Yanks Clinch Playoff Birth With 6-5 Win Over Angels

ANAHEIM -- On the evening the Yankees became baseball's first team to finalize a playoff entry, they were presented with a refresher course of just how emotional and gratifying the next month could be.

The Yankees' return to the postseason after a one-year hiatus was secured off-site, but their thrilling 6-5 victory over the Angels on Tuesday made it all the more satisfying, as they took it upon themselves to rewrite an Angel Stadium script that has become tired.

Using the long ball to open up a five-run lead with three home runs, the Yankees earned their first win in Anaheim this season by switching things up with some ninth-inning speed. Brett Gardner singled, stole second on a pitch-out, moved up on a bunt and came home with the eventual winning run on an Alex Rodriguez sacrifice fly.

"These are big games for us," Gardner said. "Tonight definitely felt like a playoff game. This is pretty high intensity, a pretty good environment -- a big win for us, and I think that tonight is going to be a lot like how the playoffs are, no matter if we're playing the Angels or whoever."

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Falcons Stand Down Panthers 28-20

ATLANTA — Matt Ryan has a new favorite receiver. No surprise who it is.

Ryan threw three touchdown passes, hooking up with Tony Gonzalez for the second week in a row, and the Atlanta Falcons held off the Carolina Panthers 28-20 on Sunday.

Through his first two games with the Falcons, Gonzalez has 12 catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Just what Atlanta had in mind when it dealt for a tight end who figures to end up in Canton — and starting 2-0 is just what Gonzalez had in mind when he asked to be traded by lowly Kansas City.

The Falcons already have matched the Chiefs' win total for all of last season.
"Not a bad start at all," Gonzalez said. "It's just great to be part of a team like this."

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Carolina / Atlanta , What Is Said & What Is Done

Created by OnePlusYou

This week the Panthers go to Atlanta to play in their first division game against the Falcons.


Their season opener against the Eagles is a game which they will need to put the pain of the loss behind them, while focusing on the glaring mistakes that made their first loss so meaningful.
This team still has the right attitude and has the right answers during television interviews, but somewhere between what is said and how the game is being played, the message gets lost.

This week, focus needs to be on providing better protection for the quarterback. I was not at all enthusiastic with the poor protection provided Jake Delhomme, and while it is next to impossible for five offensive lineman to block seven defenders, the Eagles didn't bring seven defensive players to blitz on every down.

Jake Delhomme had his share of faults, as well. Staring down receivers Muhsin Muhammad and Steve Smith while they were obviously covered quite well and not hitting targets that were obviously open was the biggest mistake. Not protecting the football was the other. The most costly mistake of course were the four intercepted passes he threw.

Overall, the offense played poorly. The playcalling was a bit erratic. The defense, though improved, still has a couple areas to clean up. Special teams also needs to work on the defensive aspect of their game as well.

The last time the Panthers played in Atlanta, they suffered a heartbreaking loss.
This time around, there are still so many unanswered questions, that it's likely impossible to predict against the division-rival "Dirty Birds."

For starters, the Panthers defensive line will have to do everything it can to stop Falcons running back Michael Turner. As it is, the defensive line's efforts to stop Eagles running back Brian Westbrook were futile.

The other big weapon the Falcons have is the one who lines up behind center, Matty "Ice" Ryan. Ryan has a big arm and at least three reliable receivers in Roddy White, Jerious Norwood, and tight end Tony Gonzalez. They're good at catching short chip-shots and White is deadly when deep in the open field.

The Panthers return duo of Mike Goodson and Captain Munnerlyn played well against the Eagles return defense. The key contributing factor on both their parts, was neither player committed a fumble on the return.

So Sunday's keys to victory at Atlanta are to limit: costly penalties, turnovers, and interceptions. The defensive responsibilities will be to contain the run, put pressure on the quarterback, create turnovers, and make tackles--a tall order to fill at this point, to say the least.
As usual, I'm hoping for a better performance this week than the one that I--and many other Panthers fans--was so rudely slapped in the face this Sunday past.

On a quick side note, if the Panthers can pull off a win this Sunday and if the Saints were to lose in Philadelphia, it will put the Cats in a tie with Atlanta for first place in the division.
In being a little more humble and quite cautious this week, I give the Birds of the ATL a win in this matchup, lifting them to 2-0 and dropping the Panthers to 0-2.

Falcons by seven.

"In My Opinion / A Spark, Limitations & A Stallion"‏

One of the most blessed beauties in all of sports is the Cinderella, the underdog, the stallion. Every year in every sport played, a stallion comes to the forefront and through heart and soul alone, they excel as leaders of what they do and triumph against the odds.

In this segment I will assess the outcome of the Carolina Panthers opening game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and give you my initial thoughts on the game itself.

ONCE AGAIN, A GREAT START RUINED:

The Carolina Panthers offense took the opening drive and marched 70 yards down the field on a 13 play drive and put a touchdown on the board to go up 7-0, just like the Arizona Cardinal game last Jan. The drive was well planned out and well executed.

Our defense got us the ball back quickly after a Philadelphia punt, and that’s when it all went downhill. On second and six, Jake Delhomme tried to hit Steve Smith on a slant pass over the middle, and the ball sailed on him, Smith got a piece of the ball trying to make a play, and the ball was intercepted by Philadelphia’s Sheldon Brown. Eagles score on a 49 yard field goal by David Akers. After the interception, Carolina’s defense gave up 1 yard in 3 plays. Carolina 7-3.

After I saw Delhomme’s pass picked off I had a feeling we were in trouble. It was as inaccurate a pass as you could have. But the defense was playing great, so I had optimism.

Then Delhomme fumbled the ball and Philly scores a touchdown on defense. Now it is beginning to snowball.
Three and out for Carolina, punt return for Philadelphia for a touchdown. At this point Carolina trails 17-7, and the defense has given up a total of 33 yards.

Next Panther possession: Delhomme throws into a double zone blanket around Steve Smith, intercepted by Sheldon Brown.
Defense gives up a 9 yard touchdown drive, Philadelphia 24 Carolina 7. Defense has given up 42 total yards up to this point.

MY THOUGHTS AT THE HALF:

First, I want a new quarterback at this point. Jake looked down, confused, and his accuracy was embarrassing. I tried to imagine what the Panthers could do to come back and win this game but Carolina is down 31-10. A three touchdown lead is not insurmountable, but it was clear the team needed a spark and I was hoping that another quarterback may provide that spark.

Delhomme is still the quarterback, so I write the ship off at this point. I believe the team did too, because they played even worst. There was no spark plug, and no chance.
On Delhomme’s next two pass attempts, they were both intercepted. Game over.

MY THOUGHTS AFTER THE GAME:

I remember thinking of how everybody blew the pre-season off and said “It doesn’t matter” in an obvious attempt to keep the confidence alive for opening day. This team was junk in the pre-season, and it carried over into week one.

I thought about the Washington game in the 2008 pre-season, and how important it was to have an outing like that just before the regular season. Carolina won that game 47-3, and used that game to propel them to a 12-4 season in 2008.

I also thought about the Arizona game of last January, and how similar it was to this particular game. A great start on both sides of the ball was ruined by turnover after turnover.

I thought about the next game in Atlanta, and where we may find the heart to compete in that game. The Carolina Panthers have the talent to win that game, but in football, talent is only half the battle in my opinion.

I thought about the 2003 season opener against Jacksonville, and how we brought in a no name quarterback, a stallion, to become a savior of a franchise with passion, will, and a desire to propel this organization with very little history.

We dream, everyday, of many ways we can improve our lives around us. The joy that comes in dreaming is immeasurable. In our dreams, we can do anything we want, be anyone we want to be, and there are no physical or mental limitations.

Then we wake up to find reality is a little different. The past is gone, and some of that past is impossible to get back. It is in this moment that we all realize that there are physical and mental limitations all around us, and within us.

It may be time for the Carolina Panthers to wake up and see that the dream is gone and that it will have no happy ending if they allow the limitations to dominate any chance they have. Sometimes even the will cannot overcome the limitations, and what we had before will not ever come back.

It is in this moment that the Carolina Panthers must realize that the horse they are riding can’t carry us anymore. The limitations are just too much to overcome and the horse is wounded beyond repair. As bad as we hate this outcome, everyone involved must get off the wounded horse……and find another stallion to ride.

Philadelphia Rolls Over Carolina 38-10

Donovan McNabb limped to the locker room with a rib injury. Jake Delhomme was booed off the field.
The veteran quarterbacks had rough games for different reasons Sunday, putting both franchises in flux after the Philadelphia Eagles routed the Carolina Panthers 38-10.

A dominant performance by the Eagles thanks to Delhomme's five turnovers was tempered by concerns about McNabb, after he walked gingerly to the locker room following his 3-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
With the suspended Michael Vick watching from a luxury suite, Kevin Kolb finished the game at quarterback as the Eagles ran out the clock on a miserable day for the Panthers.

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Eagles @ Panthers

Created by OnePlusYou

It's here. The moment we've all been waiting for! The regular season, Week One home opener that brings the Philadelphia Eagles to Charlotte in what has been hyped up--by me--as the preview to the 2010 NFC Championship! Wishful thinking? Only time will tell.


Both teams have suffered some setbacks with injuries, both teams suffering some heavy injury setbacks in preseason.
The Panthers were missing a number of starters, including defensive tackle Ma'ake Kemoeatu, who was relegated to the ranks of Injured Reserve on the opening week of training camp.

