Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales believes Bryce Young is the same player and leader he was last season.
There was a point last season when Bryce Young looked like he would etch his name alongside the likes of JaMarcus Russell and Ryan Leaf on the eternal busts list.
But after some benching and good fortune to be reinserted back into the lineup last season, the former first overall pick showed some glimmers of hope.
Young's stats weren't eye-popping, but he showed impressive growth with short accuracy and navigating the pocket. Heading into his third campaign, there's renewed optimism surrounding the Alabama product in Carolina, but still a sense of mystery about whether he can reach elite status at the NFL level.
Panthers coach Dave Canales shared his expectations for his young signal-caller.
After his first training camp session, Canales shared his thoughts on where Young is currently as a player:
The same guy, and the same leader from last season.
"I don't know that I see anything new," Canales said. "My expectation for him is to lead this team, which he never stopped doing all through last year, even with the challenges presented. His familiarity with the system and command of everything—we picked up right where we left off in the spring."
Despite being in the midst of one of the NFL's more competitive divisions from the top down, the Panthers still have the easiest top-eight schedule in the league, according to Sharp Football.
It's imperative for Canales and his squad to finally take a leap this season, and that will be contingent on how Young performs.
This is a make-or-break few months for the former Heisman winner, but by all accounts, he's putting himself in an ideal position to succeed.
Category: Football
