Yesterday the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans announced they would hold a joint practice in early August as an opportunity for fans to see both teams in a new venue, and for both organizations to sharpen their skills against another team before the preseason even gets started. This isn't a wholly new concept, as the Patriots and Saints conducted similar workouts in New York in 2010, and started discussing the possibility again last week.
The basic framework of each pairing seems pretty simple- pick a team in an opposing conference that intrigues you, and are in some range of basic proximity. The Panthers already have a De facto relationship with the Pittsburgh Steelers in which they challenge each other to a regularly scheduled pre-season game, so it would probably be overkill to also schedule joint practices with them, but the possibility is there.
One option that would be very intriguing would be the New York Jets. We already know the Jets don't shy away from the limelight, and they have a lot of pieces on that team that would challenge the Panthers well in a practice setting. Their strong secondary would challenge our receivers, they have a solid offensive line for our defensive line to cut their teeth on, and it would provide Cam Newton with an excellent non-contact environment to work against one of the best defenses in the NFL.
For a few days it would also give Carolina some welcome national spotlight, and sport's networks would eat up having Cam Newton and Tim Tebow on the same field, even in a practice situation. Granted, it would be a move that seems very 'Un-Carolina Panthers', but many well established, well respected coaches are now seeing the value of their players seeing different looks before preseason, especially from a team they pair well with.
What do you think Carolina Panthers fans? Would you be in favor of a few days of joint practices, and if so who would your pick to work against the Panthers be?