Panthers mailbag: How has Xavier Legette improved during 2026 training camp?
The Carolina Panthers are two weeks into training camp and with a handful of notable injuries to monitor, fans are naturally curious about the future of their favorite football franchise.
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That’s why we’ve brought back the Panthers mailbag to answer some questions from social media.
Austen M asks: Have you seen any improvements from (Xavier Legette) from last season till now in camp?
Mike Kaye: Legette looks noticeably leaner after losing some weight in the offseason. He’s playing faster and running downfield routes better than he had in 2025. He’s also catching the ball cleaner (read: with his hands) on a more consistent clip than he did last season. There is the occasional drop or body catch, but there isn’t a receiver on this team — outside of maybe Jalen Coker — who can’t claim those same miscues.
Legette really stood out in pads last week. He made a couple of excellent diving catches for touchdowns, and he also attacked the ball with his hands on some intermediate routes. This week, he’s continued with that forward momentum on Monday (though he suffered a stinger in practice Tuesday), making plays regularly in team drills.
Remember, this is practice. It’s the same cornerbacks every day. These plays are happening during individual coverage and limited-contact team drills.
Legette’s “redemption” can’t be clarified until the regular season, but he’s done a nice job with what he can control this summer.
The Bryce Is Right asks: What is your outlook on Pat Jones?
Jones, with Nic Scourton (ACL) sidelined for the season, should have a similar training camp outlook to last year. However, with Jaelan Phillips likely manning the strong side outside linebacker spot for most of the packages, Jones could receive a lot of early work on the weak side.
Jones is versatile, and he showed his ability to move around the front seven in brief glimpses last season before sustaining a season-ending back injury. The Panthers will probably use Jones opposite Phillips on early downs to set the edge. Then, on obvious passing downs, Jones will be likely replaced by Princely Umanmielen (or Thomas Incoom), and the veteran pass rusher will move inside to a speed package on the front. Jones has the ability to win inside as a down lineman, especially when he can out-quick a guard to a spot.
Jones could be an X-factor for this defense. He knows that. If he can do a good job of finishing the pressures that Phillips creates, he could produce quite a few sacks this season. He’s got all the motivation in the world after last year’s lost season and with another trip to free agency looming in 2027.
Straight Talk asks: How has (John) Metchie looked?
In a word: fine.
He hasn’t been lighting the field on fire, but he also hasn’t been completely forgettable, either. Metchie has caught the ball well when targeted by former Alabama teammate, Bryce Young, but he hasn’t been a highlight machine.
He’s clearly behind Tetairoa McMillan, Coker and Legette in the pecking order. David Moore, Brycen Tremayne and Ja’seem Reed have all made several more memorable plays in the passing game. Metchie has outperformed Jimmy Horn Jr. to this point, but that’s probably not the company he wants to keep in the “plays made” count to this point.
Metchie has limited return experience, and he’s not really a candidate for kickoff or punt coverage. So, unless they want to house another Hunter Renfrow type — a guy who can run hitch and slant routes for possession gains — as the backup slot receiver, it’s hard to see where he fits. As head coach Dave Canales said after Fan Fest, Moore, Tremayne and Reed can play all three receiver spots.
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Metchie is more of a Z/slot type, and if he can’t play special teams, what is his value as the fifth or sixth receiver? Maybe Young has the internal pull to keep him over someone like Reed, who has consistently been a playmaker in practice. But it’s hard to see the staff choosing Metchie over someone like Tremayne, who provides considerable special teams value. Moore is also a staff favorite, and he’s clearly outperformed the bulk of the depth receivers throughout the offseason (including a sensational spring).
Metchie has experience and a worthwhile pedigree. Maybe he can be more of a gamer and outperform others during the preseason and joint practices. This beat writer is somewhat skeptical.
Bryce Is King asks: Do you think Ja’seem (Reed) has a chance of making the 53, and how is he doing during camp?
Yes, he has a chance. Canales’ acknowledgement of Reed’s ability to play all three wide receiver positions is probably the best endorsement a dark horse can receive during the first week of camp.
And frankly, the endorsement wasn’t needed, because his play has spoken for itself.
Reed is making a trio of impressive plays almost every practice. He’s doing well in individual and team drills, even without Young as his QB. Unironically, it probably should be suggested to Haynes King that he only throws to Reed in team drills, as the practice-squad holdover has made the rookie QB look good.
The one issue for Reed is that he doesn’t really play special teams. Unlike Tremayne last year, he won’t be a difference-maker when he isn’t playing on offense. That means that he probably needs to be situated as the fourth wideout on the roster to be active on game days. If he’s the primary backup to the slot and Z positions, he won’t need to be used on special teams regularly. He’s competing with Moore, Metchie and Horn for that gig. Moore looks like the favorite now, but Reed has made it hard to risk him to waivers so far this summer.
As this beat writer projected on the Processing Blue podcast a couple of weeks ago, Reed seems like the favorite to lead the Panthers in catches and receiving yards during the preseason.
Josh M. asks: How do you see the tight end rotation shaking out now that Mitchell (Evans) avoided serious injury? Where I expect them to want to pound the rock, I’d think we see more (Tommy) Tremble and (Evans) than (Ja’Tavion) Sanders this year.
Josh, you might have answered your own question here.
Tremble and Evans make sense as primary tight ends in 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE) looks. They both can block and catch equally well.
For Sanders to be on the field, he’ll need to show that he can be a mismatch machine against linebackers and safeties. He can be used in 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TEs) easily as a receiving threat, but if he wants to get more solo tight end looks, he needs to be a bit more dynamic. He can also be used as a big slot receiver against defenses that prioritize traditional personnel groups.
As an aside, Feleipe Franks, a special teams ace, should be considered in the positional math, too. Unlike in 2024, he’s making plays in practice as a tight end on offense. He brings a ton of value on special teams, but if he can continue to stand out on offense with the depth groups, he might have a shot at a role on offense in 2026.
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