doesnt jenkins show up to camp like 30-50 pounds overweight like every year?

page 9

5/24/2007 9:39:03 PM

he actually has shown up way overweight the last couple years

and again, this camp isnt the actual training camp...its a 3 day (i think) mini camp...not the real training camp in spartanburg

5/24/2007 9:40:29 PM

I can't speak from experience, but it seems that when you're 400 lbs ... dropping 50 or so isn't too hard to do. Run more, eat less.

and quit pounding the beers

[Edited on May 25, 2007 at 12:54 AM. Reason : ]

5/25/2007 12:53:14 AM

if he doesn't lose 50 or so, he'll blow another knee out.

5/25/2007 9:31:46 AM

Well lets hope he can crush a few divisional starting QBs with all that weight before that knee blows....

5/25/2007 11:19:18 AM

well ill get to see at least one panther game on TV up in charlottesville

we get NFL network

too bad ill have to go to a bar for any other regional game

5/28/2007 6:06:55 PM

Quote :

"Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kris Jenkins was not on the field Wednesday morning as the Panthers began voluntary offseason workouts. Jenkins had been on the trading block prior to the NFL draft, but the Panthers could not strike a deal. An agent for another Panthers defensive lineman said recently that he believes Jenkins remains on the trading block. "

from the charlotte disturber.....I really hope I don't have to hear about how unhappy Jenkins is all summer.

5/30/2007 4:38:29 PM

everyday i click this thread i hate kris jenkins a little more...

5/31/2007 5:29:49 PM

apparently jenkins wants a new contract...who knows how all that will shape up

also mike minter says the safeties are fine

Quote :

"Veteran Mike Minter doesn't take seriously the public perception that he and the Carolina Panthers' other safeties comprise the most vulnerable position group on the team. "I laugh at it," Minter said Wednesday after the Panthers opened a series of voluntary workouts. "At the same time, we take it as a challenge. Any time somebody is singling out your position as the weak link, you definitely want to step up to that. "But it's no use talking about it now. Once September rolls around, we'll show what we can do back there." Minter, entering his 11th NFL season, was told by team officials after last season that their plan was to draft some new safeties and that he might be a backup. It didn't happen. The Panthers didn't draft a pure safety and instead are using Nate Salley,a fourth-round pick last year, with the first team. Minter said he believes Salley can do the job and is amused that people would think any remaining free agent would be better. "I'd be confident opening the year with Nate," Minter said. "Nate is a guy who can play. Nobody knows too much about him, so people get nervous when they don't know about anybody. "So they say, `Go get that safety. Go bring (in) that safety.' Well, there's a reason that safety is where he is. If he was good, he'd be on somebody's team right now doing something." Fox says Davidson brings new energy Coach John Fox acknowledged the enthusiasm offensive players have expressed about new offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson, the replacement for Dan Henning,who was fired."That's where change is good," Fox said. "The players are challenged, from the cadence to the type of plays and how we call the plays. There is a new energy, and I'm sure there's an excitement that goes along with that." Fox said he wanted to hire Davidson when putting his original Carolina staff together in 2002. Quotable Fox, on what he wants from these workouts: "To get the young guys ready, whether it's the safety position or really any position. In our system -- offense, defense and the kicking game -- to get them more acclimated. And the guys who are veterans, to get better at their positions." The voluntary, non-contact workouts are to last at least 10 more days during the next three weeks, and possibly as many as 13 days over four weeks. The workouts are closed to the public. Injury note • Defensive end Mike Rucker and tackle Travelle Wharton didn't practice because they're recovering from knee surgeries."

5/31/2007 5:32:28 PM

Quote :

"apparently jenkins wants a new contract"

where did you hear that?

5/31/2007 5:49:28 PM

they said something about it on the 6am-10am radio show in charlotte this morning...nothing too specific...but jenkins' agent said he is working out, doing business stuff and spending time with his family...i'm sure he's still on the trading block, but if nobody wants him or if no other team is willing to give up something fair for him, i would guess he will have his old Panthers 77 jersey on this season...maybe he'll be an out of shape piece of shit, but dont forget...Jenkins was regarded as arguably the best defensive player in the league just 3-4 years ago

5/31/2007 6:27:49 PM

what do you listen to from 6 to 10 where you get some sports updates? the best i get is knights scores

5/31/2007 6:39:59 PM

so what do the panthers deem "fair" for jenkins?

like are they trying to jew him out or are they looking for a key position to fill by trading him?

