CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Summer break started a day early for the Carolina Panthers. But Dave Canales wants to make sure it’s not all fun in the sun for players in the five weeks prior to what he expects will be a challenging training camp.Canales scrapped the final day of the team’s mandatory minicamp last week as a reward for their intensity during the second practice. Before dismissing them, Canales challenged players to have a plan this summer before they reconvene at Bank of America Stadium on July 22.“That time goes quickly. While it is valuable for all of us, there’s a season that we’re really excited about. And the group feels that way,” Canales said. “We’re in great shape right now. We need to maintain that and make sure we can come back to a camp that’s gonna be the hardest camp they’ve ever had.”The Panthers will practice nine times before heading to Canton, Ohio, for the Hall of Fame Game that kicks off the NFL’s preseason schedule. That will be followed by two joint practice sessions and three more exhibition games.The dog days in August will feel particularly long, but they’ll give Canales and his staff a chance to find answers for some of the questions still facing the Panthers. A look at five of them:1. What’s the plan at left tackle?Based on how Canales divvied up the spring snaps, it appears veteran Rasheed Walker will enter camp getting the first-team reps as Bryce Young’s blindside protector. Walker, who started 48 of 51 games the past three seasons in Green Bay, spent OTAs and minicamp working ahead of rookie Monroe Freeling.Many analysts thought Freeling would need time to develop after starting only 17 games at Georgia. By signing Walker to a one-year deal in March, the Panthers don’t have to rush Freeling into the lineup at left tackle, a position that became a priority when Ikem Ekwonu injured his knee in the playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams.Canales has seen “steady growth” from the 6-foot-7, 315-pound Freeling, who was the 19th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.“I’ve seen him learn how fast this thing moves up front and what it’s like to try to block Derrick Brown on the backside of a run, and how right that first step has to be,” Canales said. “I’ve also seen him be really comfortable in space and pass pro because how big and athletic he is. Holds the point in the run game when we run at him.”Meanwhile, the 6-foot-6, 324-pound Walker said he expected to start when he signed a prove-it deal in March. “I want to be on the field, and I ball,” he said. “That was my mentality coming here on the front end, and it’s gonna be my mentality when we get back.”2. How long until Ickey gets back?This isn’t necessarily a training camp question, since Ekwonu will start on the physically unable to perform list while continuing his recovery from patellar tendon surgery. But it’s one the Panthers still refuse to answer, either because they’re not sure of his timeline or don’t want to create expectations by publicly sharing it.All Canales would say last week is that Ekwonu will return at some point this season — and that the 2022 first-round pick is “crushing” his rehab.“He’s excited about it. The athletic trainers are excited about his progress right now,” he said. “They’re just continuing to progress him with different types of movement — forward movement, a little bit of lateral movement and just continuing to see how they can push the envelope a little bit, but in a smart way.”“His spirits are high,” Canales added. “As I check in with Ickey almost daily and see him, he’s got a big smile on his face. He knows the work in front of him and he’s up for the challenge.”3. Is there still a place for Xavier Legette?When the Panthers drafted Tennessee wideout Chris Brazzell in the third round this year, some thought it spelled the end of the line for Xavier Legette in Charlotte. After all, Legette slipped to WR3 last year behind Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker, the undrafted free agent who the Panthers signed to a three-year, $34 million extension last week.But teammates and coaches indicated Legette might be figuring out some things after struggling with drops and other “mishaps” (Legette’s description) his first two seasons. And Young said he’s now having “next-level conversations” with Legette about routes, play concepts and coverages.Canales saw a commitment from Legette to be the player the Panthers hope he can be. “From the minute he’s gotten here, he’s 100 miles an hour,” Canales said. “He’s putting in the time in the playbook. He’s busting his butt on the field, working on little technical skills.”Legette lost about eight pounds during the offseason and worked to “bulletproof” his hamstring. During a Zoom last week, he sounded like a player who knows he’s running out of chances.4. Where are the toughest position decisions?Turk Wharton’s neck procedure will test the defensive line depth, while inside linebacker Trevin Wallace spent the spring in a non-contact jersey following shoulder surgery in January. But the Panthers enter camp with few concerns in the secondary, other than figuring out where everybody fits.Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero used the spring to experiment a bit in the back end. Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn took snaps at nickel. Rookie Will Lee lined up inside and outside, while Corey Thornton and Chau Smith-Wade saw time at corner, nickel and safety.The Panthers are set at corner with Horn and Mike Jackson, who combined for nine interceptions and 27 passes defensed in 2025. But the emergence of Thornton last year, before a broken ankle, and a strong spring for Lee, gives the Panthers options at nickel besides Smith-Wade.“It’s a really competitive DB room and we love that. It’s bringing out the best in these guys,” Canales said. “And the more these guys can bring value-wise and have versatility, it’s gonna help Chau.”Jonathon Brooks is back after another ACL injury and the early reviews are good as he prepares for his first significant playing time since Carolina drafted him in 2024.(Jim Dedmon / Imagn Images)5. Whose camp reps will be most closely watched?The Panthers have been very deliberate with running back Jonathon Brooks’ progress in his return from a second ACL surgery on his right knee. Brooks’ knee held up well during OTAs and minicamp after the 2024 second-round pick missed all of last season.But the training camp practices — particularly the joint sessions with Houston and Jacksonville — and preseason games will present Brooks with a different level of intensity. Brooks, whose skill set is a nice complement to Chuba Hubbard’s, said he didn’t hit his full speed during the spring.Try telling Horn that.“I forgot how fast he is. He had a couple plays where he turned on the jets,” Horn said. “He’s probably the guy I’m most excited to see coming back.”