Coker was one of the better stories on an offense that struggled last season, coming in as an undrafted rookie before being promoted to the active roster ahead of Week 4 last season. It was a big jump for the Holy Cross product, and while he finished the season with an impressive 32 receptions for 478 yards and two touchdowns, there was still a lot of growth to take on for Coker.
"He was a rookie last year, kind of thrown into the fire, and this year, now he's got a plan, he's got a routine," said Canales. "We talked to the guys about the routines and people ask who are the players that you've seen have success over time; it's the ones, the young players that have had that have been able to help. They just kind of watch a veteran player and they just follow their preparation when they study, when they take care of their body, how they recover their legs and all those things and Jalen, he shows up like this, you know, and you're playing against other pros and he's got game experience, so this isn't too big for Jalen."
The Panthers have an embarrassment of riches at receiver this year, with a crowded room that is going to be hard to whittle down come roster cut time. Canales has repeatedly preached that the final spots will be determined by how much a guy can contribute on special teams. Coker played on a mere 31 special teams snaps last season, 10 percent of the total. He has worked his way into more of those personnel groupings this offseason, though, and it's paying off, even drawing a flag on kickoff return, after a Browns blocker dragged him to the ground.