The Eagles, having their own injury-laden woes, suffered a major setback, losing defensive signal-caller Stewart Bradley, also to the Injured Reserve list.
While I do have respect for them, Eagles fans and the media crack me up at times.
The repetitious and boorish media sensationalism of Eagles fans being horrible people, and the continuous dredging up of incidents that occured some 25 years ago, should remain lost in ancient history.

The rumor that Eagles fans are brutal to all fans but their own, is also a common misconception. While attending the Eagles training camp, a Dallas Cowboys fan came in wearing a white Tony Romo jersey. Even the Eagles fans I was with offered no entertainment...Not even a "Booo!" My view on Eagles fans has changed tremendously. Their reputation far preceeds them, their bark being far worse than their bite.

The latest news is the Eagles may have just settled on a tight end, after releasing Tony Curtis and signing former Patriots tight end Alex Smith to a one-year contract.

The strength of the Eagles defense up the middle will be challenged. Omar Gaither is the predicted starter at middle linebacker for the Eagles on Sunday. For the Eagles to succeed by not allowing the Panthers to exploit the middle, Gaither has to succeed.

Gaither, while a good leader, a solid tackler, and very athletic in coverage, he needs to be in the right place at the right time. Gaither is almost 20 pounds lighter than Bradley as well, which should bring some concern to the Eagles, considering the Panthers have road-graders making up their offensive line. The plus side for the Eagles is Gaither has played very well in their defensive scheme.

For the Eagles defense to do well, Gaither and everyone around him, will have to work hard to contain Panthers running backs DeAngelo Williams, and any combination of Jonathan Stewart or Mike Goodson. As long as the Panthers running game is able to find a chinque in the armor of the Eagles defense, the more they pick at it the better chance they'll have at eating up yardage.

While it's nothing fancy, Carolina's tactic of beating a defense has been very effective. Running the football to wear out the defense, then using a play-action fake throwing the ball over the top to star receiver Steve Smith--a.k.a. Superman--who is the most difficult player in the league to defend in man-to-man coverage.

Another player for the Jake Delhomme-to-Steve Smith or the tight ends connection to test, is rookie free safety Macho Harris--no affiliation to The Coalition's Macho Man--who takes the place of the departed Brian Dawkins in the Eagles defensive secondary.

Some areas the Panthers offense will need to be careful on, is in the passing game. The Eagles defensive secondary has the threat of No. 1 cornerback Asante Samuel, and No. 2 cornerback Sheldon Brown.
Samuel will most likely be used against Steve Smith, and since the Panthers love to line Smith up all over the field, we will probably see a lot of Samuel being moved around to cover our top receiving threat.

This game is filled with many offensive weapons on both sides. While the Eagles receivers seem scrappy, as long as they can hold onto the ball in a receiving situation, they'll eat up the yardage. This is where the Panthers defensive secondary comes in--the secondary that seems to have remained lost since late last season and in the playoff meltdown against the Cardinals.

Chris Gamble and Richard Marshall need to step up in a huge way, lest they get burned by Eagles receivers Jeremy Maclin, Kevin Curtis, and DeSean Jackson all afternoon. We should also see the use of rookie defensive back Captain Munnerlyn in nickel packages.

Let's also not forget that Eagles multi-purpose running back Brian Westbrook will also make his debut Sunday. Westbrook is the biggest offensive threat the Eagles have in Week One. Depending on the capacity and situations he's used, we'll need to see the defensive line step up, and we'll want to see the linebackers and defensive ends step in to make plays.

Like the Eagles, the Panthers also have a multi-purpose running back in DeAngelo Williams. While Williams is seldom used as a receiver compared to Westbrook, he is still a threat in that situation.

The Panthers biggest advantage in Sunday's game is from the offense; the bigger potential from the blockers on the offensive line, including the fake-out blocker-turn-receiver option play that the Panthers use receiver Muhsin Muhammad at sometimes.
This week the Panthers and Eagles split about even when declaring which team has an advantage.

Either team's biggest problem is their own mistakes, errant penalties, and an uninvited visit from the injury bug.
One specific issue that can hurt the Panthers' chances of winning are conservative play-calling by the Panthers on defense at any time.

The downfall for the Eagles could be if Andy Reid gets into the pass-happy playcalling mode. Then the excuse--aside from Reid's status quo response of not putting the team in a position to win--will be that the offense and McNabb were never able to establish a rhythm in the third preseason game against the Jaguars.

OSC's prediciton: Panthers by two.

Created by OnePlusYou

As painful as the Eagles defeat in Arizona was, the Panthers might have been even more stunned by their loss. Playing at home, Carolina was steamrolled by the Cardinals 33-13 and quarterback Jake Delhomme had an astounding six turnovers. In trying to get over the hump, the Eagles and Panthers took different off-season approaches. The Eagles shook up their offensive line, brought in Michael Vick, and drafted two explosive offensive players early. The Panthers, meanwhile, focused more on keeping their nucleus together, even extending quarterback Jake Delhomme, despite his playoff performance. While the Eagles may have more talent on paper, they haven't had much experience playing together as a group, so it figures to be an exciting and hotly contested season opener.


The Last Time They Met:

December 4, 2006: Eagles 27, Panthers 24

On Monday Night Football, Jeff Garcia and the Eagles fought from behind for most of the game before finally pulling ahead and holding on in the end. Trailing by a touchdown at the half, the Eagles opened up the second half scoring with a 30-yard touchdown reception by Donté Stallworth. Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams answered back as he took a screen pass in for a touchdown to put Carolina back on top. After the two teams traded field goals, Garcia hit Reggie Brown for a 40-yard touchdown pass to tie the score. A David Akers field goal put the Eagles up three with three minutes to play. The Panthers final drive looked promising until cornerback Lito Sheppard picked off Delhomme in the end zone to preserve victory. Garcia threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns on the night and the win put the Eagles in a tie atop the wild card race in the NFC with a 6-6 record.

Steelers Stars Barely Sweat & Drop Panthers 21-10

Created by OnePlusYou

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Players quickly showered and dressed in the Pittsburgh locker room Thursday night before hustling to the bus following their 21-10 victory over Carolina in the exhibition finale.

Some of the stars may have been able to skip the shower part.

Starters on both sides played only three snaps apiece. Ben Roethlisberger threw one pass—a 7-yard completion on third-and-9. The first-team defense, playing without star linebacker James Harrison, forced a three-and-out to complete the preseason without allowing a touchdown.
It's no surprise then that the Steelers (3-1) appeared in a hurry to leave Carolina. Just one week until the real stuff starts against Tennessee.

"I really have a great deal of respect for how these guys competed and worked," said coachMike Tomlin, who rested several players, including Harrison. "Now we begin the process of moving forward and attacking the season."
The best news for Carolina (0-4) after an injury-plagued, poor-tackling, disjointed preseason is that linebacker Jon Beason is confident he'll return from a sprained medial collateral ligament in his knee to play in the opener.

"I really don't have any doubt in my mind," Beason said.

The Panthers need their top tackler from last season. The first-team couldn't stop Pittsburgh's reserves.

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Pittsburgh @ Carolina / The Final Preseason Game

By Eric Quackenbush

The preseason has been a tedious one for the Panthers up to this point. Overall, the defense has looked pathetic, special teams has improved, and the offense has also improved.

On Thursday night, we will see very limited action from the starters, if any at all. For the final preseason game last year, coach John Fox elected to sit the starters and let the backups have their time to earn roster spots.

This week I'm not going to talk much about the starters. we'll see them in a little over a week, when wins and losses do count. As of right now, linebacker Jon Beason, running backs Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams will all be ready for the regular season home-opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Some things worth mentioning in the meantime; the Panthers passing game is averaging 167 yards a game, and the running game is averaging 100 yards per game. Not bad numbers for exhibition games, but enough to have some semblance of an idea of what this team has the potential to do in regular season.

Do remember that the bulk of rushing yardage has not come from DeAngelo Williams and certainly nothing has come from the lame duck--pun intended--Jonathan Stewart. The bulk of this yardage has come from rookie fourth-rounder Mike Goodson, who has the bulk of 25 carries and 118 yards rushing. Decori Birmingham, who has had limited playing time until last weekend, has 22 carries for 80 yards and two touchdowns; second behind Goodson.

Thursday night we're truly looking at pure battles for roster spots. The first-team guys have pretty much done whatever they can to state their worth or lack thereof in some cases, and now the replacements get their time in the spotlight for a full 60 minutes.

One problem has been for the defense to contain the run. We may or may not see newly acquired Louis Leonard in the game tonight, but if we do, we'll have a good idea of what he's capable of doing. The Steelers' running game would be a very good test for Leonard.
I'm not sold on Leonard being the answer to what's needed, but he just might surprise us and fit in nicely. Three things I like about him are his height, 6-foot-4; his weight, 325 (five pounds lighter than Kemoeatu); and last I like his experience. He's been in the league for a few years, and he does have a little game experience under his belt.

As long as he can effectively contribute to stopping the run, then I don't care whether or not he's able to make a sack on the quarterback. In his career as a panthers, Ma'ake Kemoeatu has yet to register one sack. In this area stopping the run is much more important than registering a sack.
We most likely won't see Chris Gamble (to the relief of many) or Richard Marshall in the game tonight, so we'll get to see a lot of Capatian Munnerlyn, D.J. Clark, and Dante Wesley. I'm not too sure on the status of Sherrod Martin, so he could be a game time decision.

Also in the defensive backfield, we should see another new face. The Panthers also signed Kevin Kaesviharn as a safety, which in light of the injury to Charles Godfrey and Nate Salley being placed on the Injured Reserve, will hopefully pay off for the Panthers.

