Frank Reich not identifying players standing out in workouts

In his first season as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, Frank Reich is being tasked with rebuilding the team. However, for now, he seems to want to keep his cards close to his chest.

As Reich explained, while he doesn’t mind being asked about who is playing well, it’s too early to really know.

“Great question. I probably don’t want to use the surprise word too much in that, what I said before, I’ve got to really wait until we see the pads on,” Frank Reich said. “I think a lot of guys have done what we’ve wanted them to do.”

Reich did mention a couple of names — Jonathan Mingo and Raheem Blackshear — before quickly stopping himself.

“A couple of our young guys, you know, Mingo’s done a good job, but again. Raheem Blackshear I think has looked good. I’ll start naming names and that’s what you don’t want to do,” Reich said.

“We’ve got to get the pads on. We took a good step in the past few weeks. [I] look forward to camp.”

The rebuild won’t be an easy one in Carolina, as the roster is going through a complete and total overhaul. That overhaul means there are a lot of young guys coming into Carolina who Reich is going to need to find a way to get the most out of going forward.

Prior to coming to Carolina, Frank Reich was the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. He went 40-33-1 in more than four seasons there. However, the Colts struggled to find a quarterback once Andrew Luck retired and he was ultimately fired midway through the 2022 season.

Frank Reich on what Bryce Young has yet to show him

The most important player in Carolina’s rebuild is Bryce Young. After being selected with the first overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, Young is expected to lead the Panthers for years to come. Still, Frank Reich has said that he’s still looking for more out of Young.

“We don’t have pads on, we’re not competing at the highest level. That’s not just Bryce. That’s our whole team,” Reich said.

“But, obviously, for the rookies? You see this happen. You get to OTAs and it’s great, you get a good look at people. But you really don’t know until you put the pads on. So [we’re] looking forward to that.”