North Charlotte Today

CHARLOTTE -- When Bryce Young walked through the gate at 9:12 am Tuesday morning, it was with little fanfare. He had already been in the building the day before, so by the time veteran report day rolled around, it was just another day for the second-year passer. He gave a nod and a smile to the camera, commented on the cloudless sky, and then headed inside.

When Bryce Young walked through the hallway outside meeting rooms at 9:31 am Tuesday morning, it was to shouts and welcomes as receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette and half of the offensive line unit celebrated seeing their quarterback again for the first time in weeks.

Young's second year in the league means he returns for his sophomore camp with battle scars earned from a rookie season. He's garnered respect from his teammates not for how often he was hit but for how many times he got up. This offseason, he embraced a new coaching staff and guided those around him through an entirely new offense.

It all adds up to a Bryce that feels much more assured in what he's taking on starting Wednesday.

"You just have a little bit, I guess more of what to expect," Young said Tuesday of beginning his second training camp. "Obviously last year, I'd never been to a training camp, didn't know what to expect.

"So, it was definitely just a sense of trying to figure out what's going on? Where am I supposed to be? Now, it'll be different this year, different setting, different staff, but just knowing a little bit more what to expect will be good."

The ability to simply take time off this offseason was new for Young. The college offseason doesn't allow for much free time, and his rookie season was a whirlwind that left him out of sorts. Having time to unplug gave Young the chance to catch his breath for the first time in years.

"It's by far the longest time that I've had off," Young admitted. "So, it was interesting navigating that. Talked about it with a lot of other players, with coaches, people who have been with a lot of NFL guys just to map out everything because it's something I wasn't used to. But I'm glad with how the offseason went. Feel like I had good structure, good plan; just trying to end up in the best spot at this time which is how I feel."

That structure included gathering teammates along with Andy Dalton in California for workouts. The group took in an Angels game and simply spent time together.

Whether it's the California workouts or simply Dave Canales' efforts to ease pressure off Young's shoulders, he arrived on Tuesday noticeably lighter and brighter. A large part of that change is an understanding that pressure will always be there; one must fold it into their approach.

"I think that for me there's always an urgency; there's always a sense of wanting to be the best I can be every day," Young said.

"That's definitely something I don't want to lose. I don't feel like for me...I don't look at it as pressure from outside things. I think really for us it's making sure we can be the best we can be every day and accomplish our goals throughout the year...it's not something that's really going to change; we can't get that done tomorrow...It's going to be throughout the year...So because of that I try to keep my focus on just the small stuff..."

General manager Dan Morgan has watched Young this entire offseason. Now as his quarterback arrives for his second training camp, Morgan sees someone prepared for upcoming challenges.

Said Morgan: "I think Bryce is one of the hardest working men in that locker room. I know he's on a mission...committed to this franchise...We're going to do everything in our power...But I know Bryce is hungry; he's focused and we're super excited about him."