“It’s definitely rare, you know, retaining as many guys as we did,” Ickey noted. “So it’s definitely a blessing in that aspect, but I feel like it’s definitely a good opportunity for us to grow more and more, you know, getting more and more connected and I think the more time we spend together just, you know, we’re going to play that much better and I’m definitely excited to have all those guys back.”
Having the unit back sets the tone for the entire team. Dave Canales wants part of the identity to be a smash-mouth, run team. That is dependent on the offensive line, the guardians of the Panthers galaxy.
“The trenches is where the battle starts,” preached Ekwonu. “So, the trenches are where, in my opinion, it really dictates the game, the O-line, D-line.
“Teams aren’t going to want to play us as long as we go out there and we show each and every player that we want to put you in the dirt. So that’s definitely a mindset that we’re going to adopt.”