5/31/2007 7:54:31 PM

1) no team in their right mind will want an overweight, underachieving defensive lineman coming off major injury a season ago

2) him not showing up to voluntary workouts means hes doing other things, like eating babies and suckin back grandpa's ole cough medicine

5/31/2007 8:03:21 PM

^^^ The Morning Sports Page

5/31/2007 8:17:04 PM

Quote :

"mike minter says the safeties are fine"

of course he's gonna say that

Quote :

"apparently jenkins wants a new contract"

I heard an interview with his agent where he hinted at a holdout during training camp if he doesn't get a new contract, which there is no way in hell he gets one imo.

6/1/2007 9:02:51 AM

Deangelo loves zone blocking

6/1/2007 10:12:47 AM

His forte at UM was running that stretch play wide and reading his blocks to get up the sideline. I really think he is going to have a huge year.

6/1/2007 2:44:13 PM

we've got athletic linemen that this switch should help too.......

6/1/2007 3:51:18 PM

goddammit kris. quit being such a lazy n*@@#r and earn your goddamn money....
nobody is going to give him a fatty contract at this point. His agent may be feeding him lies hoping to strike it rich one more time. Either that or he really is at the end of his performance peak (and they are keeping it mum) and they have nothing to lose by holding out....

6/2/2007 1:33:27 PM

i hope he turns into the shawn gilbert of another team

6/3/2007 4:35:08 AM

Quote :

" Jenkins done with Panthers? Kris Jenkins - DL - CAR - Jun. 3 - 1:32 am et Gaston Gazette columnist Steve Reed believes Kris Jenkins has played his last down as a Carolina Panther. Reed is very clued in when it comes to the Panthers and argues that Jenkins is trying to force Carolina's hand. He says the Pro Bowl defensive tackle either wants a new contract or to be traded and predicts Jenkins will eventually be moved if he's holding out once training camp kicks off. Plenty of teams should be interested in a 27-year-old pure nose guard. Jun. 3 - 1:32 am et Source: Gaston Gazette "

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/playerbreakingnews.asp?sport=NFL&id=2375&line=93185&spln=1

damnit jenkins. quit trying to fuck over the team that you fucked over the past 2 years by boozing it up 24/7 and not staying in shape. if you had been in shape the injuries likely wouldn't have happened or at very least would have healed quicker by working hard in therapy.

I really hope this is just his agent being an ass and jenkins will smart up.

6/3/2007 10:19:00 AM

^

Well maybe it's a good thing: imagine how having to play with that slacker-lardass-n%$#@r who has potential but wont do anything with it but demand more $$ must feel for Pep, Ruck, and the rest of the D-line.... It may be a good thing that he is done with the Panthers....

6/3/2007 1:59:15 PM

I just hope they hurry up and do something, so I don't have to hear about it all summer.

6/4/2007 10:00:39 AM

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2892781
There goes our top destination for moving Kenkins.... Broncos don't need him anymore

6/4/2007 3:13:28 PM

http://www.charlotte.com/507/story/148997.html

Quote :

"Jerry Richardson struggles Tuesday to walk up three stairs at the Charlotte Convention Center to receive an award from the Charlotte Regional Partnership. Richardson has to make the climb. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is on stage, and Goodell has flown to Charlotte solely to talk about Richardson, whom he respects enormously. But if the steps don't include handrails, the award will have to be presented on the ground floor. Richardson is 70 and fit. So what makes the stairs such an obstacle? It starts innocently. Last season was a lost season for the Carolina Panthers, so Richardson, who owns the team, decides to try something new. He invites five players -- DeShaun Foster, Jake Delhomme, Jordan Gross, Julius Peppers and Steve Smith -- to his house on the lake for, he says, "a bonding experience." Where do football players bond? They bond last weekend on the water, the pool table and the court. They compete in water skiing, 8-ball, basketball and tennis. "If you've never played three-on-three tennis, I recommend you try it," Richardson says. "Particularly try it with football players." They draw cards to see who will be teamed with whom. Peppers, Gross and Foster make up one team, Richardson, Delhomme and Smith the other. Skiing, 8-ball and tennis are civilized. The only contact is with the water. But you ever watch football players play basketball? There is passing and there is roughing the passer. A few bumps, a little pushing and it is on. Consider the rosters: Peppers is 6-foot-7, Gross 6-4 and Foster 6-0, Smith is 5-9, Delhomme 6-2 and Richardson 6-4. Since big men usually guard big men, Richardson guards Peppers. These are the rules. Each basket is a point and the first team to 11 wins. Wait, there's one more rule. "If I'm 40 years older than you I can hold you," Richardson says. You imagine guarding Peppers, who is 27? He played at North Carolina. Remember how? He was the cue ball and opponents were the rack. He'd go for a rebound and they would scatter. Delhomme could have ended any hint of a quarterback controversy by volunteering to take the big man. But a quarterback controversy is less detrimental to one's health than going one-on-one against 283-pound Peppers. So Richardson guards him. You think Al Davis is guarding Warren Sapp? "It was a very, very physical game," Richardson says. "And this is what would happen. I would grab Julius by the wrists and when he was through with me holding him he would turn me loose. So I would put both hands on his (other) arm and he would sling me around." Yeah, but what would Julius have done to you if you were in your prime? "The same thing," says Richardson. Team Peppers won. The owner took such a beating that on the way back to Charlotte he called his massage therapist to set up an appointment. Luckily for Panthers fans, Richardson holds no grudge. Julius is expected to have every opportunity to compete for a spot on the roster."

