New Panthers LB Bobby Okereke already feels at home here, and in this defense

Finally getting to play as teammates with Phillips is one thing, but being next to a player like Lloyd, who was also signed the first day of free agency as a statement of intent, means Okerke doesn’t have to be a focal point, just another playmaker. Having a Derrick Brown in front of him, and a Jaycee Horn and Jackson out on the edges and a Tre’von Moehrig behind him, allows him to fit in.

“With the experience that I’ve had in this league, the plays that I’ve made, I know the type of player I am,” he said. “So I just wanted to make sure I was going to a really right fit, a situation where I felt extremely supported and that there was a great opportunity for me to go out there and make a lot of splash plays. Yeah, it’s a linebacker’s dream to play, with a D-line as stout as this and to play with a secondary that’s as talented as this one, really get to come in and focus and do my job.”

And all those things combined have made him feel at home, and ready to get to work today on the practice field for the first time.

“One hundred percent, from Day 1,” Okereke said late on Day 1. “Honestly, I think it just speaks to the people in this building, speaks to ownership. Everyone’s been extremely hospitable, super kind, very welcoming, and just been getting up to speed as fast as I can.”