One play stood out at the first session of the Carolina Panthers’ rookie camp last week. DJ Moore was on the field, on the right. Quarterback Marcus McDade (Sacramento State) dropped back to throw, and his pass sailed.
His target stuck one hand in the air, deflected the ball and caught it cleanly with the other hand. The receiver, of course, is — Phil Mayhue, a rookie out of Memphis.
The appeal of rookie camp for me is that players who have been names and pictures and highlights suddenly become real. You watch the ones that were drafted high.