties.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
But then he ended the clip. But the quote by.

Speaker 1 (00:59):
Saying, I kind of love it though, you know what
I mean, And I'm guessed, like, doesn't it feel John,
And I know we were prone to overdoing it at
this time of year, at the risk of overdoing it.
Do you feel like we do that there's a different
spirit in camp this year.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
Oh sure, I think a lot of things are different
in camp this year. First of all, you know, we
want the fans back, and I know the ownership and
coaching and everybody wants that, so eventually that's gonna happen.
It is unique to watch it in this environment where
you're doing goal lines drills for instances, you don't hear
the crowd behind them. Oh oh yeah, it's just so raw.
It's like a real practice in the middle of the season.
So at least from a reporting perspective, it gives you

(01:38):
a different perspective. I think, what can you get in
the heads of guys, No you can't, but a sense
the fact that there's a calmness about the way they're
approaching this thing. Dave Canalis, of course, second year head coach,
and he's got his guys with him. In terms of staffing. Izick.
On the offensive side, Avero who, by the way, is
a fantastic football mind and there's done some great things

(01:59):
in Really, you got to perform and your units have
to be where they need to be from a personnel
and team perspective. It's a big year for him, and
you know he's been demanding a lot from his guys
verbally as well out there, So there's a lot of energy,
there's a lot of juice, and I think when the
heat goes up, we all kind of look at each other, like,
you know, are we trending in that direction where this
may fly? Good restraints so far, even when they did

(02:20):
have a scuffle with Uh it was Cuba and Trevin
Wallace the other day, it ended quickly, and you know,
like Dave said, you have competitive stuff out there, you
want to see it pushed to that limit, like you said,
for a guy who's worked under a Pete Carroll, Uh,
that's kind of where that energy, in my mind comes
from his influences. He's doing a good job right now
keeping them emotionally died in.

Speaker 3 (02:40):
John Boy, have you?

Speaker 4 (02:42):
John Boy?

Speaker 3 (02:42):
I don't know what what are we on here?

Speaker 2 (02:45):
Billy?

Speaker 4 (02:49):
I don't know, John Boy, Ali sounds like that should
be I don't know what John Boyce, John, when you
think about what we've seen from Tmax so far, how
has your mindset of what you expected him to be
as a rookie changed, if at all, based off how
good he's been.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
I think it's pleasant so far to see the transition
that you would hope to see from a first round pick.
There haven't been any odd looking drops from a guy
who typically catches the ball when it's thrown to him.
The speed at the end of the route, at the
top of the routes, whether he's dimming and he's breaking off,
or whether he's just running those nine routes, which, by

(03:27):
the way, they're running a heavy dose of those. In
Bryce's deep ball is one of the unsung stories of
his career. Though the flat arc on the early career
go balls the nine routes down it was bad. It
was hard to watch. The timing of the release is quicker,
and the ball is getting where it needs to go
and it's going like a little bit of bend to
the sideline. Anyways, McMillan has been doing exactly what he's

(03:51):
supposed to do at this point. He's a top ten pick.
He's physical, he's on time, he looks like he's enjoying
the process, and I think the big takeaway from that
is cementing himself as something we haven't seen here. I
don't know if ever, because Smith was with five to nine.
He played at six y four. He was so vertical,
but you have to go back to like a Moose Mohammedans.

(04:11):
Even Moose didn't have the six to fourth thing at
six four twenty five. He can get up and he
can make the plays on the boundary. He can make
the plays in the middlefield. It's a true boundary X receiver,
like a Mike Evans, like a Drake London, like a
DK Metcalf. And that's exactly what a guy like Dave
Panalis with his background, has had in his career. So
I think it's freeze to get up to be more

(04:33):
of a movement player, maybe play the Z playing the slot.
And McMillan, by the way, will play in the slot.
He'll be one of those big physical guys that can play.
So far, he's had a great camp for a rookie.

