good article about Carr:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2931784

[Edited on July 13, 2007 at 10:37 AM. Reason : 12]

7/13/2007 10:37:14 AM

haha JUST read that myself

7/13/2007 11:11:23 AM

^there is a good fantasy article about the panthers on espn too, but I couldn't decide where to put it, so I didn't put it anywhere.

7/13/2007 11:19:25 AM

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=238470

Quote :

" OT JORDAN GROSS, Carolina Panthers Best prank: Last year, we weren't getting any rain days. One day late in camp, we all signed a petition for a mock rain day and handed it to coach Fox. Nothing happened, but we all got a big chuckle out of it. Laziest player: It's got to be like a 14-way tie between all the offensive linemen. Unique off-field activity: Our group date. We always go out on Wednesdays for dinner and a movie. During training camp, that's like a 10-day vacation. Most notorious rule breaker: A few years ago, Kris Jenkins had an accident on a golf cart where he ran over (Panthers director of security) Gene Brown. We're not supposed to be driving golf carts, and that's why. Biggest suck-up: Geoff Hangartner. He's one of the centers, so the coaches are always asking him questions, and he likes to answer them. Make sure you put his name in there. He'll like that. "

and even though it's not panthers.....

Quote :

"SS ADRIAN WILSON, Arizona Cardinals Strangest thing a player has brought to camp: A blanket. Like a personal blanket. Strangest eating habits: That would have to be me. If I put something in my body that it doesn't recognize, I might have a bad day. Hardest worker: Besides me? I'm going to have to say Anquan Boldin. All-time worst rookie singer: Leonard Pope. He's terrible. You can't understand a word he's saying. The songs he sings are from like 1950. Most notorious rule breaker: Oh, Edgerrin James, without a doubt. There is no rule for Edge. Edge does whatever he wants to do. Unique way to cope with the heat: You can either skip camp and get fined $12,000 a day or you can take it like everybody else. Best way to cope with boredom: You tell me. I haven't figured it out yet. "

They've got a Q&A with a player from pretty much every NFL team.

[Edited on July 13, 2007 at 12:36 PM. Reason : .]

7/13/2007 12:35:44 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we0M-BioUJg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5hD-CrQKds

some highlight vids to get ready for the season

14 days to camp. anybody else goin for the first day?

7/14/2007 9:05:02 AM

last summer i was living in spartanburg and went the first day and 15 min after i got there, smitty got injured

cant go this year anyway but its best for the team

7/14/2007 10:54:16 AM

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/insider/news/story?id=2933974

Ranked #18th O line in the NFL by Scouts. But,

Quote :

"The Panthers' offensive line may end up being one of the surprises of 2007."

7/14/2007 5:12:04 PM

thanks for a link to the INSIDER article...

but our O-line should be solid, there may be some shuffling of positions, but we have quality depth so that shouldn't be a problem.

[Edited on July 14, 2007 at 6:11 PM. Reason : /\]

7/14/2007 6:00:33 PM

I broke out my 2003 DVD a few weeks ago and watched part of it. Man I really miss Bill Rosinski doing play-by-play. I've had a sour taste in my mouth about that ever since they let him go.

7/14/2007 11:04:25 PM

^me too

its just not the same

7/14/2007 11:32:19 PM

as long as they keep Gene I'll be happy

gotta have my gene

7/16/2007 12:14:53 AM

http://tinyurl.com/2vf6kg

one of you insiders post this...

7/20/2007 10:19:21 AM

Three Burning Questions

1. Is John Fox on the hot seat?
Probably, but he really doesn't deserve to be. For some reason, it was overlooked that Carolina had to play most of the 2006 season without its starting center and left tackle; that is a lot to overcome. Injuries took their toll last year, and several good players on this team played well under their usual level. Last season certainly did not help Fox's résumé, but he is a fine coach who would get snatched up very quickly if relieved of his duties in Carolina.

Camp battle to watch

DeShaun Foster vs. DeAngelo Williams
There are several prominent training camp battles for the Panthers this year, but the one at running back could be the most competitive. Foster and Williams both should benefit from Carolina's philosophical change to a one-cut, zone-blocking rushing attack, but Williams is the one who should benefit the most. Williams came from a similar scheme at the University of Memphis and has the skill set, vision, decisiveness and low pad level to really excel under the new philosophy. Both players are talented, but Williams should emerge as the primary ball carrier while Foster becomes a very good third-down back.
2. Does the Panthers' offense have a viable weapon beyond Steve Smith?
Not really. Drew Carter is tall with great speed. He will make some big plays by simply running past single coverage, but he still has a long way to go with the finer points of the position. Dwayne Jarrett isn't really quick or explosive and is likely to struggle initially getting off the line of scrimmage against press coverage at this level. Michael Gaines has more talent than many realize, but he never will be a dynamic weapon or downfield threat from his tight end spot. DeShaun Foster can be a factor catching the ball out of the backfield, but there is a good chance he will be a part-time player. In limited snaps last year, second-year RB DeAngelo Williams showed that he can be a difference-maker. He has a fine blend of quickness, competitiveness and balance. He runs low and has some power. Smith is a superstar and certainly one of the very best players at his position, but this team needs more around him. If Williams continues to develop, he'll be able to take some attention away from Smith.

