Panthers WR Samuel off PUP list, practices
The Carolina Panthers activated wide receiver Curtis Samuel from the physically unable to perform list on Wednesday, and he practiced for the first time this training camp.
Samuel is returning from surgery to repair a broken left ankle and ligament damage, which he suffered during a Week 10 victory over the Miami Dolphins in November.
The second-year wideout told the Panthers' website he felt great during his first day back in practice.
"It's good to be able to catch a ball and burst off the line, show some speed," Samuel said. "When I feel that wind, that's when I know it's go time. I've already been fast. It just takes running a little bit, getting a feel of the turf a little bit. Then I'm gonna float."
Panthers coach Ron Rivera also liked what he witnessed but was taking a wait-and-see approach.
"I thought Curtis did a couple of good things," Rivera told reporters. "I saw him moving around. It's one of those things where you don't want to get ahead of yourself. He's just feeling his way back out there, but as he starts to progress and gets better and better, stronger and stronger out there then we'll really be able to access where he is."
Samuel missed much of training camp last year while battling hamstring issues and caught just four passes through five weeks of the regular season.
He had 10 grabs for 83 yards over his final three games, including five for 45 in the first half against the Dolphins before getting injured early in the third quarter, on the same play in which he dropped what would have been a 28-yard touchdown pass.
Samuel, who turns 22 on Aug. 11, was the Panthers' second-round pick (40th overall) last season out of Ohio State. He ran the third-fastest 40-yard dash (4.31 seconds) at the 2017 NFL Combine.
--Field Level Media