Respect for the 70-yr old man for trying to guard peppers.

6/6/2007 9:52:25 AM

^I read that earlier, its a good article.....Richardson is probably one of the top 5 owners in the NFL, because of things like that.

6/6/2007 10:15:28 AM

Quote :

"CAROLINA PANTHERS Head coach: John Fox (49-38 overall record) Offensive schedule vs.: Pass -- 10th easiest; Run -- 4th easiest The Panthers made three notable moves on offense with the addition of David Carr and rookies Dwayne Jarrett and C Ryan Kalil. Carr, a former No. 1 overall selection of the Houston Texans, will be a reserve behind Jake Delhomme but could be allowed a chance to start if Delhomme is either injured or inconsistent under center. Carr won't be drafted in most cases, but he could have some value off the waiver wire under the correct circumstances. Kalil, who could be moved from center to guard, will be a nice asset in the team's new zone-blocking scheme. Jarrett will compete with Drew Carter in training camp and could start opposite Steve Smith after the release of Keyshawn Johnson, so he will be worth a late-round flier. PANTHERS TOP FIVE FANTASY PLAYERS Steve Smith DeAngelo Williams DeShaun Foster Jake Delhomme Panthers defense E-mail Fabiano! One of the most respected fantasy football minds in the business, Michael Fabiano is here at NFL.com. In addition to providing first-class fantasy analysis, Fabiano will answer your fantasy questions in his weekly mailbag. Got a question for Mike? Click here to submit it. A backfield committee with DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams should be utilized for the second consecutive season, but the latter has much more potential and is a nice sleeper candidate in all drafts. In fact, Williams could be taken off the board as soon as the fourth or fifth round as a No. 2 fantasy runner or flex starter. Foster could start for head coach John Fox but will be more of a middle-round choice. The addition of rookies LB Jon Beason and DE Charles Johnson to a defensive unit that includes such studs as DEs Julius Peppers and Mike Rucker, LBs Dan Morgan and Thomas Davis and SS Mike Minter is a real positive, so the Panthers defense should be considered a viable No. 1 unit. "

A little fantasy speculation.....drafts will be here before ya know it.

6/6/2007 11:14:05 AM

Good Q & A with Jake:

Quote :