3. Is Carolina a contender?
The NFC is clearly the weaker conference, and yes, Carolina is certainly a playoff contender. The Panthers could give the Saints a run for their money in the NFC South. But this doesn't look like a Super Bowl team. There are just too many holes and questions. The defense is aging; the overall durability is questionable; the quarterback situation isn't very stable; and the offense just doesn't have enough weapons.

The player under the microscope

QB Jake Delhomme. Delhomme is not capable of putting an offense on his back, and he tried to do just that too often last season after the running game failed. When he presses, Delhomme takes too many risks and brings a gunslinger mentality -- but really doesn't have the physical gifts to pull off such an approach. When the defense is playing well and the running game is clicking, Delhomme can be very effective with play-action and deep throws to Smith, but he cannot afford to turn the ball over and has to play more within himself. He doesn't feel the rush very well and didn't step up when the chips were down. David Carr is looming behind him on the depth chart, and Fox might be quick to make a change if Delhomme struggles early in the season.

Fantasy take
DeShaun Foster led the team in rushing yards last season, but DeAngelo Williams should be the eventual starter. Don't look for an official changing of the guard before the season starts, but do check how much attention Williams gets in camp because it could influence your decision to select Williams over Foster.
-- Eric Karabell
• Complete ESPN.com fantasy coverage
Breakout player

OLB Thomas Davis. Davis was a safety at the University of Georgia, bounced between safety and outside linebacker during his rookie year, then moved to linebacker full time last year. He now has ample experience at the position and should be able to maximize his vast potential. Davis is a heat-seeking missile who is an absolute blowup hitter. He runs very well and brings a lot of versatility to the defense. He will play man coverage against tight ends and running backs, blitz with more regularity this season, and still cover a lot of ground with his zone responsibilities. Davis could be primed for a monster season, especially if Dan Morgan can return to the lineup at middle linebacker.

Comeback player of the year

Morgan. The Panthers certainly have several candidates for this distinction, but Morgan is the most logical choice. When healthy, which is rare, he is a game-changing playmaker from his middle linebacker spot. Morgan is a key player in this defense. He isn't a great take-on player, but Carolina has spent a lot of its resources on big defensive tackles to allow Morgan to run more freely and make plays. His strengths are quickly diagnosing plays, reacting decisively and running to the ball. He is very fast and gets to his target with aggression, but he simply cannot stay healthy and most recently has battled problems with concussions. If Morgan can return to form, this defense will be much better than a year ago.

Offensive philosophy

The Panthers put too much pressure on Delhomme last season because they were ineffective running the football. This was partially because of being without their starting left tackle and center for much of the season. Jeff Davidson was hired as offensive coordinator, mostly to restore Carolina's ability to control the game on the ground. Davidson will switch to a zone-blocking scheme. This move could be an excellent decision and it suits Carolina's personnel very well, but there surely will be some growing pains early on. Davidson also will put star Smith in motion more often and use him in a variety of ways in an attempt to get him into more one-on-one situations. Although that sounds good on paper, Smith is the only receiver on the roster who frightens defenses and every team the Panthers face surely will concoct a game plan to stop Smith.

Defensive philosophy

Great things were expected from Carolina's defense one year ago, but those expectations were not met. There were injuries and substandard play across the defense, but the biggest culprit might have been that the offense didn't do the defense any favors. The offense simply punted far too often. Although it is getting up in age, this is still a talented group led by Julius Peppers, one of the best defensive players in the game today. The Panthers rely on their upfield scheme to generate pressure, but they need to get more from their defensive linemen other than Peppers to make this work. To help generate pressure this year, expect more linebacker blitzes, particularly from Davis. Stopping the run is priority No. 1 and Carolina needs to be stouter up the middle, but this unit still has a chance to be one of the better groups in the league.

7/20/2007 10:54:09 AM

Quote :

"Morgan. The Panthers certainly have several candidates for this distinction, but Morgan is the most logical choice. When healthy, which is rare, he is a game-changing playmaker from his middle linebacker spot. "

*big qualifier*

Grant Hill syndrome.

