http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2866881

Sean Taylor would look nice in that vacant SS position

[Edited on May 11, 2007 at 5:22 PM. Reason : a]

5/11/2007 5:21:57 PM

Seant Taylor may be a damn good Safety, but he does not fit the Panthers mold of employing high character guys (minus ole Rae)

5/11/2007 5:29:36 PM

yea, I don't think Sean Taylor will play for the Panthers.

5/11/2007 5:45:10 PM

Quote :

"CHARLOTTE — Three months remain until the Carolina Panthers open the preseason, so a lot can change. Nonetheless, here’s what we learned from last week’s rookie minicamp: 1. Jeremy Bridges is working with the first team at right guard. The Panthers gave Bridges a three-year contract extension before the final game of last season and almost everyone thought he would wind up being the backup tackle this year once Travelle Wharton returned from a knee injury and Jordan Gross moved back to right tackle. However, when the Panthers opened minicamp, Bridges was working at right guard ahead of last year’s starter Evan Mathis and Justin Hartwig. By the way, last year’s third-round draft pick Rashad Butler is worked as the starting left tackle with Wharton still rehabbing his knee. 2. Speaking of Hartwig, it is a good thing he got $11 million of guaranteed money in the first three years of his contract from the Panthers because his future with the team might be tenuous, at best. Hartwig, now healthy after missing most of last season with a nagging groin injury, is working as the backup center behind Geoff Hangartner. The team also drafted Ryan Kalil in the second round, so you can bet they want to get him on the field. So what will happen to Hartwig? There’s a chance he could battle Bridges for a spot at right guard, but right now it seems the team isn’t in any great rush to get him in the starting lineup. He will have to earn it. 3. Just from talking with a handful of players off the record last weekend, it doesn’t seem wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson will be greatly missed in the locker room. It was more of a personality thing than anything Johnson did on the field. Quite frankly, he simply wore out some of his teammates with his constant talking. I can certainly understand that. Johnson is a guy who enjoys being center of attention, so he became the unavoidable focal point of the locker room and some teammates grew to despise him. 4. David Carr has a weird release. Honestly, I haven’t paid all that much attention to Carr since he came into the league in 2002. That’s largely because of the Houston Texans were/are terrible and rarely played on national television. But Carr’s release is a bit strange. Instead of extending his arm when the throws the football, Carr keeps his arm very close to his shoulder, almost like he’s shot-putting the ball. It’s not that the delivery is ineffective, it’s just different. You’ll notice it when Carr plays in the preseason. 5. Yeah, I know you’ve heard this before, but Keary Colbert actually looked good in minicamp. Now I wouldn’t go reading too much into that because Colbert has looked good before in practice — last year’s training camp comes to mind — only to go out and lay an egg when it counted. But I think Dan Henning’s departure is not the worst thing for Colbert, who will get a chance to prove himself to new offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson. I was chuckling as I wrote this, just thinking about Jake Delhomme telling us last year in training camp he thought Colbert was on the verge of a breakout year. 6. You have probably heard this all before, but it’s truly amazing what an incredible athlete Julius Peppers really is. Just watch him going through drills, which include running around bags, tip-toeing through hoops and punching bags and you quickly realize he’s a man among boys. Carolina has a number of talented professionals on the defensive line, but it’s simply amazing how Peppers is so much faster, stronger and more fluid than any of his teammates. That’s not a knock on anyone. The point is Peppers is a superior athlete, one you don’t see every day — or lifetime. 7. If Dan Morgan can stay healthy, the Panthers could go into the season with an intriguing linebacker corps. Morgan would be in the middle, Thomas Davis would on the strong side and first-round pick Jon Beason on the weak side. Sure, Beason worked behind veteran Na’il Diggs, but how long do you think that will last? By the middle of June minicamp, Beason will be working with the No. 1s. You can take that to the bank. 8. I think Michael Gaines might be in trouble. People always ask me who looked good in minicamp and it’s normally tough to give an answer because it’s not a full-contact practice. But I thought tight ends Jeff King and Dante Rosario, the team’s sixth-round draft pick, looked very good. King showed some surprising speed, more so than last year, as did Rosario. I thought Gaines looked a lot heavier than last year and that didn’t help his cause. 9. I read somewhere on the Internet that defensive tackle Kris Jenkins weighed in at 384 pounds this spring. I’m not entirely sure that’s accurate, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all. Jenkins looked absolutely enormous at minicamp. It makes you wonder who that personal trainer is he’s working with in Maryland ... Paul Prudhomme? Even heavy, Jenkins can still move a pile and is athletic. But you have to think he would be quicker if he dropped 40 or 50 pounds. 10. I thought rookie receiver Dwayne Jarrett looked a little lost in his first workout with the Panthers. But don’t be too worried, that’s normal. I think Jarrett has good athletic ability and it didn’t look like he any trouble getting off the line of scrimmage. Jarrett worked with the second team along with Colbert. Steve Smith and Drew Carter worked with the No. 1s. 11. Brad Hoover has always been one of my favorite Panthers because he’s an accountable guy. But you have to wonder just how much more the Panthers will get out of him. Hoover is in the final year of his contract and I wonder if the Panthers will give Steven Jackson a real chance to win that job this summer. 12. Stanley McClover looked solid filling in for the rehabbing Mike Rucker at right defensive end. McClover looked bigger and stronger than last season. I thought coming into the league he had some real potential and I still believe that. Charles Johnson, the team’s third-round pick out of Georgia, was smaller than I thought he would be. Still, there are a number of great pass rushers who have come out of Georgia, so he has that going for him."

