According to Jimmy Clausen via Twitter: 

Charlotte bound less than 24 hrs...time to start grinding!!

To be clear, Clausen has no obligation to return to Carolina and begin work, so this is a voluntary effort on Clausen's part to begin the off-season work ASAP, a very positive sign to those wanting to see improvement from the QB heading into his sophomore season. Whether he's going to be working with Mike Shula and Rob Chudzinski remains to be seen, but I for one applaud the work effort on Clausen's part. 

More discussion after the jump...

If indeed the plan is for him to begin work with Chud, Shula and co. then this serves myriad benefits to the Carolina Panthers organization. It enables them to immediately begin evaluating Clausen's talent and determine whether they think he has the 'it-factor' needed to be a franchise QB; this enables Clausen the opportunity to prove himself without the pressure of a high priced veteran or high draft pick waiting in the wings. If shows to me that Jimmy Clausen is being proactive about his future, which is a good thing.

The flip-side is that should things not go well in these workouts the team and Clausen will have a better bearing on their respective futures. The organization has the time needed to scout quarterbacks in the draft with greater depth, while Clausen knows where he stands early, essentially knowing if he'll be fighting for his job this summer, or secure in his role.

One thing is certain: Jimmy Clausen must get better, what remains to be seen is if whether a new coaching staff can put the past behind him, or whether Clausen will be the next casualty of promising young players who never live up to their billing. Time will tell, but I'm extremely encouraged he wants to put the work in.

What do you think Panthers' fans? Are you happy Clausen is making an early commitment to getting ready for next season?