Kaesviharn is another veteran with some decent gametime experience, whom the Panthers had trouble offensively against in the past. Hopefully he still has that edge in his game.
Matt Moore, Josh McCown, and Hunter Cantwell should see a decent amount of playing time against the Steelers as well.

Moore has looked hot and cold this preseason, as has Josh McCown. A question I asked Matt Moore last night, during his guest appearance on the Rhys Lloyd show, was what were his thoughts on Hunter Cantwell?

I don't have the direct quote but to paraphrase, Hunter has a cannon for an arm, and the Panthers got a steal getting him as an undrafted free agent, as he was the starting quarterback at Louisville.

It's still not clear whether the Panthers will carry four receivers, three tight ends, or four running backs yet. I tend to believe that there will be four receivers, and either three tight ends or four running backs. That could also be wishful thinking on my end.

At other positions, tight ends Dante Rosario and Andrew Davie; receivers Dwayne Jarrett, Marcus Monk, Larry Beavers, and Kevin McMahan get one more night to make a statement why they deserve to remain in a Panthers uniform. After the Steelers game the cuts go from 75 to the final 53 man roster...That's 22 cuts to be made, a short amount of time with which to do it, and hopes that the best players for the job are retained.

I asked my brother to sneak a peek at the simulated outcome of tonight's game on Madden '10, and so far Madden has been scarily accurate...Scarily, is that a word? I think it is...I digress, Madden simulates the Panthers to go 1-3 during preseason. Their one win comes tonight against the Steelers by three points.

I'm going against my trend of picking against the Panthers and this time I'll side with the simulated results of a video game...Panthers win this one by three points.

Ravens' Three-Headed Beast Chews Up Yards & Panthers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In what was supposed to be a dress rehearsal for the regular season, the Baltimore Ravens' offense came out in its Sunday best on Saturday night.


During the Ravens' short but successful stint in the National Football League, the defense typically has been the team's bird of prey. But with cool second-year quarterback Joe Flacco looking like an experienced pilot, the team's flight plan may follow a different route in 2009.

The final stat sheet showed that Flacco (23-for-28, 247 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT) was ridiculously efficient against the Panthers during his 2 1/2 quarters of play in Baltimore's 17-13 victory. The Ravens have made it a point to let Flacco loose in preseason games, and Week 3 brought out his best performance yet.

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Baltimore @ Carolina / As Close To ''Real'' As It Gets

By Eric Quackenbush

Okay, the Panthers are now 0-2 in the preseason--I know, I know, it doesn't really matter, but still...Last year at this time they were 1-1 and finished the preseason with a 2-2 record (wins against the Colts and Redskins), but finished in a close one (19-13) in Pittsburgh.
So far we've discovered a number of things in two games.
Sherrod Martin is best suited at the Safety position, the position he played in college.

DeAngelo Williams has not regressed at all from the offseason, and seems to be at the same tempo he left off at.
Mike Goodson is going to do well at the kickoff return position, not to mention, should Jonathan Stewart miss any time to that nagging sore Achilles, Goodson should fare pretty well backing up DeAngelo Williams. Goodson has impressed both coaches and teammates in training camp and in preseason games.

Defensive back Captain Munnerlyn is the equivalent of Panthers' receiver Steve Smith on the defensive side of the ball: Same height, speed, aggressiveness, and work ethic. Munnerlyn will do well at the punt return position and even better as the team's nickel cornerback.

Dwayne Jarrett's last opportunity to show something more than his poor showing on Saturday night in Miami, is now.
Jeremy Leman and Dan Connor are both formidable players on the defensive line (Leman) and at the "Mike" linebacker position (Connor).
Kenneth Moore just might edge Dwayne Jarrett for the No. three receiver position Saturday night.
That should be enough to look at for now.

This game and next week against the Steelers, are the closest the Panthers will get to game-planning without the end result having an effect on the post season. This game will give better insight as to where the starting lineup is in their game. That also means Julius Peppers should put forth a little more effort than one tackle.

It's still way to early to press the panic button, but I would just like to see a little more effort and emphasis on the defensive side of the ball and in the passing game, especially from certain quarterbacks and receivers.
One area of great importance on the defense, is in run stopping abilities. The Panthers are faced with two more very good running attack teams, and doing whatever is necessary to stop the run becomes more of a hot topic now.

Meanwhile, the Panthers have yet to sign a defensive lineman that even resembles run-stuffer Ma'ake Kemoeatu, instead signing Kevin Kaesviharn, who spent two seasons with New Orleans and six years prior to that with the Bengals, as a free safety.
Kaesviharn's eight-year body of work includes 463 tackles, 40 passes deflected, and 17 interceptions for 114 yards. Nothing really worth writing home about, but he adds needed and experienced depth, when considering the injury issues at the position.

On Saturday night the Panthers are faced with large tasks at defending the Ravens offense, playing well against a physical Ravens defense, and putting up respectable return numbers against Baltimore's fast special teams coverage unit.

While the Ravens' running game and receiving threat in Derrick Mason seem scrappy and he is an older veteran, it's just fodder that plays well into the Ravens' strategic mental game plan, giving them a certain amount of confidence against any team that undervalues their playmaking abilities.

It's also unsafe to say that with some of the Ravens aging defenders--linebacker Ray Lewis, nose tackle Kelly Gregg, defensive end Trevor Pryce, defensive backs Samari Rolle, and Ed Reed (30+ club)--that any younger team has an advantage, because these guys maintain consistency year in and year out, and some add a little something to their game.

It's just another mental advantage the Ravens hold over their opponents, allowing the opposition to underestimate the integrity of the Ravens' defense.
Once again I find myself in the difficult position of picking against the Panthers, because so far the Ravens look like they have "it" together more than the Panthers do.

While injuries have played a certain role in the Panthers performance and coming up short on plays and in the score, it's not the sole blame. Mis-reads on defense, poor play in the return game, and a sloppy receiving game have all contributed to the Panthers positional--and losing--woes.

Still, the good thing is this is only a preseason game and we will definitely have a very clear picture of what the Panthers have going into the regular season.

The downside is in three weeks, this counts for real.

Ravens by six.

Wildcat Still Works As Miami Tops Carolina

MIAMI -- Chad Pennington threw well from the pocket and also from the flanker position.

The Wildcat offense was back Saturday night, contributing to a strong showing by the Miami Dolphins' first-team offense in a 27-17 preseason victory over the Carolina Panthers.

The Dolphins scored 10 points in Pennington's three series. He went 8 of 11 for 105 yards, throwing a 28-yard touchdown pass to Ronnie Brown and hitting Patrick Cobbs for a 35-yard gain out of the Wildcat.

Miami's variation of the single wing also produced 18 yards in four running plays, with running back Brown taking the snap each time. Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said the Wildcat plays were identical to those his team ran last season.

"There are really no secrets there, but it's good homework for us -- a chance to see what people have been studying during their offseason and how they want to defend this," Sparano said.

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Preseason Week # 2 & Picks / Panthers @ Dolphins‏

By Eric Quackenbush

In only their second week of preseason, the list of expectations has grown since last week. In "Pre-Week" Two, we want to see more improvements and high-level play and consistency from last week's stronger performers. I also want to see the starting lineup get going a little sooner and play with a little more vigor.

The starters didn't play very vigorously on Monday night, but they were only on the field for a short 15 minutes, and coupled with the fact that the other team's offense or defense is on the field too, both teams' starting lineup on offense and defense saw perhaps four or five possessions. Not quite enough time to get into much of a rhythm.

This week the Panthers head down to Miami and Land Shark Stadium, where they will visit the Wildcat masters of 2008, the Miami Dolphins.

Miami had a close game too on Monday night, and judging by the score it was defensive on both sides, so their offense will need to step up it's game as well.

The Panthers' running game looked pretty solid for the most part, with the exception of a few fumbles and a penalty. The running game seems to mirror last year's efforts, so I'm not going to touch on that a whole lot this week; Miami's run defense is similar to the Giants', and the Panthers runners looked pretty good against it.

I'm not going to say too much about Jake Delhomme, because of the short series the starters were on the field, but I will say that for all intents and purposes, we should see a better performance from him and the offensive line, as they will have the entire first half to get a rhythm going.

Dwayne Jarrett needs to show a little extra this week. I was not at all too thrilled with Jarrett's performance, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt along with the rest of the starters as well. This is the week that I expect to see marked improvement on offense and defense, even though there really won't be any set gameplan, because once again this is to give everyone a chance to make some plays on their own. Teams don't really gameplan in preseason until the third and fourth games.

I also expect receiver Ryne Robinson should get some catches this week, too. After missing last season, I'd like to see what he's got under the hood.

On defense the Panthers' starters gave a shoddy performance, and I was rather disappointed with that, but again, this is the week we should see a difference. No excuses. The Dolphins have a couple of rabbits in the backfield with Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, and guarding against the running game has been the Panthers weakest area.

If the Dolphins go with more of a run game, then the defensive front will need to step up and put forth more effort in wrapping up the ball carrier. Ricky Williams can be quite the load to bring down, but I'd rather see our guys win the battles in the running game, thus saving the team some cap space from bringing in a veteran player at the defensive tackle position.

Unlike the Giants, which have two power-backs in Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, the Dolphins have two backs who are more shifty and elusive. Ricky Williams could be more of a pounding back this year as he was in the past, but regardless, the Panthers run defense needs to show us a little something more than Monday night. Watching Chris Gamble get flattened was probably the most ridiculous play I saw all night.

If the Dolphins use more of a passing game on Saturday, we could see how the Panthers defensive secondary has improved since the dreadful playoff loss to Arizona. Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington doesn't have the strongest arm in the league, but he can get them out there when the team needs him to. While he can get them out there, he has his moments of inaccuracy, and hopefully that's when Chris Gamble or Richard Marshall will make a play on the ball.