5/14/2007 11:48:05 AM

Interesting about Keyshawn. but I'm not sure Dwyane Jarrett will be any better. I heard he's got a little Keyshawn personality in him

Steven Jackson? the guy from the rams or am i just missing something here?

5/14/2007 5:08:43 PM

whats your definition of interesting?

i was kinda unsurprised by it

5/14/2007 6:01:28 PM

Well it is interesting that the more time passes since we dumped Key, the more comes out about clubhouse issues that motivated his release. Everyone was scratching their heads that day he was released saying "But he was so positive during the draft coverage, oh my!".

Think about being Jake and constantly having to hear some annoying bastard talk about anything and everything nonstop and then having to choose between him and another reciever. Not to mention : "Just give me the damn ball" all the time. Im sure it really did have detrimental effects on how our offense worked when he was in there. Makes me wonder what Jenkins' attitude is doing to our Defense...

I hope this year Colbert really has picked it up. Maybe Carter will finally start using his hands? I just dont see Jarrett contributing immediately like the media does...

5/15/2007 3:05:29 PM

like somebody said in some thread a couple weeks ago, when keyshawn came to the panthers a lot of us were "forced" to cheer for him...now we dont have to pull for that punk

5/15/2007 3:06:27 PM

i definitely agree with that statement^^ i never liked keyshawn before the panthers got him but had to like him while he was on the team

i also agree with the idea that jarrett won't start immediately. i think it'll be carter or colbert starting opposite steve. a guy to watch out for is taye biddle. he won't start or anything, but I remember him from last preseason and the guy tore it up. i wouldnt be suprised if he is in on 3 or 4 wide receiver sets before too long

5/15/2007 4:55:15 PM

yeah Biddle has a chance to do some things...and who knows maybe Ryne Robinson will get some lineups at slot...I think Carter is the most likely guy to be the #2 to Smith but certainly Colbert or DJ could make a run

5/15/2007 5:09:54 PM

Quote :

"Everyone was scratching their heads that day he was released saying "But he was so positive during the draft coverage, oh my!". "

The panthers have been very good at keeping rumors on players or quarrels inside the organization since Fox started. It's awesome that he demands so much respect not only for himself but also other players.

