Some of that instruction is as simple as pointing the new guys to their locker, showing them the training room, the kind of stuff that you have to do after a busy free agency, and introducing a bunch of guys who are walking into Bank of America Stadium for the first or second time.
But this is also the beginning of a new year, and Canales is gearing up. Last year, he came in like a politician, shaking lots of hands and introducing himself to an entirely new roster. This year, he knows most of them, so there’s a little more depth. The first meeting went a little longer than it did last year, as he covered a little more ground.
But mostly, this is the time for guys to come in, get a workout in, and work their way into a long season. The way the Panthers finished last year, making some real strides on offense, helps. And so does adding so much help on defense in free agency. But this is not quite the time to see that on the field, not for a few weeks.