I hope to see a little more hustle out of the return teams as well.. While Mike Goodson and made some decent runs in the return game, they looked a little slow. Then again, this is the NFL where everyone is the best at what they do. But a little more hustle would be nice. Captain Munnerlyn was on the fair-catch end of a lofty Jeff Feagles punt, so his excuse is obvious.

The punt coverage was also iffy, and I look forward to seeing improvement in that area as well. The second and third team's punt coverage was about the same, and lacks in speed and coverage.

The kickoff and placekicking games were fairly nonexistent, so this weekend I hope to see a little more from them, provided the offense can capitalize on any drives or turnovers created by the defense.

However all was not lost--there were a few bright spots in the mundane times of Monday night's performance.

I look forward to seeing some of Jeremy Leman's spit and fire rub off on his defensive compatriots; I also hope to see receiver Kenneth Moore get some more time. He had a couple nice catches, and Jake Delhomme seems to have instilled some faith in the rookie receiver already.

Another bright spot is defensive end Everette Brown. He should be able to wreak some havoc on the Dolphins offensive line, getting some pressure and maybe a sack on the Dolphins quarterback.

We should see fullback Tony Fiammetta get some carries, as his playing time was sparse on Monday night. Heck, there's always the very outside chance that Jonathan Stewart might be ready to play a few downs. The chances are slim, but there's always hope.

In the end, Saturday's game will give us a better idea and feel for what this team is doing and where improvements have been made. As far as the starting lineup is concerned, realistically they have nowhere to go but up after Monday night's performance. In order to avoid the cut, some players will need to step up their performance. It's crunch time!

This Week's Picks:

Patriots by seven, over the Bengals
Eagles by two, over the Colts
Vikings by six, over the Chiefs
Falcons by three, over the Rams
Titans by six, over the Cowboys
Lions by three, over the Browns
Jaguars by three, over the Buccaneers
Dolphins by three, over the Panthers
Steelers by three, over the Redskins
Texans by six, over the Saints
Packers by three, over the Bills
Giants by six, over the Bears
Raiders by three, over the 49ers
Chargers by seven, over the Cardinals
Seahawks by six, over the Broncos
Ravens by six, over the Jets

There Were Sights Aplenty In Monday Night's Game At Giants

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Monday night's game at the Giants was actually one of the more exciting games for the first week of preseason.

The Panthers played well in some areas, while looking quite rusty in others. However, in the first preseason game that is to be expected, especially when the team is using it's second and third string players throughout most of the game.

Not participating Monday night was running back Jonathan Stewart (Achilles tendon), wide reeiver Steve Smith (shoulder), linebackers Thomas Davis (knee) and Landon Johnson (knee), safety Nate Salley (knee), and guard C.J. Davis (groin).

Some questions have been asked in regards to the security of Salley's and both Johnson's jobs, having missed a lot of time with injuries. I say give them another week and hopefully they'll be ready to go for Saturday evening's game at Miami.

Quarterback Jake Delhomme got off to a rough start, taking the Panthers to a three and out in their first drive, and fumbling the ball on a sack in the second drive. Luck was on Carolina's side though, as Jordan Gross recovered the loose ball for the Panthers.

After the first two series, Delhomme began to settle in, completing three of his next four pass attempts, including a 17-yard, third-and-nine pass to receiver Kenneth Moore. Delhomme finished his night going 5-of-9 for 38 yards, with a passer rating of 66.

"As an offense, it was great to get out there and get some work," said Delhomme. "We didn't start as fast as we would have liked but we did some nice things. We have a lot of work to do and a long way to go to get where we need to be."

Between backup quarterbacks Matt Moore and Josh McCown, Moore had the better showing, going 4-of-7 for 43 yards and no interceptions, for a rating of 75.3.

Josh McCown statistically had the worst night, going 3-of-6 for 26 yards, threw an interception, and ended the night with a rating of 22.2.

The offensive line definitely needs to get a little faster and protect the quarterback better, as it allowed each of the four quarterbacks to be sacked once.

Surprisingly enough, it was undrafted rookie quarterback Hunter Cantwell who had both the best night and the worst night among his quarterback counterparts.

Cantwell finished with a QB rating of 118.2, going 4-of-8 for 67 yards. He averaged 8.4 yards per pass completion, and he threw the only touchdown pass to rookie receiver Jason Chery, which was followed up by a successful two-point conversion pass to rookie tight end Andrew Davie a minute later.

However on the offense's last drive, it was Cantwell who sealed the Panthers' fate with a loss, when his pass was deflected into the hands of Giants' defensive end Tommie Hill, who ran it back 18 yards for the Giants' tie-breaking score.

The tight ends looked decent Monday night. I was most impressed by tight end Gary Barnidge. If he keeps showing up like he did last night, there's no doubt he will be the No. 1 tight end by regular season.

Dante Rosario is looking more and more like the odd man out, since he's scrappy in size, doesn't block well, and shows up in spurts, making inconsistent plays.

In the second quarter, the Panthers turned the ball over three times in four drives, with two fumbles, while the Giants' Stoney Brackett picked off Josh McCown on one drive. The third turnover proved costly as Giants running back Danny Ware took a screen pass on a 36-yard sprint, where he plowed through the defense and over defensive back Chris Gamble for the score.

The biggest surprise of the evening probably came from Panthers' linebacker James Anderson, who started in place of the injured Thomas Davis. Not only did Anderson get a sack on Giants' quarterback David Carr, he also blocked a Jeff Feagles punt at the Giants' 14-yard line.

Feagles swatted the ball into the endzone for a safety, giving Carolina it's only two points of the first half.

It seemed as though the longer the Panthers were on the field, the better they played.

In the second half both teams were settled in, and playing on a more even keel than the first half.

Three-and-a-half minutes into the third quarter, the Panthers came roaring back on defense, when defensive end Charles Johnson flushed Giants quarterback Andre Woodson out of the pocket, forcing Woodson to make an errant pass into the hands of defensive back Quinton Teal.

Teal ran the interception 21 yards to the Giants 30-yard-line, where running back Mike Goodson took over, picking up 16 yards on a left-side pitchout from Matt Moore, then sprinted the final 14 yards to the left side after shaking loose from containment in the backfield.

Goodson's score brought the Panthers to within five points of the Giants, at 14-9. One bone-headed mistake by Goodson was drawing a 15-yard taunting penalty after the score, when he made a slashing motion across his throat. Fortunately, the penalty was assessed on the kickoff.

"I was told by Skip (assistant head coach/running backs Jim Skipper) not to do that anymore," Goodson said.

Goodson's night was comparable to that of the Panthers. He had a couple fumbles, but he also had some nice plays mixed in there as well. He'll learn from his mistakes, and build on his successes.

"He's a work in progress," said running back DeAngelo Williams. "That's all rookies when they come into the league. He definitely has a lot of potential. I like the way he hit the corner and took it into the end zone. But we've got to work on his celebration."

After a shaky start in the first half, the Panthers defense settled down, forcing four three-and-outs in eight possessions, held the Giants' offense to a field goal in the second half.

Rookie defensive end Everette Brown had a good showing coming into this game as the Panthers' third defensive end on the depth chart.

In the third quarter, Brown picked up his first preseason sack, when he bull-rushed Giants left tackle Will Beatty, then ran around him for the blindside drop of Giants quarterback Andre Woodson.

Rookies Captain Munnerlyn and Mike Goodson handled the opening punt and kickoff returns--Goodson on kickoff returns, Munnerlyn on punt returns. Both guys had decent returns, but nothing spectacular.

Middle linebacker Dan Connor led Carolina in stops with eight, while Jeremy Leman followed up with seven in the second half.

I have a feeling that Hunter Cantwell found his way into the Panthers depth chart for another week on that excellent two-minute drill complete with a touchdown pass to a rookie receiver and a two-point conversion to a rookie tight end.

There's also a better chance that running back DeCori Birmingham finds himself on the 53-man roster for the first time in his career as a Panther, after his solid performance last night.

I didn't see too much from rookie fullback Tony Fiammetta, as his play was limited, nor did I see too much from Sherrod Martin...Marlon Favorite though--he looked pretty good last night.

All-in-all, it was a good game with an exciting finish. As I said last night, I will continue to keep an eye on Hunter Cantwell...I think it would be in Delhomme's best interest to do the same.

Up next, the Panthers travel to Landshark Stadium to play the Miami Dolphins on Saturday evening.

Hill's Bizarre Late TD Leads Giants Over Panthers

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Tom Coughlin and John Fox met at midfield and shared a laugh.

What else could the two coaches do after seeing the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers preseason game end on a bizarre play as the clock ran out.

Defensive end Tommie Hill scored on a stunning 18-yard fumble return on the final play from scrimmage and the Giants scored a 24-17 victory over the Panthers on Monday night.

"Kind of an interesting ending," said Fox, who was still smiling even though his team lost.

Stunning. Shocking. Unexpected. Pick a word. They all would fit.

Fourth-string quarterback Hunter Cantwell had tied the game with 57 seconds to play, taking Carolina on an 88-yard drive. He ran for 21 yards and passed for 67 on the five-play drive that ended with a 31-yard scoring pass to Jason Chery and a 2-point conversion pass to Andrew Davie.

The Giants had a three-and-out series and Jeff Feagles punted 56 yards to the Carolina 18 with 10 seconds to play.

Instead of taking a knee, Cantwell went back to pass on the next play and his arm was hit by Leger Douzable. The ball went in the air and Hill grabbed it and scurried into the left corner of the end zone for a shocking ending.