5/15/2007 6:38:37 PM

i bet foxx is one of those people thats a good father

5/16/2007 1:55:49 AM

Quote :

"Don’t Manage Time, Invest it in People By Dr. Gary Bradt RISMEDIA, May 17, 2007-Time management is a grand idea when dealing with things in your life. It's all about organization, efficiency and getting things done. As a tool for leading people through change, however, it misses the mark. In fact, when leading change, the last thing you want to do is manage your time. Instead, invest it in the people with potential to become change leaders themselves, and the returns you get may surprise you. Following is an incredible story that illustrates the point. A few years ago I became upset when a player on the NFL's Carolina Panthers beat up a teammate and subsequently was suspended for one measly game by the team. I felt this punishment was too lax (after all, the attacked teammate ended up in the hospital) and wrote an angry letter to the team's owner, Jerry Richardson, expressing as much. Mr. Richardson not only acknowledged my letter, after I figured it would end up in the trash, but he went one giant-step further. He offered to come visit my thirteen-year-old son, who was a big fan of the team's, and me, along with the star player in question, wide receiver Steve Smith. They made the two-hour drive each way from team headquarters to my home and stayed with us for three hours. I learned that day that Steve Smith is a good man who made a bad mistake and was willing to learn and take responsibility for his actions. I admire him greatly for that. From Mr. Richardson, I learned the power of a leader being personally invested in future leaders who can make a difference. Jerry Richardson invested time in me that day, but more importantly he invested time and energy in Steve Smith, someone with potential to lead changes on the field of play. I can only imagine the discussions they had as they drove back and forth and the bonds they forged and then carried forward. It's no coincidence that the following season Steve Smith emerged as the team's biggest star and helped lead them to a Super Bowl appearance. Mr. Richardson identified Steve Smith as someone I call a ‘diamond-in-the-rough,' a leader of untapped potential. Then, he personally invested his time and energy to help Steve unleash his potential. You can do the same for the uncut diamonds in your organization. "

http://www.rismedia.com/wp/2007-05-16/dont-manage-time-invest-it-in-people/

i never had much of an opinion on richardson before reading this. i just thought he was a good guy that let his coaches run the team. after reading this i have an even higher opinion on him.


http://www.charlotte.com/129/story/123523.html

i would say jerry made the right call on steve. the guy has more character and skill than almost anyone else in the league.

[Edited on May 16, 2007 at 11:13 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on May 16, 2007 at 11:14 PM. Reason : .]

5/16/2007 11:10:56 PM

^nice. Who did Smitty beat up anyways?

But the big question has to be if he will have more future seasons like 2005 or more like 2006?

5/17/2007 10:32:35 AM

^anthony bright. and I think his performances for the next few years depend mostly on his health, if he plays in the majority of games, he'll be stellar.

^^Richardson has always been very active in the community, and smith has come lightyears since that happened....on a side note I read the other day that smitty didn't even get a drivers license until he moved to charlotte.

5/17/2007 10:56:09 AM

^haha. no drivers license until just recently? I bet he ran everywhere for a long period fo his life, thats why he's so damn fast now. Imagine driving to work one day and seeing Smitty start bookin' it along the sidewalk next to you. I wonder who would win that race through downtown Charlotte given moderate to heavy traffic?

Richardson showed up at a tailgate I was at 2 yrs ago when we were playing the Falcons (that game we sacked Vick like 5 times and DeShaun broke out). I thought he was extremely unassuming and likeable considering he is ungodly loaded and owns the friggin Panthers...

5/17/2007 11:17:26 AM

they need to put bigger jumbotrons in the stadium.

5/17/2007 11:58:51 AM

http://nfl.com/news/story/10184376

Quote :

"This is what I like about the Carolina Panthers' offseason moves: They made up for mostly uneventful free-agent shopping with a highly impressive draft."

Quote :

"They could have used their original 14th overall pick to select their future franchise quarterback, Brady Quinn......The Panthers want Carr to spend at least one season watching, while regaining his confidence and learning what is necessary for him to improve his game. If they're forced to play him sooner, they could be in for a long year ... and regret they didn't choose their future franchise quarterback."

I am so glad they didn't draft quinn.