"On how the players view owner/founder Jerry Richardson: We respect him like you wouldn’t believe. There’s just something about him. He knows what’s going on. He’s a man of integrity. That’s why I think it was important for the five of us to go over there. We had a lot of fun. We talked a little ball, but it was just a lot of fun. That’s about it. It was a good time. On if Richardson was trying to gauge the team by hosting the five players: Not really, because he already has the temperature of the team. He knows what’s going on. That’s the great thing about him. He’s not the kind of guy that makes players think, “Oh, here he comes again.” He’s not one of those (owners). When he’s around, he develops a relationship with all the guys. He just does little things. He talks about life. On if Richardson chose the five players to identify them as team leaders: I don’t think there is any doubt that Mike Minter is a leader. Will guys look at him differently now? No. Not in the least bit. But I think the guys who were there are leaders. I might be the most vocal one out of the group. Steve and Pep are definite leaders by example. We have one of the best players in the game on each side of the ball, and to see both of them out here at a voluntary camp busting their tail shows leadership. As for DeShaun, he’s one of the toughest guys I’ve ever played with. The injuries he’s fought through and the way he cares about the team. He comes across as kind of quiet when he does an interview, but that’s not DeShaun. He’s a leader out here on the field. He knows what he’s doing. He’s extremely vocal out on the field and players respect the heck out of him. On if there is more life in this summer school than in previous years: I don’t think there’s any doubt. We have some new faces. I know, offensively speaking, we have a new coordinator. We have a new offensive line coach. We’re learning some new things. That’s what’s fun. I think the good thing is we have a lot of energy with the young guys. Seeing them (on the field) or in the weight room or in the meeting room, a lot of young guys want to do it the right way. With the veterans who have been here a while, I think we have a pretty good nucleus that works hard and hopefully they can follow our lead. I think we have a chance. I thought we had a chance last year, but we’ve got some injured guys back healthy. On if coming off a disappointing season has inspired players this offseason: You look back at last year, it didn’t feel like 8-8. I’m sure you guys covering it felt the same way. It felt more like 4-12 or 3-13. I’ve been part of a 3-13 season before. We won eight games last year, and we lost many close ones. We didn’t have a full arsenal, we didn’t play well, and the breaks didn’t go our way. So who knows what happens this year. On changing the entire offense: The old offense was in place, and we did some good things with that offense. But last year we just didn’t do enough. That’s the NFL. Players and coaches are always on the chopping block. We have a new system in. We’re doing a lot of new things. I think we have the talent here to be a good football team. And I think we have the discipline here to do the right things. I really believe that. Do we get it done on Sundays? That’s next. On if the new offense caters more to the talent on hand: We had some success with the old offense. We just didn’t do enough of those good things last year. Can we do better? I hope so. I try to get better every year. I think all the players try to get better. We need to play better offensively this year. We need to put more points on the board. We need to do better on third down, and all those areas we struggled in last year. We also need to do better on defense and special teams. We need to get better in every way. On if there are any specific things about the new offense he thinks will be helpful this season: I think up front is going to be a big thing. Hopefully we don’t have injuries, and if we don’t I really believe having (offensive line coach Dave) Magazu is really going to be a big feather in our cap. Everybody’s on the same page, which is good. One thing about last year, too….when you lose a guy like Jeff Mitchell, that hurts you under the radar. He was somebody who ran that O line. When I came here, I was lucky. We had (Todd) Steussie, Jeno (James), Jeff Mitchell, Kevin Donnalley and Jordan Gross. Jordan will tell you, he didn’t have to worry about anything (as a rookie). Donnalley was in his 13th year. Steuss was in his 10th or 11th year. Mitch, same thing. And Mitch was extremely bright. He was always that calming influence. Last year Justin (Hartwig) comes in and gets hurt right away. (Geoff) Hangartner had to get ready. You have to understand, last year was just his second year and he didn’t hardly play his first year. That was a big deal, too. Having veterans up front helps. "

6/8/2007 9:30:34 AM

Panthers go to the race track:

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10217419

Quote :

"I don't mean to call anybody out, but James Anderson told me he was about to cry before he got into the car"

6/8/2007 10:47:39 AM

Quote :