7/20/2007 11:01:08 AM

^^thank you sir.

Quote :

"But this doesn't look like a Super Bowl team. There are just too many holes and questions."

that's what I like to hear....we always seem to play better when not one of the favorites.

[Edited on July 20, 2007 at 11:17 AM. Reason : .]

7/20/2007 11:03:00 AM

so other than saftey what are our "holes"?

7/20/2007 8:13:19 PM

in my opinion, we have 6 holes.

7/20/2007 8:16:58 PM

what are they? i guess lb, safety, qb...seems like our o line, rb, front 4 are all good

7/20/2007 8:26:31 PM

^^ i wouldn't say QB is a "hole" just a slight question mark

i think other big question marks are:
definitely safety (both spots)
middle linebacker (with dan you never know)
and possibly tight end/wide receiver

other than that i think we have excellent depth going into the season. maybe more depth than we've ever had

7/20/2007 10:01:21 PM

oh yeah i forgot wr...thats a big question mark too

7/20/2007 11:03:17 PM

i love how we went from a team with no holes last preseason, to a team with too many holes this preseason.

7/21/2007 10:31:00 AM

its always like that

it seems if a team doesnt have pro bowl players at every single position they have tons of glaring holes

7/21/2007 12:01:03 PM

Jenkins to report to camp....

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2945276

7/22/2007 4:03:08 PM

Quote :

"...seems like our o line, rb, front 4 are all good"

The team hasn't been able to run the ball effectively in 3 years. Sure, you can talk about injuries, but the current line hasn't shown shit up to this point. Until they prove themselves, the O-line is a big question mark.

7/22/2007 6:11:00 PM

^ we ran the ball decently well with Steven Davis (within the last 3 yrs).... Since his knee finally blew to hell we havent been consistent with foster and whoever else we threw in with him...

[Edited on July 22, 2007 at 9:24 PM. Reason : sp]

[Edited on July 22, 2007 at 9:25 PM. Reason : ]

7/22/2007 9:17:24 PM

Davis averaged 3.1 yards per carry after he returned in 2005. He was averaging 4.5 in their super bowl season.

7/22/2007 10:47:04 PM

Quote :

"The team hasn't been able to run the ball effectively in 3 years. "

that's because we've been using outside/cutback runners and making them run straight up the middle.

7/23/2007 9:28:21 AM

i watched the sports extra last night (NBC CH 36 in charlotte). yasinskas (writer for observer) was a guest analyst for talking about the panthers. he said we have 8-9 guys that could start in this league. i personally only thought it was 7, but obviously we have things to be optimistic about w/ this years line.

7/23/2007 9:54:57 AM

this is the first year in a while that I actually feel good about our O line going into the season.

7/23/2007 10:28:41 AM

I feel good about our players, but ya gotta account for some growing pains as we move to the new zone blocking scheme....

7/23/2007 11:23:43 AM

from peter kings Monday Morning Quarterback:

Quote :

"8. I think this is the biggest training camp of John Fox's coaching career."

its from his "10 Things I Think I Think"

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/07/22/vick/4.html

7/23/2007 11:50:00 AM

http://www.charlotte.com/sports_breaking/story/208005.html

more evidence that jenkins is gonna be at training camp on time

7/23/2007 11:56:50 AM

http://www.krisjenkins77.com/


posted from that charlotte article. kris has a sweet site.

7/23/2007 12:50:12 PM

if that blubberball wrecks shop again this year I will take back all the bad things I said (posted) about him.....

my predticiotn:
He will not start in the beginning of the season at least, and he will undoubtedly bitch about it publicly at some point... media spin will make mtn out of molehill... etc. etc.

7/23/2007 1:54:17 PM

Gaston Gazette:

Quote :