5/17/2007 4:41:06 PM

Quote :

"Richardson showed up at a tailgate I was at 2 yrs ago when we were playing the Falcons (that game we sacked Vick like 5 times and DeShaun broke out). I thought he was extremely unassuming and likeable considering he is ungodly loaded and owns the friggin Panthers..."

he's been doing that for years. i have a picture of me,him, and my cousin during a tailgate from '98 that sits on my desk


words cannot describe how pissed off/dissapointed i would have been if they had drafted quinn

5/17/2007 4:48:56 PM

article from today's Observer about Safety

Quote :

"Panthers still need relief at safety, team's weak spot CHARLES CHANDLER cchandler@charlotteobserver.com JEFF SINER - jsiner@charlotteobserver.comCarolina Panthers safety Mike Minter is regarded as a solid, veteran leader. Inside the Panthers | Pat Yasinskas' blog Q&A | Scott Fowler on Sports Forum | Talk about the Panthers More Panthers and NFL news Titans interested in Keyshawn Johnson McNair not distracted by DUI charge Wong won't return to Houston Lions QB gets 1st look at Calvin Johnson One of the Carolina Panthers' most obvious needs heading into last month's NFL draft was the safety position. Though this was regarded as a good year for safeties in the draft, they didn't land one until the seventh round (Baylor's C.J. Wilson). What went wrong in the draft? Nothing necessarily. Coach John Fox said team officials knew the draft might not fall in a way that would allow them to land a safety early. It seemed whenever their turn came, it would have been a reach to take any of the available safeties. So they went for value at other positions. What now? Pickings are slim for safeties in free agency. Former Tennessee Titans general manager Floyd Reese, now an ESPN commentator, says about the only way a team can make significant roster additions at this time is to make a trade or hope a quality veteran gets waived. How serious is the weakness? It's unrealistic to have every position secured in the NFL's salary-cap era. If he had to pick, Reese said he'd prefer to be lacking at safety than most other positions. He said the Panthers are very talented elsewhere on defense and that Fox should be able to "cover up" most of the safety deficiencies. Who are the starters? Mike Minter is a solid veteran leader, not as fast as he used to be but an intense competitor. For now, the other starter is Nate Salley, a second-year pro from Ohio State. Salley was known in college as an excellent run defender who lacked outstanding cover skills except when playing a deep zone. He's not fast, running the 40-yard dash in 4.67 seconds at the NFL scouting combine. If he starts, the coaching staff will have to compensate for him in coverage, which might limit some of the calls they can make. Bottom line Reese said the Panthers had a strong draft and have a very good team. "You've still got (Steve) Smith (a Pro Bowl receiver), a quarterback and good running backs, that defensive line, linebackers and those cornerbacks. If you've got all that, safety is not quite all that important," he said.But there is risk. Safety is the bullseye Carolina opponents will target, so there are likely to be moments when the weakness is glaring, especially since the position is often the "last line of defense" to prevent a game-breaking play. Quoting "If you can go into a season ... and you have one spot you don't feel great about, you're in pretty darn good shape. There are a lot of teams out there with a lot of holes." -- Floyd Reese Who's left over? The free agency market has been picked over, but here are 12 available safeties. Most are aging or injury-prone, and the best young player on the list, San Diego's Terrence Kiel, has off-field baggage. Player Ht Wt Age '06 Team Matt Bowen 6-1 203 30 Buffalo -Comment: Leg injury limited him to five games last year. Colin Branch 5-11 205 27 Carolina -Comment: Serious '05 knee injury might have long-term effects. Derrick Gibson 6-2 215 27 Oakland -Comment: 2001 first-round pick has just three interceptions. Robert Griffith 6-0 202 36 Arizona -Comment: Durable 13-year vet might have something left. Tebucky Jones 6-2 220 32 New England -Comment: Ex-standout released after spending '06 on IR. Terrence Kiel 5-11 207 26 San Diego -Comment: Multiple arrests led to release of '06 starter. Sammy Knight 6-1 214 31 Kansas City -Comment: Long-time starter released in March in youth movement. Mike Logan 6-1 211 32 Pittsburgh -Comment: Recurring injuries the past three seasons. Anthony Mitchell 6-1 215 32 Cincinnati -Missed '06 after preseason foot injury. Lance Schulters 6-2 202 31 Atlanta -Comment: Mid-season signee played in seven games in '06. Troy Vincent 6-1 200 35 -Comment: Former star brings experience but fading skills. Shaun Williams 6-2 218 30 Carolina -Comment: Hasn't stayed healthy a full season since '03. NFL notes Rod Smith, 37, a 14th-year pro who holds all of Denver's career receiving marks, said his bum left hip, not age, caused him to lose a step last season. • Receiver Keyshawn Johnson, recently cut by Carolina, will visit Tennessee's Titans today. • The Miami Dolphins signed safety David Lofton and receiver Michael Malone as undrafted free agents. Lofton's father is James Lofton, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003. Malone's father is Moses Malone, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001. -- Observer News Services "