Speaker 1 (04:43):
We're talking with John Ellis at one at the number
one Panther place on Twitter. He's going to tell you
where to get the Roar Podcast. Him Billy Marshall are
back with the Roar Podcast just in time for the
new season. On defense yesterday, and there have been some
guys that have stood out on the defensive side. Princeley started, well,
Shaw Smith Wade was awesome yesterday, but it still is,

(05:06):
of course, our big concern. How can it not be
after that horror show last year? How concerned are you
about this defense or are you optimistic because of the
moves Dan made in the offseason.

Speaker 3 (05:19):
How do you feel about this group?

Speaker 2 (05:22):
Yeah, I think they're gonna have to dig deep with
this group and really coach them off. It's a young group,
but you want that at this point. You know, I
had a conversation with somebody who covers this team last
week and we were having the safety discussion. You know,
every team right now, and the Saints are notorious for this.
You shop around for veterans in the August months and
you go get a Julian Blackman, a guy that I
liked but had had injuries lately that sort of raise

(05:45):
red flags. The thinking is, I would imagine that you
guys they had that there in that defensive backfield. Richardson
included who said some good moments to camp. It's what
they want to go with that. Nick Scott continues to
get reps and he's a guy that a Vero is
comfortable with. Although there's been ups and downs here, and
you know, Trevon Merrick I told you guys last time.
He's a guy that is going to play sort of

(06:07):
that star position at Nickel inside and he can run
two ways. He can also cover tight ends, and he
can bless boy, he can get down there in the
box and make things happen. I think what they wanted
to do this year is sort of reset the field
in the front seven at a guy like Marriage who
will be part of that front seven in the joker capacity.
And just as these guys coached up, what you won't
see until probably the first week of the season, because

(06:29):
I'd imagine there's a lot of bubble wraps involved in
these three season games is the trio of Wharton, Brown
and Brown and then you've got alongside Ashawn Robinson, who's
had a very good stint here in Carolina, and other
names that just fit that front. I'm curious about middle
linebacker Roseboom. I thought had some really good tape with
the Rams that againa's another system guys that understands the

(06:52):
quarters concepts that ever runs. Trevn Wallis has got to
step in there and just keep elevating. That game is
a second round pick. I think he had rushers. I
don't want to say about committee, but you got Janham, Jones,
your veterans out there. I'm excited to see Princely and
and Scurton's. I mean, I talked with with old Princeley yesterday.
He's had himself a good week and my first question

(07:12):
to him in our own interargy for the pod was, hey,
look we keep it casually here. Let me just ask
you the social media stuff. He's like, what are you
talking about? He's give me a thousand yards there, and
I said, uh, okay, yes sir. He did acknowledge though
that he's got his guys back at Kwan.

Speaker 1 (07:31):
Yeah, he got his back, but he also got his
own back. But he was patting himself on his own
back as well.

Speaker 2 (07:36):
There you go. It's a it's a fun young group
and I think you know it's it's gonna be interesting
to see, you know, Mike Jackson if he continues to
hold down the four guy shel Smith way, I agree,
he's done a great job at slock and keep an
eye on, you know, Bartholome, you who's also had a
nice camp as well.

Speaker 4 (07:53):
John People on the texta line, salesman is concerned about
your smoke alarm battery beeping in the background everything, come
over there on.

Speaker 2 (08:02):
He Oh lord, oh, salesman who deserves his own show
on your station. By the way, is long overdue. Somebody
get out there and sell that thing. Yes, that that
just started this morning, and I apologize. I also have
three kittens running around begging for food, and my daughter's
about to leave on a trip to Universal. Not going

(08:22):
on here. Yeah, man, appreciate that. Do I get one
of those little fireman hats like I got the third grade?

Speaker 3 (08:29):
I have one.

Speaker 4 (08:30):
My apartment has one that goes off and makes the
beeping noise like once a week, and I always think,
oh my god, it's going to be hell trying to
get to Then it just stopped.

Speaker 3 (08:39):
Yeah, once a week, And.

Speaker 2 (08:42):
My daughter Needa just said, it's from the smoking hot
takes from the two guys I'm talking to, So.

