In my eyes the difference is, one was done by the coaching staff. All the players know that and can equally be upset at the staff. In a twisted way, it could be slightly unifying. Fact is, not that many player comments were heard and expounded on. We really don't know how much damage was done.
The other was done by a player, arguably the most important player on the field. And if you toss in "leadership" you really can't even argue it. IMHO, how the other 52 players view the QB is a huge factor in how they play for him.
The mental impact of these types of things depends initially,on the perception of the individual but as some time passes, the mob mentality comes into play. One guy that may have thought that it wasn't a big deal initially, may change his stance when he hears 10 of his buddies all saying how messed up it was.
This holds true for both scenarios.
How much damage was done is yet to be determined. Damage control is done by the leadership. We know how Seahawk leaders handled it. We don't know how Panther leadership will handle it.
I've always said, and will continue to say, locker room chemistry is a HUGE part of how well a team plays. This one play by Cam could completely change that groups "chemistry" or it may not be an issue at all.
Only time will tell, the Panthers are in a fragile place right now, they are in a storm, how they fare will depend on the quality of their leadership.
The Seahawks were in a similar storm following 49, I think we did fairly well and that is a testament to our team leaders.