5/18/2007 10:27:26 AM

^it sounds like that guy just regurgitated an espn segment.

5/18/2007 10:40:49 AM

Well if we dont have an Ace up our sleeve for the Safety thing, then our D line better get to the opposing QB fast as hell all year.... Good thing we still have one of the better D lines....

5/18/2007 12:43:49 PM

Quote :

"Robert Griffith 6-0 202 36 Arizona Lance Schulters 6-2 202 31 Atlanta "

Not too long ago, these guys were the best set of safeties in the league. Why not sign them both to vet mins, and see if either's got anything left.

5/18/2007 2:02:22 PM

They should sign Andre Maddox

5/18/2007 2:28:37 PM

We really do need to sign somebody for depth as S. We just dont seem very eager with any of these remaining FAs....

^^To the panthers it must be more like :
A long time ago in a gallaxy far, far, away...... for all of them guys....

5/18/2007 3:04:07 PM

Richardson has always rode around on the golf cart to check out tailgates. I CANNOT wait until the season. Anyone set up a countdown for me???

5/21/2007 12:09:45 AM

Quote :

"Not too long ago, these guys were the best set of safeties in the league. Why not sign them both to vet mins, and see if either's got anything left."

Our problem is that none of our safeties are very good at coverage now....we need speed and older guys probably don't have it.

5/21/2007 10:51:22 AM

I agree Griiffith isn't very good in coverage anymore -- in fact, he was never that good in coverage. But Schulters?? I've always heard he had incredible coverage instincts for safety. I haven't watched much of him ... but I know he led the league in INTs one year -- maybe more than one year. I'd take a chance on him.

5/21/2007 12:48:10 PM

^agreed, at this point we can't really get any worse at S.

5/21/2007 12:55:16 PM

I think we're just waiting until someone agrees to play for a LOW price.

Which makes sense if nothing really sets the guys apart, why overpay?

5/21/2007 1:06:22 PM

just get used to 3 and 4 receiver sets.....we'll be seeing alot of them next year. Of course if our d-line plays like they are capable of playing, we could "hide" the holes @ S.

5/21/2007 1:12:31 PM

3-4 WR sets don't scare me much with our CB's.

I'd much rather have quality at CB than quality at S, and with Lucas, Marshall, Gamble, and Strait, we've definitely got that.

5/21/2007 1:19:22 PM

Lucas and Gamble let me down a bit after their '05 performance. I'm excited to see marshall compete for a starting spot tho, he's got the skills to be one of the top 10 corners in the league in a few years.

5/21/2007 1:22:28 PM

Yeah. Actually Chris Gamble has been a pretty big let down his whole career. I'm hoping they put him at nickel this year, because I think Marshall is going to be outstanding.

And Lucas was pretty average last year, but I still think he's one of the top-3 CB's in the league when completely healthy.

5/21/2007 1:26:29 PM

Gamble...is exactly what his name is....I was tired of reading his jersey on the screen last year (while he was watching/chasing the person about to catch the ball and run into the endzone)


III

5/21/2007 2:20:18 PM

Quote :

"I think we're just waiting until someone agrees to play for a LOW price. Which makes sense if nothing really sets the guys apart, why overpay?"

I'd bet Richardson / Hurney are thiniking exactly that. Hell we could pick up two of them real cheap and maybe one of them will pan out?