"CHARLOTTE - I've read your e-mails. I've answered your phone calls. I've even heard a few of you pleading your case on Charlotte sports talk radio. There is at least a small, but not necessarily quiet contingent of you Carolina Panthers fans out there who are true Jake Delhomme haters. You want him benched. You want him traded. You want him sent back to Breaux Bridge, La., and trampled underfoot by one of his racehorses. You're ruthless, some of you. I'd hate to see how you react when your children spill milk. You know who you are. You are the same people who cried for Chris Weinke to replace Delhomme last year and the same people who want David Carr this year. Obviously everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, but I'm convinced Delhomme should be the team's starting quarterback in 2007. And now it's my turn to convince you. Let's take a look at the facts. In four seasons as the team's starter, Delhomme has taken the Panthers to two NFC Championships and one Super Bowl. Over that same period, Seattle and Philadelphia are the only two NFC teams with more playoff appearances than Carolina. Delhomme has won 35 regular season games; he's lost 25. He's thrown 89 touchdown passes and only 58 interceptions. He has a quarterback rating of 84.2. In the postseason, he's been even better - 5-2, with four of those wins coming on the road. In one of those losses, the Super Bowl, he threw for more than 300 yards with three touchdowns in a 32-29 loss to New England. It was the defense that lost that game. His one bad playoff game came at Seattle in the 2005 NFC title game when he threw three picks, but it was a game where he had little in the way of a supporting cast and played with an exhausted group of guys playing in their fourth road game in as many weeks. Remember, Jamal Robertson were his primary running back that day. Outside of that game, Delhomme has 10 touchdown passes in the playoffs and only two picks. Even with the Seattle game his quarterback rating is 95. Solid numbers? You bet. Ah, here comes an e-mail: ``BUT WHAT ABOUT WHEN HE LOST THOSE GAMES LAST YEAR ...'' I'll give you that, but writing in CAPS doesn't help express your point. Sure, Delhomme cost his team two games when he threw interceptions in the end zone in the waning moments on the road against Cincinnati and Philadelphia. Whether or not they were completely his fault of the receiver ran the wrong route remains up for debate, but I believe when you're a quarterback and your team is down three points and you're knocking on the doorstep you had better make sure you don't throw a pick, especially when rifling the ball into the third row means taking the field goal and going to overtime. But show me a quarterback who doesn't make mistakes from time to time. Over the past four seasons, Delhomme has made many, many more plays than he's botched. There is also the matter of leadership. His teammates respect him and they play hard for him - always have and probably always will. The bottom line is this: Delhomme is a winner. You can't win every game in this league, but an overall record (including playoffs) of 40-27 as a starter is hard to beat. And 100 total touchdowns to 63 picks ain't bad either. If you're a true Carolina fan, you'll give Delhomme another shot this year to prove he can lead this team back to the playoffs. But be patient. There will come a time this season when Delhomme has a bad day and throws a few picks. You'll be tempted to join in the chant of ``Carr! Carr! Carr!'' Don't. Nobody is going to go 16-0. Delhomme has earned himself a long leash. When that bad day occurs, remember the big picture. Remember the win-loss record and the touchdown-interception ratio. Remember that Delhomme was the guy who helped get this team moving in the right direction in the first place and have faith he will do it again. He deserves that chance this season. Just look at the numbers. "

I have to say I agree, and I think(hope) the prospect of real competition will force Jake to excel.

7/24/2007 11:28:33 AM

^ great article

i feel the exact same way

7/24/2007 11:33:16 AM

^^

7/24/2007 11:37:18 AM

i cant wait for saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! anyone else going??

7/24/2007 11:38:37 AM

whats saturday? preseason game?

7/24/2007 11:53:58 AM

dnl your sports ignorance never seems to amaze

preseason games in july before training camp?!?!?!?!

7/24/2007 11:56:10 AM

o yea

i forgot this...preseason is just for the hardcore people anyways

7/24/2007 12:13:02 PM

going to training camp allows me to assess players, rate their strengths, weaknesses, areas of improvement, look at depth charts, and really just check up on the players and coaches.

in the future, they will use me as a tool to determine the keep/cut list. and ultimately, hire me as head coach.

7/24/2007 12:20:55 PM

Quote :

"``BUT WHAT ABOUT WHEN HE LOST THOSE GAMES LAST YEAR ...'' I'll give you that, but writing in CAPS doesn't help express your point. "

7/24/2007 12:28:54 PM

personally i'll go on record by saying that the keyshawn johnson deal was bad, and im proven right
and now i'll say the david carr deal is bad, hes not gonna help us, hes gonna drag us down.
i'd rather have steve beureline back.

7/24/2007 2:03:38 PM

Quote :

"personally i'll go on record by saying that the keyshawn johnson deal was bad, and im proven right "

it might just be me, but isn't it a bit early to be touting the accuracy of that prediction?

Carr is a great signing......one of the best offseason moves in the NFL imo.

7/24/2007 2:34:02 PM

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=cr-keyshawn071807&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

keyshawn was terrible for team chemistry, which is crucial IMO.

and I agree that delhomme is getting a bad rap. i hope he stays the starting QB. not knocking on carr, but i am just a big delhomme fan b/c of what he has done for this team.

