CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Xavier Legette’s first NFL training camp practice didn’t go as he expected, leaving the Carolina Panthers rookie wide receiver frustrated with his own performance and eager to improve.
Legette failed to catch a pass and struggled get open Wednesday in his first organized practice since a hamstring injury that sidelined him for a portion of OTAs and minicamp.
“First training camp, it started pretty slow for me,” Legette said. “I feel like it wasn’t my best, but we got time to continue to make it better. I get upset with myself about things like that, when I feel like I didn’t have the best day and didn’t leave everything out there on the field.”
Legette's self-perceived bad day aside, it’s unlikely to dampen the enthusiasm the Panthers have over the first-round draft pick from South Carolina. Legette emerged as a valuable weapon last season for the Gamecocks with 71 catches for 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns, prompting Panthers general manager Dan Morgan to trade up into the first round to get him.
Panthers coach Dave Canales has big expectations for the 6-foot-3, 227-pound Legette, whom he called a “massive receiver” with “explosive ability." The team is expected to feature him in a variety of ways this season, similar to how the San Francisco 49ers use Deebo Samuel.
“He makes things happen on short passes, he can stretch the field and go get it,” Canales said.
For now, the Panthers are simply happy to have Legette back on the field.
Legette said he's 100% healthy, but left the field wanting more and determined to come back stronger in Thursday's practice.
“I feel like I wasn’t really paying attention to detail today, so I need to buy in on that for the rest of the practices,” Legette added. “I didn’t have any catches today and really just mainly (want to) kind of get open a little better than I was, mainly like using my hands."
Legette wasn't all bad.
Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn, who played with Legette for a year at South Carolina, was reminded of just how tough it can be to cover the big-bodied, physical wide receiver.
“Yeah, he got me,” Horn said with a laugh. “He ran an out route on me, and they got me for a PI (pass interference) and I was arguing with the ref because, he’s so strong man. Like, when he put his body on you or push or pull you, you really feel it. So, I was like holding on for dear life at one point."
Horn knows that Legette muttering about his disappointing day only means that the rookie wants to get better — which is a good thing.
“The first day you’re usually trying to get your legs back under you and you got so much anxiety because you’re so hyped to get out there,” Horn said. “So, the first day is usually like that. He’ll be fine.”
Canales is more than willing to be patience with Legette.
“My expectation for Xavier, I’m wide open. I’m wide open to how quickly he can really assimilate himself into this offense and pick it up so that he has just kind of a rhythmic flow for what he’s doing,” Canales said. “I just want him to get better one day at a time, same message as we just kind of talked about.
“I’m open to whatever that looks like,” he added.
