Sir Purr
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- Mar 16, 2019
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"I need those guys, man," Burns said with a laugh. "They're going to take up a lot of attention, and hopefully, I'll have a lot of one-on-ones on the outside."
Heading into his second season, Burns expects his role to be reasonably similar in coordinator Phil Snow's new scheme. He likes that Snow and head coach Matt Rhule emphasize versatility, feeling it's one of his strengths.
"I mean, we can pretty much plug me in anywhere," Burns said. "It's going to be a lot to come with this defense. It's not going to be easy to stop, in my opinion."
Burns turned 22 in April, but even as a young player, he feels he can become more of a leader. He said it's about how a player carries himself and how he holds others accountable.
To that end, Burns has been passing on lessons from his first season to the Panthers' all-defensive 2020 draft class.
"I just tell them don't wait. Don't wait to take care of your body. Don't wait to get into the treatment room (or) wait to watch film. Take advantage of it now," Burns said. "Don't be that rookie that's like, 'I'll do it later.' No, do it now. And I just gave them little tips on game-time situations, what would happen if you do this, or what would happen if you do that."
Burns understands this unique training camp, and this season, in general, will be challenging, especially considering all players are still learning the scheme. But he also said "really" three times to describe how excited he is for Year 2.
"Just to be back, just be with the guys, No. 1, and No. 2 to get some quality work in the weight room and just hone in on my skills," he said.
With his wrist healthy and a full offseason under his belt, Burns now hopes to take an up and down rookie year to a fully upward trajectory in 2020.