God, I hate having to hope that something pans out...

5/21/2007 4:31:02 PM

let's just hope they don't move t. davis back to S. he was lost out there.

5/21/2007 4:35:50 PM

I bet they wont. I mean his first year with the team they said:
"See this guy (Mike Vick)? Study the tapes. Learn his moves. Crush him like rock on scissors. We will have your breakout game scheduled for when ATL comes to town" They've made him into a Vick killer (we wont have to worry about him maybe though?)

They've worked on him so much at LB, it would stifle his growth as a player if they moved him this early.... Plus ya gotta think Dan Morgan isnt going to be playing every game and Beason is another young buck...

[Edited on May 21, 2007 at 4:41 PM. Reason : vick]

5/21/2007 4:40:20 PM

Quote :

"Lucas and Gamble let me down a bit after their '05 performance. "

I thought both of them struggled with lingering injuries last year. I remember hearing something along those lines at the end of the season. During the season the team tried to keep it hush hush.

Hopefully they both come out strong this year and can be the best combo of corners in the league like I thought they had the potential to be.

5/21/2007 4:51:52 PM

yeah Lucas was injured much of the year...I think those injuries were what held him back

Gamble I'm not sure about...nickel is a better fit since Marshall had such a great rookie year

5/21/2007 4:58:49 PM

^^they were the best combo in '05 imo....but what else did we have that year??? An enforcer that would knock your head off @ safety in McCree.

[Edited on May 21, 2007 at 4:59 PM. Reason : .]

5/21/2007 4:59:20 PM

Quote :

"An enforcer that would knock your head off @ safety in McCree and later get the INT of his career, yet instead of kneeling the ball, he gets hit and loses it and costs Philly Cheese a shot at the Colts in the AFC Title game"

5/21/2007 5:00:22 PM

And McCree is not exactly a good tackler. Sure, he lands a few big shots, but the guy doesn't know how to wrap up. Bigger recievers just overpower him. Remember the game against the Cardinals where he bounced off of Anquan Boldin like 3 times in the same play?

5/21/2007 5:03:56 PM

^i'm just saying having a guy that makes receivers constantly look over their shoulders when going over the middle goes a long way in making corners look good.

5/22/2007 9:34:08 AM

^,^^,^^^,^^^^ Well he's gone now, who cares? However, I think in hindsight the panthers maybe wish they had held onto him because he's a better option than anything we have now.

I just hope none of the Panthers players come out in defense of dogfighting and Mike Vick...

5/22/2007 10:58:15 AM

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/playerbreakingnews.asp?sport=NFL&id=2375&line=92938&spln=1

Quote :

"Agent Drew Rosenhaus says he's heard that DT Kris Jenkins is "definitely still on the market and for the right price (Carolina) would trade him." While a deal wouldn't surprise, it no longer seems likely after the Pro Bowler showed up to minicamp 49 pounds overweight. Also, the Panthers couldn't secure the first-round pick they were looking for as compensation around the draft. While GM Marty Hurney didn't deny Rosenhaus' suggestion, the club will likely have to lower its asking price considerably to get a deal done. May. 24 - 8:20 am et "

What exactly are the panthers trying to get besides a safety? Are any teams willing to give up a good safety for jenkins?

5/24/2007 2:06:04 PM

rosenhaus isn't even Jenkins' agent......but oddly enough, he's damione lewis' agent, and Lewis would figure to be the starter if Jenkins is gone....oh, and it's a contract year for him. rosenhaus is just trying to stir the pot for his guy like the douche he is.

5/24/2007 2:37:51 PM

^ That is exactly what is happening. Rosenhous is the slimiest agent the world has ever seen.

5/24/2007 4:31:25 PM

he may be the slimiest, but are the rumors not true? I mean, everything I have heard is that for the right price Jenkins is on the trading block. He is only passing on true information.

5/24/2007 4:38:21 PM

^Yes, but at this point its pretty clear that nobody will offer what the panthers consider to be the right price.

5/24/2007 4:40:18 PM