7/24/2007 3:23:35 PM

annual positional review as assessed by each respective coach:

http://www.panthers.com/panthers/uploadedFiles/News/Generic/position_by_position.pdf

7/25/2007 4:54:02 PM

Quote :

"SPECIAL TEAMS While the Panthers return teams struggled last season, the coverage units and specialists performed very capably. The goal for special teams coach Danny Crossman is to bring those units up to the others and the Panthers hope they took the first steps with the addition of rookie Ryne Robinson in the draft and an athletic group of linebackers to provide a special teams nucleus."

Quote :

"QUARTERBACKS While Jeff Davidson is new as offensive coordinator, quarterback coach and passing coordinator Mike McCoy is very familiar with the quarterbacks as he enters his sixth season working with the position under John Fox. Jake Delhomme is also back for a fifth year, but there will be at least one new face and several new wrinkles this season."

Quote :

"OFFENSIVE LINE Dave Magazu is entering his first season as offensive line coach after working with the tight ends the past four seasons. However, he is hardly a stranger to the position after coaching the offensive line for 23 seasons on the college level and tutoring some of the nation’s best units while at Boston College. He inherits a group that was hit early by injury last season and will try to combine a blend of youth and experience into a smooth, efficient unit."

Quote :

"DEFENSIVE BACKS Tim Lewis is in his first season with the Panthers and will work with the cornerbacks while Mike Gillhamer returns to again coach the safeties. Gillhamer is the veteran of the two, but other than Mike Minter, there is very little experience to rely on. The newcomer Lewis faces the opposite situation at corner, where three players have been starters. The challenge for both coaches in training camp is making the group a cohesive unit."

Quote :

"DEFENSIVE LINE The defensive line under Sal Sunseri sent two players to the Pro Bowl last year but could see changes this fall. One mainstay, Al Wallace, is no longer with the team while another Mike Rucker, is coming off knee surgery. Julius Peppers is still extraordinary, but the effectiveness of the unit could be determined by some youngsters and newcomers."

Quote :

"LINEBACKERS Ken Flajole is in his fourth season working with the linebackers and saw promise at the position during min-camp and summer school. Training camp is when the separation starts for the players, but with Thomas Davis having a full season under his belt and Na’il Diggs a year in the system along with Adam Seward and the return of Dan Morgan give reason for guarded optimism."

Quote :

"TIGHT ENDS Geep Chryst takes over as the tight ends coach at a position that will receive an emphasis from offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson. With the retirement of Kris Mangum, the group will have a different personnel look and could have an added role in the passing game. Only Michael Gaines has any significant playing time, which will make the time in Spartanburg critical."

Quote :

"RUNNING BACKS Running back may be the most experienced position on the squad entering training camp. DeShaun Foster is on the verge of becoming the team’s career rushing leader, DeAngelo Williams showed great promise as a rookie and mainstays like Brad Hoover and Nick Goings can still be counted on to come through for coach Jim Skipper."

Quote :

"the receiver position wil again focus around steve smith, and the training camp challenge for veteran receivers coach richard williamson is finding a complement to his pro bowl receiver. ther is no lack of candidates in drew carter, keary colbert, tay biddle and rookies dwayne jarrett and ryne robinson among others"

7/25/2007 7:07:52 PM

Quote :

"IN MY OPINION Panthers sure are a hot ticket SCOTT FOWLER The Carolina Panthers will start selling single-game tickets to the general public Saturday at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster outlets (http://www.ticketmaster.com). That doesn't mean you'll get the tickets you want. For the seventh straight year, the Panthers are conducting a "pre-sale" for home games this week for their permanent seat license (PSL) holders. Judging from the early returns, Panthers tickets are as hot as they have ever been. Phil Youtsey, director of ticket operations, said the team holds back 10 percent of the tickets for each game (about 7,000) for single-game purchase. However, PSL holders always get the first crack at those. "They deserve that," Youtsey said. "Without the PSL holders, we wouldn't be where we are today as a franchise." PSL holders can't buy all 7,000 single-game tickets, though. The Panthers reserved a certain number of tickets for Saturday's sale. Youtsey wouldn't reveal the number. The PSL single-game pre-sale started Wednesday at 10 a.m. Six hours later, the PSL holders' entire ticket allotment had sold out for regular-season games (except for a few single tickets). Hottest sellers, in order: Dallas, Indianapolis and Atlanta. Be aware of this if you try to buy tickets Saturday morning: The credit card you use must be linked to a North or South Carolina address. "

I was hoping to snag a few tickets on Sat.....the chances of that aren't looking too good now. Imo, giving the PSL holders virtually all the tickets just contributes to the "wine and cheese" crowd for which the panthers are notorious.

7/26/2007 10:32:10 AM

oh great

http://www.charlotte.com/109/story/212994.html

7/26/2007 10:41:39 PM