Kalil, who spent all of training camp working at center, stepped into the new position today as the Carolina Panthers try to find an offensive line combination that works while Jeremy Bridges, the projected starter at right guard, kicks off the season with a two-game suspension.

Center Justin Hartwig shifted to right guard for Carolina's loss at Philadelphia Friday, and then Geoff Hangartner took snaps there Sunday and Monday, with Hartwig back at center. Yesterday, though, there was Kalil, a second-round draft pick this year, trying his luck there.

"Now they've thrown me in at the right guard position and I've never played guard, but I'm adjusting pretty well," Kalil said after the team's first practice back in Charlotte. "The biggest thing for me is just getting the plays down; I went a month just focusing on the center position. Now I've got to move over.

"As a center, I've got to know all three of those spots (center and both guards) anyway, so this is good for me, and also helps me at all three positions.

Kalil, a three-year starter and an all-American at Southern California, said he had played "a little bit of guard but never in a game. I played some in the Senior Bowl and practiced a bunch in college, but I was predominantly a center."

He stood by the practice field as he spoke, the three sets of veterans' pads he has to carry as a rookie bunched around his feet. Someone asked how tough an adjustment the move was, coming so late in training camp.

"I think the biggest thing is technically, there are little subtle differences here and there," he said. "Obviously I don't have to snap the ball, so I don't have to worry about that. But it's a little bit different, being farther back (on the line). Being between two veteran guys (Hartwig and tackle Jordan Gross) really helps out.

"As far as the playbook, I have a pretty good idea what's going on, but if I ever have a mental bust, these guys are right there and help me out, telling me what to do."

Working at guard at the Senior Bowl gave him a base for this, Kalil said. Then facing Carolina's big defensive tackles got him ready for the giants he'll face at either center or guard.

When his size was mentioned, Kalil, who is 6-foot-2, said, "I'm weighing 302 so I don't think I'm terribly small. Obviously I'm not the average big guy; I think my strengths are my technique and my strength overall."

He's not upset at the sudden shift away from center. Kalil talked about how Carolina's coaches stress being versatile, and how he's comfortable with that.

"One of the things we really liked about Ryan was his flexibility," said Panthers coach John Fox. "He can play guard and center. We've got some guys that have that flexibility, and we're looking at all our options, and Ryan's been a bright spot there."

Talking to Kalil, you get the feeling that if they moved him to safety, he'd give it a shot.

"The biggest thing they've reiterated throughout camp is that preseason is for moving guys around and finding what it is guys can do," he said. "Whether I'm on that starting five, we don't know yet. It's just one of those things that helps, especially in a game where injuries can happen and you have to adjust quickly.