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What I Expect To See In Carolina's Monday Night Game At The Giants

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By Eric Quackenbush

The list of expectations is too long for one article, but the question many want answered, is what do I expect to see when the Panthers travel to the Meadowlands to face the New York Giants on ESPN at 8 p.m., on Monday Night Football, is the same thing you want to see: Everything.

I want to see the Panthers execute from start-to-finish. I want to see the new Panthers make a good first impression. I want to see all of these roster hopefuls show they can really provide quality depth.

I want to see quality, Panthers football. And, yeah, there are some specifics to look for. I already know what the Panthers' starters bring to the field of play. I know that right tackle Jeff Otah and left tackle Jordan Gross are two of the best linemen in the league, with their sheer size, and ease of maneuverability.

I already know the kind of impact players like Steve Smith, Jonathan Stewart, Muhsin Muhammad, and DeAngelo Williams contribute on offense. I know the kind of playmakers the Panthers have starting on defense, as well.

But for the sake of having a conversation as our hearts and minds prepare for the game and the anticipation grows--finally, some football!!!--here is a top-of-the-list, list to consider for this game...

Everette Brown: Worth Next Year's First-Round Draft Pick?

Let's certainly hope so. Last year, the Panthers went ahead and traded this year's first-rounder to the Philadelphia Eagles in order to move up and take Jeff Otah. Hopefully that trend works well for Carolina, as already Brown has shown a lot of pop in his hits and explosiveness in training camp at left defensive end. However, the Panthers currently have Tyler Brayton penciled in to start opposite RDE Julius Peppers.

Monday night we'll see a battle between current LDE Tyler Brayton, Charles Johnson, and Everette Brown. Tyler Brayton, while he seems a favorite to play at defensive tackle, also has a lot of speed, agility, and most importantly, size. While Brown has great speed and seems farily agile, he needs to improve against the run, and he'll have to play with the heart of a lion to make up for what he lacks in size if he wants the starting spot at left defensive end.

On a side note, don't be too shocked if you see Peppers and Brayton switch from their positions and Pep is at LDE and Brayton at RDE. Coach Baker's philosophy is, that the defense and defensive ends need to be good at everything they do. And to do that, Baker must have as many men as possible who are multitalented.

Martin/Munnerlyn/Wesley/Wilson: Who Makes a Claim For the Nickel Cornerback Job?

Right now we can be assured that Chris Gamble is the No. One at left corner and Richard Marshall is No. Two at right corner. But the unanswered question, is who will make the biggest showing to be the team's nickel corner?

Right now it seems that rookie Captain Munnerlyn is leading the pack, with rookie Sherrod Martin on his heels. Behind them is Dante Wesley and C.J. Wilson, even though they are currently listed as No. Two options on the depth charts at LCB and RCB, respectively.

While Munnerlyn will likely see most of his action on punt and kickoff returns, he has made some really acrobatic plays on defending the pass. His most notable pass deflection came against receiver Steve Smith.

Sherrod Martin has shown what a run-stopper he can be--making the change from strong safety in college to cornerback in the pros--with the big hit he put on rookie fullback Tony Fiammetta in practice on Thursday.

C.J. Wilson has also had a good showing during training camp, deflecting some passes, and stating his case to become the third corenerback on the depth chart.

How Good is Goodson?

Right now, it seems as though rookie running back Mike Goodson will be used largely in kickoff return detail. But Goodson has taken some reps with the offense, and shown just how dynamic and explosive he can be from the backfield.

With second year running back Jonathan Stewart still experiencing soreness in his Achilles' tendon from his toe injury in college, Goodson might see more playing time at running back behind DeAngelo Williams.

A fourth round pick for the Panthers, Goodson could be quite the steal.

Now: Jarrett's Time To Shine

Third year receiver Dwayne Jarrett has been given something of a gift. That gift is in all likeliness, Jarrett will see playing time as the team's No. Two wide receiver in the absence of wideout Steve Smith.

Jarrett has spent almost his career in the shadow of Steve Smith. Not a bad shadow to be on the same team with, but his play has been very introverted since being drafted by the Panthers.

His days at Southern Cal were great, and that's the type of possession reeciver the Panthers had hoped they were drafting in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. So far, Jarrett hasn't lived up to much of the hype, so now is his opportunity to showcase his skills and talent.

Also fighting for the fourth receiver position is Kenneth Moore, Ryne Robinson, and Jason Carter. Not much has been said about Marcus Monk during training camp, although I think he could be among those battling for a spot on special teams.

The Rest Of What There Is To See...

Everything, right?

We want to see who plays harder and smarter for the backup quarterback position: Josh McCown, Matt Moore, or Hunter Cantwell? A lot of opinions have been that the battle for the No. Two spot will be between Moore and McCown, but Cantwell has been impressing both coaches and teammates in training camp. That will be the most interesting battle to watch, since experience at that position is questionable.

On the defensive line we have Marlon Favorite, Corvey Irvin, Lonnie Harvey, and George Hypolite seeking to fill the void left by nose tackle Ma'ake Kemoeatu. Right now, it seems that Favorite is the favorite--pun intended--at that position, but the biggest battle to watch will be Hypolite, who has been cut from a couple professional rosters already. He will make a strong case as to why he deserves to be a Panther.

At kickoff and punt return; Ryne Robinson, Captain Munnerlyn, Mike Goodson, Larry Beavers, and possibly Marcus Monk will be among the competition for the return job.

We also want to see how much the defense overall has improved. Will it be stronger against the run and more aggressive in the backfield? Was Ron Meeks the right choice to take over the defense? These questions and probably more will be answered post game on Monday night.

MADDEN 2010 ON SALE NOW / Panthers @ Giants Preview / Preseason Game # 1

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By Coalition Staff Writer Eric Quackenbush

The moment we've all been waiting for with baited breath has finally arrived. Even though it's only preseason, we get to quench our collective football thirsts with some preseason ball, giving us a taste of what we might look forward to expecting from our respective teams.

In Week One of preseason, the Panthers jump right into the fray of things, going up to Giants Stadium and giving the G-Men a taste of what they can expect later in the regular season.

The Giants on the other hand, have some questions to be answered, like who's going to fill former receiver Plaxico Burress' shoes? There's no question the Giants have a lot of depth at the receiver position. But up until now, they have no proven No. one threat at the position.

The Panthers No. one receiver option, Steve Smith, will likely miss the preseason due to a shoulder injury sustained during the team's Monday evening practice, when he went up to grab the ball, knocking into defensive back Chris Gamble, and fell hard on his right shoulder.

This will give third-year receiver Dwayne Jarrett an opportunity to showcase what unfound talent he has, since he's basically been ineffective thusfar in his professional career.

Ahead of Jarrett will be the old faithful veteran receiver, Muhsin Muhammad, taking over Smith's "X" spot. Jarrett will fill Muhammad's "Y" spot.

Occupying the third receiver slot will be either Jason Carter or Kenneth Moore.

The last time the Giants and Panthers met, it was December. The Panthers once again travel to the Meadowlands, this time in much warmer weather, to attempt to avenge their loss.

In their last meeting, Giants quarterback Eli Manning went 17-of-27 for 181 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions.

Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme also had a good showing, going 11-of-19 for 185 yards, and no interceptions.

The Giants offensive line allowed the Panthers defense (without defensive tackle Ma'ake Kemoeatu) to register three sacks on Manning.

On the flipside, the Panthers' offensive line held tough, even without right guard Keydrick Vincent. They didn't allow the Giants defense to touch Delhomme, and opened up gaps for the Panthers running game to amass 158 rushing yards on 35 carries.

The trouble for Carolina was on defense, which allowed Manning to pass for 181 yards and a touchdown, while the Giants running game amassed 301 yards on the ground and three touchdowns, including the overtime winning score by running back Brandon Jacobs.

While the Panthers did limit Jacobs, the Giants bruiser in rushing yards, they allowed him to score three times from within the red zone.

The other problem was the defense allowed running back Derrick Ward to run all over for 215 yards that night.

Hopefully we'll see a little more resistance in the Panthers run defense this time around, and while a win doesn't mean as much as how players progress in the game in the battle to win a roster spot, it would still be nice to see the Panthers return to the scene of the crime and steal a win.

Even though the Giants are without their flashy running back Derrick Ward, who was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the offseason, the Giants retain Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, who should see his production increase significantly, if he can stay upright.

In the end, while it won't be a popular pick among Panthers fans, I am taking the Giants to win this round again. The Giants defense is still dominating, and the G-Men added the talent of rookie receivers Hakeem Nicks out of North Carolina and Ramses Barden of Cal-Poly.

I can only hope that by picking the Giants, the Panthers will prove me wrong. Game time is 8 p.m. on the East Coast on ESPN.

Giants by three.

Preseason Week One Picks:

Thursday August 13

7:30 p Redskins at Ravens: Ravens by 6
7:30 p Patriots at Eagles: Eagles by 3
8 p.m. Cardinals at Steelers: Cardinals by 2 ESPN
10p.m. Cowboys at Raiders: Raiders by 3

Friday August 14

7 p.m. Rams at Jets: Jets by 5 NFL Network
7:30 p Vikings at Colts: Colts by 6
8 p.m. Bengals at Saints: Saints by 6
10p.m. Broncos at 49ers: Broncos by 3 NFL Network

Saturday August 15

4 p.m. Falcons at Lions: Falcons by 7 NFL Network
7 p.m. Bears at Bills: Bears by 6 NFL Network
8 p.m. Texans at Chiefs: Texans by 3
8 p.m. Browns at Packers: Browns by 2
8 p.m. Buccaneers at Titans: Buccaneers by 2
10p.m. Seahawks at Chargers: Seahawks by 3 NFL Network

Monday Night

7:30 p.m. Jaguars at Dolphins: Dolphins by 3

So Far, Panthers Having Good, Clean Practices

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SPARTANBURG -- There will come a time, this week perhaps, when the Carolina Panthers will get tired of looking at themselves.

