Breaking News: Panthers add Gerald McCoy to realigned defense, turn corner in OTAs

The Panthers final week of OTAs started with an energetic practice on Monday morning that rumbled into a whirlwind deal that brought Gerald MocCoy to the Carolinas.

The defense was on the mark throughout the practice that turned into a "Pick Show" of sorts. Much of that misfortune was felt by rookie quarterback Will Grier who was intercepted twice during the session. The first of Grier's interceptions was garnered by safety Kai Nacua who hauled in a pass meant for DJ Moore. The second miscue by Grier fell into the hands of defensive tackle Kawann Short near the end of practice. Kyle Allen was also the victim of a pick six by safety Quin Blanding.

All of the activity on the defensive side of the ball had Head Coach Ron Rivera upbeat about the progress of the installation of the new 3-4 scheme.

"I've been real pleased with the player's retention." Rivera said after practice on Monday. "Position-wise I just really like the development of the speed on the defensive side."

Daryl Wiliams and Trai Turner did not participate in drills but did exercise on the sideline.

Cam Newton, still recovering from shoulder surgery, did not run the offense during any portion of practice but did participate as the chief motivator as he continued to work on the rehab process on the sideline. Rivera informed the media that there is still no timeline for Newton.

"He's continued to work with the trainers on the sideline and do whatever they ask of him," Rivera said. "He'll continue to progress and we'll see where he is at the end of the week."

But the highlight of the day for the Carolina Panthers was knowing that upcoming sessions will now include veteran defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. McCoy, originally drafted third overall out of Oklahoma in 2010 by Tampa Bay, agreed to a one year deal with the Panthers. The deal, reported by the NFL Network, is reported to be worth an estimated 8 million dollars plus incentives that would allow McCoy to earn more than 10 million this season. The ex-Buccaneer has 297 total tackles and 54.5 career sacks.

Mandatory mini camp for the Carolina Panthers runs June 11-13, 2019.