Speaker 3 (08:52):
That's right, take alarm.

Speaker 2 (08:55):
God want me some glory boy, and it.

Speaker 3 (08:59):
Is hilarious, all right?

Speaker 1 (09:00):
Before we let you go, where are your expectations for
this team this season in terms of wins?

Speaker 2 (09:09):
Yeah, you got to get to December and be in
a position. Looks, look at the Cardinals last year, for example,
they come into Carolina and they're fighting for a wild card.
That's where you want to be in year two. And
again there's a real number of ways you can quantify
this thing. Is the way I try to look at
it is sort of a week by week proposition. But
on the whole, this team in year two, with what
they built on the offensive structure, it's not all the

(09:30):
way there yet. But I'll tell you sound as we'll release. Man.
What gives you a lot of reason to be you know,
excited and even like give you security to sleep at
night as a fan and especially as like a quarterback
is this offensive line. We don't talk about it enough.
The fact they brought all their starters back. The Kwantuho was,
you know, elevated his game. Of course in the run
game is still working on the past sets. But we

(09:50):
talked about Icky, you know billion if you've got your stuff,
a top fifteen even tackle, that's hard to find in
its own right. The rest of the line is exceptional,
and then the backups. Guys, the backups are starters. Christianson
could have left, he was out the door, he comes back.
He still got old Kaid mays. There, Nyman's a good
back up because young guys like Savalla. Hopefully he makes
it back. Uh. Yeah, you gotta start pushing nine to

(10:12):
ten wins now, and I think they're good enough to
do that. You gotta have expth a little better in
your arsenal than zero to two from last year. I
don't want to sit here and do apliches. The biggest
thing is just continuing to get better guys. Even waiting
around till twenty eighteen, I mean, it's about time to
start getting in December and being in that in the
hunt graphic again, that's a good feeling. Man.

Speaker 4 (10:29):
Oh Stan good, I believe I have a DM this
morning from John Allis that he needs to do a
twenty five this morning. Oh shoot, I just saw it.
So he comes on here, he comes on here, gets
his smoke alarms ripped. It's called John Boy, and he
moves about his day.

Speaker 1 (10:43):
He wanted to do it, but once the chaos was over,
that's our bad.

Speaker 2 (10:48):
Try try out my new grilling thoughts.

Speaker 3 (10:50):
It's really good. Oh Jo John, oh John boy right there?

Speaker 1 (10:55):
All right, so let us let us know you and
Billy Barshall got the Roar podcast going again. You mentioned
talking to Princely, you talked to Rico yesterday. Where did
they get these episodes?

Speaker 2 (11:06):
Oh man? Anywhere you can find the pods. You go
to Apple Pods, Spotify, iHeart, anywhere they're available. You can
check out any app where your pods are or hurting
you straight to bluewirepods dot com. Yeah, Billy and I
took a break this year, kind of reset the field
and decided, look, bringing on back. We're trying to do
something this year where it's more visually intensive, so you
might even get to see Billy. I've seen Billy one time. Guys,

(11:29):
I've done a show with him for five years. He's
an interesting cat, but he's elusive. Let's do a video,
Let's do a video pod, do some film like are
you gonna like do an inspector gadget thing or are
we gonna get to reveal who you are? Finally? So
there you go. A bit. Teen is going into the weekend.

Speaker 4 (11:43):
All right, you're only seeing your co host once every
five years. I wonder what that's like.

Speaker 3 (11:46):
You like that deal? Bone would sign up for that deal.

Speaker 2 (11:49):
I've seen my face, Billy Marshall seven years.

Speaker 3 (11:55):
I'm let's move on, all right, Yeah, don't take us
back there.

Speaker 2 (12:00):
All right?

Speaker 1 (12:00):
And again and again. Follow John on Twitter at one
Panther Place. Thank you John, good to talk to you.
Go deal with your chaos man.

Speaker 2 (12:07):
Yes, batteries are being bought right now.

Speaker 3 (12:09):
Than there you go. Sean Ellis