But Tuesday, they were having fun.

The day's lone practice was a raucous affair, and coach John Fox seemed pleased with the results.

“It was very good,” he said. “I complimented them, thought it was our best practice to date. We're learning how to compete, learning how to compete against each other. And doing it as respectfully as possible so that we all get better.”

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Camp Weekend Wrap-Up / Fanfest

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By Coalition Staff Writer Eric Quackenbush

The Panthers had a good day at camp on Friday. One surprise in particular, that has been long overdue, is the upgrade of Gary Barnidge at tight end.

Barnidge lined up with the starters today for one simple reason: He earned it.

"He's a guy that's had a good camp," head coach John Fox said. "We like to keep competition going. There have been no final decisions to this point, but we try to reward guys who are doing well."

However, Barnidge doesn't have the same opinion as coach Fox.

"We're just rotating," Barnidge said. "There's no (No. 1 tight end) or anything; we're just rotating so everybody gets work with all the tackles and everybody gets experience with different players. I'm just working to get better. That's all I'm doing. That's all I can do."

A very team-oriented attitude from a very promising tight end in Carolina.

Interestingly, tight ends Jeff King, Dante Rosario, and Gary Barnidge were all fifth round draft picks in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

While Jeff King is the type of tight end who can block well, Barnidge is a tight end who can block well and has shown that he has good hands to catch a pass.

"The playbook just climbs on you, and you're just trying to learn everything as quickly as you can," Barnidge said. "But this year, it's a lot different, because I understand everything. It's fun."

That speaks volumes and bodes well for Barnidge.

Rosario on the other hand, remains a work in progress, and even though it's early in training camp, he has been very inconsistent in real game situations; not to mention, he has poor blocking abilities.

On Friday running back DeAngelo Williams suffered a toe injury. After getting it checked out, it was ruled to be nothing serious, short of the equivalent of a stubbed toe, to put the injury into perspective. He then took the field and finished the team's seventh practice of the week.

What I like about this year's team is the fact that aside from nose tackle Maake Kemoeatu's season ending injury, this team now returns 20 of last year's 22 starters. No team in the NFL this year has that advantage.

Chris Gamble received his contract extension midway through 2008, Peppers finally broke down and signed his franchise tender, and has been seen going to practice, during practice, and leaving the practice field with a smile on his face.

Even funnier, is Peppers did the Panthers a huge favor. He essentially forced the Panthers to place the franchise tag on him, while freeing up Carolina to work out a contract extension with offensive tackle Jordan Gross, who would have been highly sought after on the free agent market.

Defensive back Chris Gamble and defensive end Julius Peppers have both expressed their happiness with the new style of defense employed by Ron Meeks. It gives the entire defense more of a freedom to react and follow the ball, as opposed to decipher what the offense is doing and reacting on a read.

I am actually quite interested to see how the defensive line fares in the absence of Kemoeatu. Sometimes taking the road less traveled is a better route. Not to say Kemoeatu's presence isn't appreciated or that it won't be missed, but the Panthers are going to find out what untapped talent they have in their midst.

I have three big worries on the season that most fans probably do. One is that the team maintains good health, keeping injuries to a minimum. However, the second concern is the early Bye week and playing 13 straight regular season games after that. Lastly, is the strength of schedule, especially in the last four weeks of the season, with games in New England, New York (Giants), and at home against the Vikings and Saints.

Statistically with an early Bye week, injuries and fatigue increase, thus draining a team's morale. What I am noticing from this year's team is the morale and work ethic has been exceptional in the first week, even with the season ending injury of Kemoeatu.

Another good thing the Panthers have going for them is their defensive coordinator, Ron Meeks. Meeks is well-versed in working with smaller defensive linemen and essentially bringing the size of the fight out of the dog, or in this case, the cat.

Meeks is a great motivator, very hands on with his defenses, and leads by example. I appreciate and respect that from a coach at any level and from any position.

While the amount of experienced depth at offensive and defensive line are limited, this class of Panthers--from the starters to the backups--seem to be ready to take on any task that is presented to them.

Like quarterback Jake Delhomme said earlier in the week--when offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson presented the offense with some new plays--"Quantity is not always better than quality." That not only applies to extra plays in the playbook, but to the quality of depth on the field.

This team, while the depth is inexperienced by NFL standards, has quality depth. How does one guage a player's unproven professional quality, you might ask? By their work ethic during practice.

One simple example is linebacker Dan Connor. While only in his second year and returning from a torn ACL suffered last year in the preseason, he has been doing a nice job filling in for third year defensive signal caller Jon Beason, who sat out Friday night's practice resting a sore hamstring.

This is not my typical quality of work, but in finishing, I would like to share with you some team updates from Friday's practice that backup what I believe will possibly be one of the best teams the Panthers have fielded in their 15 years of existance, as reported by Steve Reed of the Gaston Gazette.

The Panthers defense is kicking tail today in team drills causing several turnovers. Strong safety Chris Harris recovered a fumble and linebacker Mortty Ivy had a pick-six.

Panthers kickoff specialist Rhys Lloyd got some rare work in on field goals today. Lloyd has a stronger leg than place kicker John Kasay, but has never been as accurate.

Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart participated in team drills today.

Rookie Panthers quarterback Hunter Cantwell has a big strong arm and could challenge Matt Moore for the third quarterback spot, since Josh McCown occupies the second string quarterback position.

Panthers team spokesman Charlie Dayton confirmed that the team will sign an extension with Wofford College to keep training camp in Spartanburg. The two sides were in the final year of a 15-year contract.

The Panthers entered camp with two players competing for the long snapper position, but now they're down to one. The team cut Nick Sundberg on Friday and replaced him with linebacker Kelvin Smith, a third-year player from Syracuse. That means J.J. Jansen is the team's lone long snapper.

Several Panthers are sitting out tonight's non-padded practice -- linebackers Jon Beason and Thomas Davis, running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad, safety Nate Salley, and outside guard C.J. Davis.

The Panthers finished a walkthrough practice. It lasted about an hour. The team has an intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday so this one was pretty light.

Also don't forget, the Panthers will get their 2009 campaign underway at Fan Fest, on Saturday, August 8 at Bank of America Stadium. All fans are invited, and admission is free. The day will feature a road race, activities inside and outside the stadium and a Panthers practice.

The day will kick off at 7:30 a.m. with the Blue Points 5K Road Race. Events outside the stadium’s North Gate will begin at 9 a.m. with music, games, contests and visits from the TopCats and Sir Purr. The Team Store--selling this season’s new merchandise--and Ticket Office--offering 2009 single-game tickets, hospitality packages and PSL’s--will also open at 9 a.m.

Bank of America Stadium will open at 9:30 a.m., and every fan in attendance will receive a 2009 team roster card. Watch the Panthers 2008 highlight video on the PantherVision screens and performances by the TopCats and Sir Purr. There will also be on-field contests for fans. Then at 11 a.m., see your 2009 Carolina Panthers in action with a practice that will feature stretching, individual drills, seven-on-seven, special teams and team periods and a scrimmage.

Strollers and video cameras will be permitted inside the stadium for Fan Fest only. Bags smaller than 8” x 10” x 14” will be allowed after inspection.

Training Camp Day 3

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Today the Panthers went ahead and put defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu on Injured Reserve.

In case you're wondering (as I also did), why the Panthers realistically can't and shouldn't put Kemoeatu on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, the reasoning is quite simple.

If you put a player on PUP, he can attend team meetings and rehab on his own, but he cannot practice with the team. A player on the PUP list does not count against the active roster. Add to that, PUP can only be used during training camp. A player can be activated off the PUP at anytime during training camp, but once the season starts he has to remain on PUP until Week Six.

Between Weeks Seven and Nine, the player can practice with the team or be activated from PUP, but after Week Nine, the player has to either be activated from PUP or placed on IR for the rest of the year. Considering the extent of Kemoeatu's injury and the amount of recovery time, placing him on PUP is not a feasible option.

By placing Kemoeatu on IR, he is guaranteed his base salary, minus any bonuses and performance-based clauses. And no, the Panthers do not get a break in the salary cap while Kemoeatu is on IR.

In light of placing Kemoeatu on Injured Reserve, the Panthers signed undrafted rookie free agent George Hypolite out of Colorado University to take Kemoeatu's empty roster spot.

Hypolite stands at 6-1, weighing 299 lbs. He's definitely nowhere near the size of run-stuffing Kemo, but the Panthers need guys now, especially since defensive coordinator Ron Meeks likes to rotate the defensive players fairly consistently.

Meanwhile, DT Damione Lewis and Nick Hayden continued to handle first-team duties in place of Kemoeatu.

Linebacker Jon Beason watched from the sidelines today also, as Dan Connor continues to learn among the starting lineup, and filling in nicely while Beason rests that sore hamstring.

Moving on, the Panthers, in their third day of camp, saw a lot of good things from the offense, which returns all of last year's 11 starters.

Offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson has added some new plays to the offense. No time has been spent on fundamentals and techniques for the first time in two or three years.

Quarterback Jake Delhomme admitted that the Panthers have indeed installed a few new plays, adding that quantity is not always better than quality.

"Our backs are great and they're healthy. If we can do our jobs, we should have an outstanding season as an offensive unit. I say that not out of cockiness, and so we know what to all expect," said offensive tackle Jordan Gross.