"Friday, June 8, 2007 CHARLOTTE The Carolina Panthers’ roster is filled with players trying to bounce back from off years and off-season surgeries. Ken Lucas is one of them. And that’s not all he has been dealing with. His pride was wounded last season. His confidence, so important for any premier NFL cornerback, was shattered. So Lucas has shown up at the Panther’s voluntary summer-school workouts the past two weeks trying to get into a refreshed, positive, forward-thinking mode. He continues to mend from shoulder surgery in January, and that alone helps with the attitude adjustment. “I hurt it my first year here but opted not to have surgery,” Lucas said. “So it affected my game a little bit as far as the tackling part goes. Then I had to have it done, because I didn’t want to go through it again. People were saying I had a lousy year as far as coming up and tackling. It ate at me a whole lot. So my motivation is to prove everybody wrong.” Lucas, who will be entering his seventh NFL season, signed with the Panthers as a free agent in 2005. He made a significant impact in an area of dire need, with six interceptions and 72 tackles on a team that went to the NFC championship game. But last season was different. He missed three games because of injuries. He didn’t start another when he was demoted to nickel duty behind rookie Richard Marshall. He came out of several other games, as he dealt with groin and hamstring problems. The numbers were down significantly - three interceptions, 47 tackles. And he has since revealed that in the process, he started feeling animosity from teammates. He traces it all to the shoulder problems, though, which nagged him in 2005 and flared up again in the second game last season, at Minnesota. “To be honest, I think my shoulder injury had a lot to do with my other problems, because when you try to compromise the rest of your body, you hurt other things,” he said. “I have been trying to do everything in my ability to prevent that from happening this year. Prayer has been one of my remedies. That is all you can do. No matter how hard you work there are chances you can get hurt. I just pray it doesn’t happen this year and I can go out and play week in and week out.” The part about the animosity from teammates is a curious issue. Lucas won’t name names, but he said that some felt he let the team down last year, especially late in the season. He was inactive against St. Louis on Nov. 19 because of an injured thigh. He dressed but didn’t play against Washington on Nov. 26 in the game that started the Panthers’ late-season tailspin. He started against Philadelphia the next week, but left early with a hamstring injury. Then he was inactive the next week against the New York Giants. “It kind of hurts for your teammates to question if you quit on the team or not,” he said. “I would never fake an injury just because things aren’t going my way. ... That is crazy to suggest that because I would do this for free if I had to. That’s how much I love it.” But he loves to get wound up when he’s talking, too. Whatever happened, it seems to be in the past at these workouts. “I’m a spiritual man, so I had to pray about it and turn it over to the Lord,” he said. “If you try to handle things yourself then they can get much worse than you want them to be. I just turned them over and let Him handle them, and it turned out for the best.”"

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2
FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173351537777&path=!sports&s=1037645509200

[Edited on June 8, 2007 at 11:31 AM. Reason : broke up link....hate the sideways scroll shit]

6/8/2007 11:31:01 AM

Quote :

"The Carolina Panthers have signed fifth-round draft choice (155th overall) Dante Rosario from Oregon, the team announced Friday. A 6-4, 240-pound tight end, Rosario played in 49 games with 27 starts for the Ducks, seeing action at four different positions - halfback, H-back, fullback and tight end. He posted 94 receptions for 1,003 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushed 27 times for 84 yards and two touchdowns. An honorable mention Pac-10 choice as a senior in 2006, Rosario ranked second on the team with 42 catches, a school single-season record for tight ends, for 426 yards and one touchdown. Rosario becomes the first of the Panthers eight draft choices to sign "

Question:

This got me to thinking......All the draft picks are in the voluntary offseason practice program, right? What happens if a draft pick suffers a major injury in one of these practices before he actually signs a contract?

What about other sports? Do newly drafted players take part in team activites before they sign?

6/8/2007 4:17:05 PM

seems like they'd have to have some policy for specifically that(although i dont know if they do)...cant be like a unique thing

6/8/2007 5:17:32 PM

good article about Dwayne Jarrett

http://www.charlotte.com/panthers/story/152940.html

Quote :

