Some quick hits from Thursday:

   1. Weakside linebacker Na'il Diggs returned to the practice field on Thursday. He has been battling a hamstring injury. Said coach John Fox: "We're bringing him back cautiously. He moved around and looks like he's doing good so far." A message to Diggs: Don't expect to get that starting job back anytime soon with Jon Beason working first team.

   2. Deke Cooper continues to work alongside Chris Harris in the secondary. That could change once Nate Salley returns to the field. "Deke's a guy that has had a past with us," Fox said. "We kind of know what he's about. He knows our defense. We kind of know what his abilities are on special teams and on defense. They're competing, and we'll see how it ends up.

   3. When asked if Salley and  Harris can be on the field at the same time even though they are both more experienced at free safety," Fox replied. "I think probably that's kind of where we're looking at heading. But until Nate gets back out there, I don't know. As far as them being together or not, they should be fine. Really, you've got be interchangeable in this League anyways, because the offense can dictate it to you one way or the other." Fox views his safeties as interchangable.

   4. The team practiced in full pads with a heat index of 115. "They did good," Fox said. "They sucked it up. We cut it back a little bit as far as time and took precautions as far as cooling them off. I thought they fought through it good."

    5. The Panthers will have a walk-through practice Friday before boarding a plane to Newark.