One of Davidson's new plays is a "combo" drill, where cornerbacks and safeties faced off against running backs, fullbacks, and tight ends.

In the first portion of the drill, the offensive players ran routes. In the second part, they stayed in the backfield to block.

Rookie running back Mike Goodson quickly gained separation on his man during the receiving half of the drill and later held off James Anderson during the blocking phase.

Goodson, who is a good 23 lbs lighter than Anderson (who had a running start), battled Anderson to a stalemate after regaining his footing.
Running back DeAngelo Williams remains the No. 1 running back. He's picked up where he left off a year ago, taking off through holes in the line.

Rookie quarterback Hunter Cantwell gained some notice today when he hooked up with receiver Jason Carter, who returns from a torn ACL suffered last season. Carter then drew the fans' attention when he put a spin move on rookie defensive back Captain Munnerlyn in the open field after hauling in a long bomb from Cantwell.

Also, third-year receiver Dwayne Jarrett has made some progress after catching a couple nice passes today.

On special teams, Panthers punt returner Kenneth Moore and receivers Larry Beavers and Ryne Robinson are looking good as the team's punt returners. Robinson missed today's practice however, due to a team decision to sideline him.

Rookie J.J. Jansen is working as the first-team long snapper for Carolina ahead of rookie Nick Sundberg.

On defense, safety Quinton Teal and defensive back Dante Wesley both had an interception apiece during seven-on-seven drills this morning.

Tomorrow the Panthers have one practice at 3:10 p.m.

Injury Report:
WR Ryne Robinson (Team decision)
G Duke Robinson (Heat exhaustion), Did not practice today.
LB Thomas Davis (Knee) Probable
G C.J. Davis (Leg), Did not practice today; day-to-day
MLB Jon Beason (Hamstring), did not practice today; day-to-day
DT Maake Kemoeatu (Achilles tendon) Out; Injured Reserve
__________________

08/05 Panthers Get Off To A Shaky Second Day

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After defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu went down with a torn Achilles' tendon yesterday, the Panthers methodically started making changes in the most likely event that Kemo is unable to return for the season.

The optimistically good news is, Maake will undergo surgery to repair his torn tendon tomorrow, and there is a very slim, outside chance that he could be ready to go at some point late in the season, but by that time the Panthers most likely will have long placed him on the IR list.

The disappointing thing about this, is the Panthers lack depth at the defensive tackle and offensive lineman positions, two crucially important areas on a football team.

Today undrafted rookie Marlon Favorite out of LSU, filled in at the nose tackle position usually occupied by Keamoeatu.

Dan Connor also filled in for MLB Jon Beason, who is still nursing a tight hamstring suffered Monday.As for Connor, so far so good. He seems to have picked up where he left off last season, after injuring his knee.

One nice play came from rookie corner Sherrod Martin, when he lowered his shoulder and knocked tight end Jeff King out of bounds. King praised Martin, patting him on the helmet for a solid hit.

Later in the practice, defensive coordinator Ron Meeks started to change the defensive alignment to a Nickel package, where Tyler Brayton moved to the defensive tackle position with rookie Everette Brown sliding out to left defensive end, while linebacker Na'il Diggs came off the field, giving the Panthers another pass-rushing force.

Cornerback C.J. Wilson is currently in place as the team's nickel back, ahead of rookie second-round pick Sherrod Martin.

About mid-practice, rookie outside guard Duke Robinson took a leave, with what was believed to be a heat related illness. He was carted off the field and given fluids. He should be fine.

Undrafted rookie outside guard C.J. Davis suffered an ankle injury during two-on-two blocking drills . Another lineman slipped and Davis' body was pushed back over the top by rookie DT Corvey Irvin. So far, no updates have been given on Davis' status.

Brayton can push the pocket from the inside, while Brown gives the team a solid pass rusher coming off the outside. Corvey Irvin will also be used as an inside rusher.

Running back Jonathan Stewart still has soreness in his leg from a sore Achilles. As of right now, he will remain on one-a-day practices, but during the practices he's participated in, shows good speed.

"We'll do whatever is necessary medically with him. We don't want to wear him out and yet we still want to get him his reps and get him football ready. At this point right now, we're going one-a-day with him and we'll see how it goes,” coach John Fox said.

So far defensive coordinator Ron Meeks has been very hands-on with the defense, and does not shy away from jumping in to correct a player when he has made a mis-step.

"That’s part of me. I'm not going to change who I am. I think football is never going to change. It's not something I invented. I always thought that is the way the game is played. And the game has been played that way for years. You block, tackle and make plays; that’s the name of the game. The bottom line is you've got to win. And the way you win is you set a tone, an atmosphere with the players. You have fun with it but you have to get the job done. It all works hand in hand and we have to do it together," Meeks said.

The Panthers resume practice today at 9:10 a.m. and again at 3:10 p.m. I will follow up the day around this time tomorrow evening.

Carolina Camp Update 08/04/09

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As expected, Julius Peppers showed up for the Panthers first day of training camp after missing all of Carolina's OTA practices. He didn't miss a beat, handling offensive tackle Jordan Gross with relative ease during pass-rushing drills.

"It's fair to say Pep has always been in good shape. He looked the same to me...He has come in well-conditioned and I expected that," coach John Fox said.

Peppers and rookie defensive end Everette Brown have hit it off nicely. Pep has been mentoring Brown during the first practice, and they seem to be hitting it off as well as DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart did last season.

As expected on the first day of any training camp, injuries would loom. The Panthers were not exempt from suffering a couple of their own, and to two major players.

Early in the day, defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu went down with a rolled ankle. It is hoped to be a minor injury, though the latest is Kemo was sent back to Charlotte for X-Rays. At this point we can only hope this might sit him out for up to two weeks depending on the extent and severity of the injury.

In Kemo's place, undrafted rookie Marlon Favorite out of LSU, is now working with the starters.

Around the same time, middle linebacker Jon Beason suffered what seems to be a pulled hamstring, and in all likelihood, he will probably be listed as day-to-day and will miss a couple of practices. He was given ice by the trainers to put on the area and then had it taped up.

Second-year linebacker Dan Connor replaced Beason with the first stringers.

Nothing to be worried about though, as these injuries do occur. No injury is "good," but generally hamstrings, knees, and ankles get a little banged up the first few days. The bad injuries are of the tendon and bone variety.

Monday evening, Day One

The Panthers returned to practice this evening without starting lineman Maake Kemoeatu (Achilles' tendon) and linebacker Jon Beason (Hamstring). General Manager Marty Hurney reported that Beason's injury is not serious, and at the time, Kemo's status was still unknown.

The latest news on defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu is not what we were hoping to hear. It's almost certain that he suffered a torn achilles tendon. He is likely out for the season. The team will announce tomorrow whether he will be placed on Injured Reserve.

In the meantime, undrafted rookie Marlon Favorite has been filling in for Kemoeatu, at least giving him some experience at the position with the starting lineup for now.

At 317 pounds, rookie Marlon Favorite is bigger than fellow backups Nick Hayden and Corvey Irvin. Unfortunately, this goes to show just how thin the Panthers are at this position without veteran tackle Darwin Walker.

The easy solution would be for Carolina to go out and sign a veteran free agent, but with their salary cap being as tight as it is, that solution is almost next to impossible.

“He's a neat, young man,” Fox said of Favorite, who played at LSU. “He gives you everything he's got. We saw that out of college, and I haven't seen anything different than that, which is a good thing.”

Favorite said he welcomes the challenge.

“My motor is God given,” Favorite said. “It’s a blessing to have that feel for the game. I know when I’m out there it’s either go hard or go home. That's the mentality I approach the field with.”

Second-year linebacker Dan Connor has been filling in for Beason, while he recovers from what's probably a tight hamstring.

Running back Jonathan Stewart, who missed OTAs with the team, practiced this morning. He looked fast, breaking through a hole in the line of scrimmage at the start of practice.

Both Stewart and veteran receiver Muhsin Muhammad missed the evening practice. After coming off an Achilles injury, Stewart is likely on one-a-day practices for now.

So far, veteran defensive end Tyler Brayton is working with the first team, ahead of rookie Everette Brown.

Rookie Mike Goodson looked good on the field today, as he continues to impress teammates with his speed and versatility as a rushing, receiving, and return threat.

Dwayne Jarrett also made a little noise today, as he made a great catch while defensive back Chris Gamble was sticking to him like flypaper.

That's it for today. The Panthers hold one practice tomorrow at 3:10 in the afternoon.

Carolina's In The Heat Of Training Camp Battles

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By Eric Quackenbush

The Panthers have started the 2009 season on what looks to be the right foot. All the rookie draft picks are signed and no one should miss any time at the start of training camp (Peppers possibly being the lone exception).

Now we wait.....

While we wait, let's take a look at a few positional battles we should keep an eye on, starting Monday.

Let's take a look at the most important unit on the field. The big nasties up front, the offensive line. Yeah, I know, a lot of you have differing opinions, and they all bring up good points, but bear with me here. The offensive line is like the heart of the team. If someone's hurt, not lined up where they're supposed to be, too small, too slow, too light, or misses their blocking assignment, it leaves gaps for defenders to exploit. Multiply that deficiency by two, three, five guys, and the team is in for a very long season.

The offensive line is without a doubt, the most important unit on the field. They are what protects the quarterback, and allows him to dissect the defense, while allowing him time to make a complete pass. The offensive line, if they're big like the Panthers' offensive line is, opens up lanes for20the running game.