"Panthers' Jarrett: Speed not an issue June is a month to dream if you are a bride, a kid just out of school or an NFL rookie. The Carolina Panthers haven't lost a single game yet in 2007, and Dwayne Jarrett has switched his uniform number to 80. That switch -- Jarrett was originally assigned No. 82 -- might not seem significant until you understand Jarrett's reasoning. His idol as a youth was NFL legend Jerry Rice, who also wore 80 in San Francisco. Rice and Jarrett have at least one thing in common -- average speed. One reason Jarrett lasted until the second round of the NFL draft was the fact he only runs a 40-yard dash in the 4.6-second range. Jarrett takes solace in knowing Rice was never the fastest player on an NFL field, either. Said Jarrett after a Panthers' workout this week: "The greatest receiver in the world was Jerry Rice, and he ran around a 4.6. I'm not saying I'm Jerry Rice. But your positioning and the way you run your routes -- that all counts, too. I know a lot of fast guys who can't get open. If you're a football player, you're a football player." That was a mouthful for Jarrett, who looks a lot like Keyshawn Johnson but sounds nothing like him. "Quiet guy," Panther safety Mike Minter said of Jarrett. "Might be a little quicker than Keyshawn. He's one of those players who will look better in pads than he does right now in shorts." Jarrett will be compared to Keyshawn all season. "I think we are similar in how big we are and the way we use our bodies to go get the ball," Jarrett said. Both men set records at Southern Cal. Both are in the 6-4, 220-pound range. Keyshawn praised Jarrett lavishly on ESPN when the Panthers drafted the rookie with the 45th overall pick, not realizing that Jarrett's pick helped spell his doom in Carolina. (I still don't agree with that decision, but that's another story). "I wanted to work with Keyshawn," Jarrett said, "but the organization did what it thought it had to do." Simply, the Panthers decided to go with the youngsters at wide receiver. Steve Smith and Drew Carter are running with the first team at the moment at wideout, with Jarrett in the mix for the No. 3 role. Jarrett might surpass Carter with a great training camp, although the guess here is that Carter starts the Panthers' opener Sept. 9 in St. Louis. Jarrett's most notable number from college was his 41 touchdowns. That set a Pac-10 record, even though Jarrett left school a year early. You don't score 41 times by accident. Jarrett's body control -- which he considers his biggest strength -- allowed him to often out-maneuver a smaller cornerback in the end zone. Besides learning the Panthers offense, he also needs to work on fighting off the jam at the line of scrimmage and achieving separation. Jarrett said he would have liked to have been a first-round pick, but was OK with the result. "It's not where you start, it's where you finish," he said. "I'm here, and I'm going to do what I have to do." Jarrett Stats 4.6 speed in 40-yard dash, which makes it difficult for him to gain separation against a fast cornerback. 7 Wide receivers taken before Jarrett in the 2007 NFL draft. 41 Touchdowns in three years at Southern Cal. 80 Jarrett's NFL uniform number; he was originally assigned 82. 216 Receptions at Southern Cal (school's all-time leader, surpassing the Panthers' Keary Colbert)."

also, dunno if it's been posted yet, but this is a good Panthers' blog.

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/category/panthers/

[Edited on June 11, 2007 at 2:00 PM. Reason : /]

6/11/2007 1:59:45 PM

If the Panthers can stay healthy, they have the talent and coaching to compete with New Orleans for the division title.

They might even have one of the top records in the NFC, given their easy schedule.

But they don't have the talent required to beat the top 4 or 5 teams in the AFC. The gap between the AFC and the NFC is bigger than ever.

6/11/2007 2:49:29 PM

^i think the panthers can beat any team in the league if all the pieces fall together the way they are supposed to. we have one of the most talented rosters in the league and one of the best coaches. but there are really too many question marks right now w/ players coming back from injury, how much the rookies can step up to fill holes, and the new offense.

6/11/2007 2:57:17 PM

Quote :

"But they don't have the talent required to beat the top 4 or 5 teams in the AFC. The gap between the AFC and the NFC is bigger than ever"

right now it is, but its June.....if there's one thing I've learned about the NFL is that the end of the season is always vastly different than people thought it would be.

That being said I would put all AFC teams in my preseason top 4 with one NFC team to round out the top 5.

1. Colts
2. Pats
3. Chargers
4. Ravens
5. Saints

The Panthers will compete for the division, and depending on how the breaks fall could win it and go deep into the playoffs......I'm really excited about the depth we have on our o-line.

Watch out for the 49ers this year....they almost won their division last year and they added a few starter caliber players in the offseason.

[Edited on June 11, 2007 at 3:02 PM. Reason : .]

6/11/2007 3:01:23 PM

Quote :

"we have one of the most talented rosters in the league"

It might be top 10, but it's not top 5. Too many holes and question marks.

The Panthers talent level is nowhere near that of the Patriots, Colts and Chargers. Those teams have superior talent across the board.

6/11/2007 3:05:49 PM

Quote :

"The Panthers talent level is nowhere near that of the Patriots, Colts and Chargers. Those teams have superior talent across the board."

while I agree with you on paper:

-the colts are still undersized and generally lacking on D (not to mention if peyton goes out for more than 5 games, they're out)

-the chargers are going through a coaching change, and who knows how that'll work out, and questions at receiver

-pats are aging on D, and have moss with his questionable team mentality

While these teams do look head and shoulders above the rest of the NFL, a few injuries or internal conflicts later and the picture is totally different.

At this point, I would pick Baltimore to go to the SB for the AFC, but that's just me.

6/11/2007 3:24:42 PM

random panthers question: I feel like I read somewhere that Drew Carter is the fastest (straight-line) on the team. Is this true? Can anyone provide me a link to something stating this?

