South Charlotte Today

CHARLOTTE—When Jadeveon Clowney was signed to the Carolina Panthers this spring, it was with one primary goal in mind: have him get to and live in the opponent's backfield. On Thursday night, Clowney proved he is still more than capable of doing just that.

"I mean, who's not excited to see Jadeveon Clowney," posed Dave Canales following the Panthers Fan Fest practice and scrimmage on Thursday night. "Disruptive was the word that I used early on when we got him, and he was ruining things for us a lot today."

During the first half of what was a two-half scrimmage for Carolina, Clowney was quick off the block and tearing into the backfield, albeit against an offensive line that was both missing Damien Lewis and monitoring snaps for Taylor Moton. Still, Clowney's presence was felt in multiple sacks (official stats aren't kept during practices).

"I love seeing the ones versus ones in this type of a setting to see really what we have. And I was pleased with the defensive performance especially early on," Canales said.

Clowney has 52.5 sacks over his 10 seasons, plus 15 forced fumbles. Four times, he's registered at least nine sacks; last season, with the Baltimore Ravens, Clowney picked up 9.5 sacks for the second time in his career. Being able to emulate his latest production will be crucial to the chances of the Panthers' success on defense.

"I'm just practicing, working on my moves and myself really out there, just learning the defense," Clowney said following the practice and scrimmage. "I wasn't really worried about the team reps as far as me getting back there, whatever, just me working on me and running to the ball, getting in shape, getting ready for the season."

Thursday night was a mock scrimmage though, still a week ahead of the first pre-season game. And Clowney has 11 off-seasons now under his belt with a blueprint of what to do and how. In other words, if he'd wanted to turn down the intensity and not go full tilt during the scrimmage, it wouldn't have been unheard of.

But that's not the attitude Clowney wants to accept for himself or his teammates.

"This is for the guys out there with me. It wasn't necessarily about myself. It's other guys around me," Clowney explained Thursday night. "I expect them to go hard too. We sign up to play this game and practice and it's much bigger than myself. It ain't about me.

"It's about the guys around me trying to get them guys to develop…I come in as being one of the older players in league and I don't want to have no slack off by myself before I start saying something to anybody else. So I got to hold myself to a high standard and that's how I approach days when I walk in building."

The no slack-off approach shows up most noticeably on practice field or in backfield of a scrimmage chasing down would-be sack. And now at 31 years old with more than decade experience in league Clowney is hoping every rep he takes helps push what is relatively young unit around him.

"That's what you can ask for from guys that's on your team just play hard high level like I said run ball get there all you can really ask for at this moment right now just practicing hard," Clowney implored.

"And you can't say nothing until we get first game but just looking forward seeing people just go out there compete really that's all this game is about me over my career it's just being able compete not quit."

One those younger guys DJ Johnson third-round pick by Panthers 2023 NFL draft heading into second season he's put camp that Canales called "fantastic."

"The effort style we're looking for DJ exemplifying that so I'm really hopeful see what he gets do," Canales bragged.

The pass-rushers unit has been thin most offseason with K'Lavon Chaisson missing voluntary practices (he also did not practice Thursday). By time Chaisson took field mandatory minicamp Eku Leota had suffered calf injury that kept him out minicamp Leota has recovered is back field Johnson himself suffered knee injury June before returning training camp D.J Wonnum has been placed active/physically unable perform list while rehabs torn quadricep suffered end last season.

Essentially there have been ample reps available at practice those outside linebacker room Johnson has taken advantage

"He definitely one best edge setters that we have out there like setting edge stopping run," Clowney said teammate "DJ definitely brings physicality game need out guys around you This physical game This most definitely you're going need stop run league physicality So him able set edge doing good team"

With each practice scrimmage soon pre-season games Panthers inch closer start season Jadeveon Clowney already playing if it's here however making sure he's prepared soon season kicks off pushing rest fellow pass rushers same

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