Our left and right tackles, Jeff Otah and Jordan Gross, do a terrific job of opening the outside for J-Stew and D-Will--Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams for you who are unfamiliar with whom I speak of--ensuring they get the necessary rushing yardage to pick up the first downs and do all that great scoring.

The Panthers are solid up front with last year’s starting five returning. Jordan Gross and the Panthers worked on a new deal during the offseason, assuring Gross will be in a Panthers uniform for the remainder of his career. But beyond that, the Panthers have no backups with NFL experience. One injury up front, and both the running and passing game could be in serious trouble, considering the team lost some of its backup depth on the O-line, including Jeremy Bridges, Geoff Hangartner, and Frank Omiyale.

Looking to take their place are rookie draft pick Duke Robinson from Oklahoma, then veterans Geoff Schwartz and Mackenzy Bernadeau, both seventh-round selections from the 2008 draft who saw little or no game action last season.

At quarterback, we see the return--with a five-year contract extension--of Jake Delhomme. For anyone who's felt like it's time Jake Delhomme was sent packing, put that thought on the back burner. You've had an entire offseason to voice your displeasures with the guy and now it's time for a little reality. Barring any injury, Delhomme will be the Carolina Panthers starting quarterback in 2009.

T he fans have a real love-hate relationship with Delhomme. He's loved when he manages the game properly, and fans hate to love him when he falters otherwise.

Delhomme brings many things back with him this season, most of which are intangibles. He brings leadership, experience, poise u nder pressure, and that fiery cajun competitive nature. Beyond that, Delhomme receives the respect and faith from the coaching staff and his teammates, as well as a handful of fans.

For the quarterback position, there's not much in the way of proven depth behind Delhomme. Josh McCown is penciled in as the No. 2 QB behind Jake; Matt Moore at the third spot, and undrafted free agent Hunter Cantwell rounds out the depth chart for the quarterback position.

Don't look for much of a surprise competition to flare up between any of these three and Delhomme.

In the backfield, the Panthers return Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams as the solid one-two punch duo, commonly known as "Double Trouble." Looking to build on the already lethal running game, the Panthers drafted running back Mike Goodson out of Texas A&M, who will fit in as the third option at running back, while working primarily on special teams as the replacement for Nick Goings and as a kickoff returner. It's been rumored that the Panthers might also try Goodson at the slot receiver position.

In front of them we see an old familiar face in Brad Hoover, who has a fresh set of legs studying under him, in rookie20Tony Fiammetta, drafted out of Syracuse. Fiammetta is not known for his great hands, nor will he dazzle you with any kind of fancy footwork, but he does a great job at blocking for the quarterback. In the meantime, the coaching staff and trainers will work with him on foot drills and make=2 0him a better ball carrier for the inevitable time when Hoover does retire.

The Panthers' depth at the receiver position is loaded. Right now, the two starting slots are assured to go to Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad. The battle for the slot receiver's position will be among Dwayne Jarrett and notables Ryne Robinson, Jason Carter, Kenneth Moore, and Marcus Monk. However, a surprise could be in store with rookie signee Larry Beavers.

Robinson and Carter return this season after rehabbing knee injuries.

Robinson went down five days into training camp, never seeing the playing field after that. He participated in a few practices in September, all for naught. He was eventually place on the Injured Reserve list, ending his 2008 season.

"I think he's ready," Smith told Panthers.com. "He's done it in offseason conditioning. He's coming out here and he's practicing hard."

Carter's 2008 demise was more decisive. He went down with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during the preseason win over the Washington Redskins, ending what looked to have possibly been a promising year.

"(Carter) could definitely be an impact player," Muhammad told Panthers.com.

At the tight end position, the No. 1 slot has been assured to Jeff King, while the No. 2 spot is up for grabs. Among the competition is Dante Rosario, Gary Barnidge, and rookies Kevin Brock and Andrew Davie. I would venture to say that Barnidge holds the upper hand in this contest, as Rosario's been unreliable for the most part, and while Brock or Davie could impress the coaches, they would benefit from a year of observing from the sidelines and absorbing everything possible.

On the defensive side of the ball is another hot topic, the position occupied opposite Julius Peppers in the defensive backfield, the No. 2 defensive end.

Vying for this spot will be veteran defensive ends Tyler Brayton, Hilee Taylor, and Casper Brinkley, who spent last season on the practice squad. Everette Brown, while penciled in as the favorite to win the No. 2 slot, is up against some stiff competition.

On the plus side, Brown's style of play fits well into Meeks' style of gameplan, which emphasis pursuit over pure power.

Running upfield, running into space, running after ball carriers to knock the ball loose. Just running, and a lot of it. Meeks' defenses in Indianapolis did very well at these tasks, allowing them to force 214 fumbles over the last seven seasons--more than any defense in the league.

That's the difference between Ron Meeks' system, and Mike Trgovac's system. Run to the ball as opposed to waiting for the ball. Meeks' system is less calculated than Trgovac's. It's a=2 0game of reaction more than anything. Going after the ball and ball carrier while keeping pressure on the quarterback.

The battle for the No. 2 defensive end will be more evident between Brown and Brayton, who started opposite Peppers in 2008.

At the defensive tackle position, the20Panthers return all of lat year's starters.

Damione Lewis returns from postseason shoulder surgery, participated in all 12 summer-school practices, and is on track to be healthy by the start of training camp.

That's the good news. The bad news is, if the Panthers have to dig into their reserves at that position, out of the three rookies and two players who spent time on last year's practice squad, comes two games of NFL experience. Among the five, only Nick Hayden has started an NFL game, when he was called upon in Week 17 at New Orleans after Kemoeatu, Lewis, and former Panther Gary Gibson went down with injuries the previous two weeks. In that game, the Saints passed 82.3 percent of the time.

Hayden and Lorenzo Williams are the two returning veterans from last year's reserve players. Williams joined the 53-man roster just two days after Hayden's regular season debut and five days before the regular season finale.

So the Panthers went in search of some more depth, in hopes of solidifying the defensive line, while looking for more moldable youth at the position. For that, they came up with Corvey Irvin, a draft selection out of the University of Georgia, whom I had sai d earlier is very rough around the edges. He will need a lot of work before he can be considered a starting linebacker on any defense.

Battling with Corvey Irvin will be undrafted rookies Marlon Favorite out of LSU and Lonnie Harvey out of Morgan State.

There has been change at the cornerback position, and that's the only position that saw change this offseason, when the Panthers opted to part ways with defensive back Ken Lucas in a salary cap move.

This opened up a new door for No. 2 defensive back Chris Gamble, allowing him the opportunity to come into camp as the undisputed No. 1 defensive back at the position. Lining up opposite Gamble will be fellow back Richard Marshall.

In his first three seasons, Marshall was mainly the Panthers' nickel-cornerback. He started eight games in 2006 as a rookie, and five more in 2007. Nickel duties meant he still played frequently. In that time he intercepted seven passes and amassed 209 tackles in the last three years. He now gets his chance to move up in the spotlight, and become the No. 2 defensive back.

The battle will be at the Nickel position. The Panthers have a lot of depth at cornerback. However, C.J. Wilson, Dante Wesley, D.J. Clark, and rookies Captain Munnerlyn and Sherrod Martin will be among those competing for the last semi-starting position. Those who aren't cut from the roster will have to look for work in Special teams or be "exiled" to the practice squad.

Out of those named, the mo st noticeable battle will be among Martin, Munnerlyn, Wilson, and Wesley.

For the linebacking crew, James Anderson and Landon Johnson return to push the incumbent first-teamers and provide depth. There's really not much to be looking for in terms of position battle, but one never knows who might catch the eye of Ron Meeks.

The defensive line returns Na'il Diggs at Sam, Thomas Davis at Will, and Jon Beason at Mike.

The depth of the line is still uncertain. The Panthers get second year man Dan Connor back on the field after suffering an injury that sidelined him his rookie season, and they also picked up Anthony Heygood out of Purdue and Mortty Ivy from West Virginia. Adding to the line's depth is Jeremy Leman, also.

At the safety position, the Panthers bring back Charles Godfrey and Chris Harris, solidifying the No. 1 and 2 positions. Again, nothing to really watch in terms of who's competing for a starting job, just the depth at the position, which is respectable and seasoned, for the most part. Joe Fields, Quinton Teal, Nate Salley, and rookie Paul Chiara, who likely won't make the final cut, considering the youth and talent already at the position.

The battle for the position of the return specialist is expansive. The Panthers lost return dynamo Mark Jones to the Tennessee Titans via free agency, so the position is wide open for those coming back to or starting their first year in Carolina.

Ryne Robinson and Jason Carter were set=2 0to handle this responsibility until injuries befell them. They'll make their healthy return on Monday and are set to seriously compete with Kenneth Moore and against the new guys Mike Goodson, Jason Chery, Larry Beavers, and Captain Munnerlyn.

Kenneth Moore could find himself in the mix on punt returns, while Chery and Munnerlyn have backgrounds as returners.

The most statistically intriguing candidate however, is undrafted wide receiver Larry Beavers, who set the NCAA's all-time record for combined kick return touchdowns during a dazzling career at D-III Wesley College in Delaware. His numbers as a senior last fall were stunning: eight touchdowns on 30 total returns, a 39.5-yard average on kickoffs and a 29.2-yard average on punts.

Goodson is only one of the lesser-known commodities on Carolina's roster who saw some work on kickoff and punt returns at summer school, giving him a slight edge over his fellow rookie competition.

So there you have it, Panthers fans. Training camp officially begins with the first practice at 9 a.m. Monday morning. Make sure to dress for the heat, stay hydrated, bring sunscreen, sunglasses, and most importantly, make those training camp memories last forever. Don't leave the camera at home.