6/11/2007 3:54:44 PM

I'm sure it's true. Drew Carter was a track star at OSU who only caught maybe 10 passes in his college career. He got drafted purely based on his 40 time.

6/11/2007 4:01:12 PM

i dont know of any published reports but they have been saying this after almost every reception and drop of his since his rookie season

6/11/2007 4:01:28 PM

it's true, there were several articles about it during the off season last year......Look at the archives on the panthers.com.

6/11/2007 4:06:03 PM

haha

6/11/2007 4:21:31 PM

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/nfl/06/11/bc.fbn.panthers.zwick.ap/index.html

Quote :

"Panthers give Zwick a shot Former Ohio State backup QB hopes to stick in NFL CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Justin Zwick was watching a lot of movies at his parents' house in Ohio, close to giving up his dream. "I'm thinking I've got to start earning some money some time, and I can't live off my parents forever," the former Ohio State quarterback said Monday. "Then all of sudden you get a call." The Carolina Panthers wanted to give Zwick a shot to keep his football career alive. Zwick, who had stayed in shape since leaving college, first worked out for the team Thursday and the Panthers decided to sign him over the weekend. He practiced at an optional workout Monday. "He was somebody we were thinking about," general manager Marty Hurney said. "We just took a look at him and figured we'd sign him and bring him in this week." Hardly a ringing endorsement, but Zwick said he'll take it. For a player who entered college with great fanfare and left as a forgotten backup behind Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, Zwick just wants to get invited to an NFL training camp. "It's tough playing behind a Heisman Trophy winner," said Zwick, who went undrafted. "I learned a lot, probably more life lessons than on the football field. Coming in with all that and then having to humble yourself and sit behind somebody, that's a life lesson. "But it was a good opportunity to learn, and move on from there." Zwick faces long odds with Carolina. He is the fifth quarterback on the roster, behind starter Jake Delhomme, backup David Carr, third-string Brett Basanez and fellow undrafted rookie Dalton Bell. Last year, the Panthers carried only two quarterbacks on the roster, while Basanez was on the practice squad. "It's better than not having the opportunity, to be down here throwing balls," Zwick said. "Whether they want to bring me back for training camp or whatever, it's better to have this opportunity, to have a chance to be called back. I'm looking at it as a great opportunity." Zwick was a Parade All-American after a stellar high school career in Ohio, and he chose to stay close to home after being heavily recruited. Zwick became the Buckeyes' starter in his sophomore year, but he was injured halfway through the season. Smith stepped in, and Zwick never regained his full-time starter position. He led Ohio State to a win over Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl when Smith was suspended, and he played well in a game against Texas, but he mostly watched from the sidelines. "The career didn't go as well as I wanted it to, but that was the hand I was dealt," Zwick said. At 6-foot-4 with a quick release, Zwick has some tools. But he knows he faces long odds to make it in the NFL. In between movies and workouts at his parents' house, Zwick was contemplating taking a sales job in Columbus, Ohio and maybe doing some television work for Ohio State broadcasts. "Now I have to come out and see if I could throw a little bit and get into a training camp," Zwick said. "That's all I'm focused on." Notes:@ Panthers defensive tackle Kris Jenkins remained the only player absent as the team began a third week of optional workouts. Jenkins' agent, Tony Paige, has insisted Jenkins is dealing with family matters and is not protesting a lack of a new contract. "I haven't talked to Tony in a couple of weeks," Hurney said. "There haven't been any other conversations." ... Workouts are expected to run through at least Thursday."

Strange pick-up....i woulda thought we were set with 2 QB's on the roster and brett as the practice squad guy.

personally i loved only having 2 QB's on the roster as we had more depth at other positions, like the D-line

6/11/2007 4:38:49 PM

competition never hurts tho.

6/11/2007 4:52:07 PM

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=Nfl&id=4019

Quote :

"Stanley McClover is running with the first-team defense at Panthers camp. The newly bulked-up defensive end is filling in for Mike Rucker in theory, but appears to have a good chance to open the season as a starter opposite Julius Peppers. McClover is a sleeper to break out as an NFL sophomore."

http://www.panthersnation.com/forums/index.php?s=
f2ba89c99198301629fea6ee0c1a581c&showtopic=3455

Quote :

"With a year to train year-round and eat better, he's a solid 275, with no drop-off in quickness."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/2006/draft/players/5522.html

Quote :

"Stanley McClover Position: DE Class: So School: Auburn Conference: Southeastern Ht., Wt.: 6-2.5, 262 (275 currently) 40 Time: 4.72 Selected by: Carolina Panthers Round 7, pick 29 (237 overall) Grading System BIO: Two-year starter and All-Conference selection who posted 31/13.5/8 last season. Sophomore totals were 35/10/7.5. POSITIVES: Explosive pass-rusher with a high upside for the next level. Quick off the snap, can bend off the edge or pursue from the backside with speed. Displays outstanding range on the field and is fast in any direction. Disciplined and does more than just mindlessly rush up the field. NEGATIVES: Undersized, lacks strength at the point and can be driven off the line by opponents. Hobbled with an ankle injury last season. ANALYSIS: A surprise entry into this year's draft, McClover is a developing pass rusher who offers a variety of skills. Must physically mature and improve his strength yet offers starting potential."

It'll be interesting to me to see this guy start over rucker. I mean he has got to have a lot of potential to be taking a veterans spot whom i have assumed since the end of last year would be starting again this year.

6/12/2007 11:51:09 AM

I've always thought he is a good pick. I remmember he was projected to go in the 2nd round in last year draft.

6/12/2007 12:17:55 PM

Quote :

"NEGATIVES: Undersized, lacks strength at the point and can be driven off the line by opponents. Hobbled with an ankle injury last season."

not anymore, he put like 35 pounds of muscle on during the offseason......

...He's going to be a beast. I'll even say we'll have what is considered to be the top DE tandem in the league by year's end (barring injury)....maybe even two of the top 5 in the NFL.



[Edited on June 12, 2007 at 1:13 PM. Reason : He would have been a 1st or 2nd round lock in the '07 draft]

6/12/2007 1:11:11 PM

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/2007-06-12-1008449437_x.htm

Quote :

"Carstens determined to return to Panthers despite kidney disease By Mike Cranston, AP Sports Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jordan Carstens came to practice late last season thinking he had pulled a muscle in his rib cage. The problem was much more serious. The Carolina Panthers reserve defensive tackle spent the next week in the hospital with a blood clot on his left lung. Seven months later, doctors are still trying to find the right medicine to treat his kidney disease so he can play football again. "My wife and I are just hanging in there, saying our prayers, because there's really nothing we can do," Carstens said Tuesday. "I'm taking the medicine and doing everything I can, so it's kind of out of my hands." Carstens first started having kidney trouble in 2005, when he started a career-high 15 games in place of the injured Kris Jenkins. At the end of the season, a biopsy determined he had membranous nephropathy, a disease that affects the filters of the kidney. It causes a person to lose protein through their urine, which can lead to blood clotting. "It was scary. You go from playing football, being really active, to laying in a hospital bed for a week," said Carstens, who credited trainer Ryan Vermillion with quickly realizing the pain in his chest could have been a clot. "It's kind of tough, and even after that they told me I really had to take it easy. That's hard for me." Carstens was put on blood thinners and has undergone numerous tests. But until the right medicine is found so he can stop taking blood thinners, he can't be involved in contact. In the NFL, that might have meant a ticket out of town, especially since Carstens was active in only one game in 2006 after Jenkins returned from his knee injury. But in March the Panthers offered Carstens, a restricted free agent, a one-year tender worth $1.3 million. "He's our kind of guy. He's a tremendous person and a hard worker," general manager Marty Hurney said. "Obviously what happened last year didn't have anything to do with his ability as a football player. It's something that we have to monitor and see how it goes, but that was an off the field issue." The loyalty means a lot to the 6-foot-5, 305-pound Carstens, who was first signed by Carolina as an undrafted rookie in 2004. "The way they handled it during the season last year was great," Carstens said. "That gave me some optimism. Just knowing the people around here and knowing what kind of organization this was, I had some faith that they would remain optimistic, like me." Carstens is taking another batch of medication, and he must pass a series of tests just before training camp next month before he'll be cleared to return. The worst-case scenario for the disease is kidney failure, but the 26-year-old Carstens is a long way from giving up on playing again. "I don't think I'm at that point yet, but if the risks outweigh the awards, then I think I'll be ready to move on," Carstens said. "But for right now, I'm staying optimistic and hopefully we can get this thing turned around. The Associated Press "

Hopefully he'll be ready for the fall. Either way, very classy move by the Panthers. It's nice to have a team as awesome as the Panthers, both on and off the field, based here in Charlotte.

6/12/2007 4:58:50 PM