Bleacher Report - Articles by Eric Quackenbush

"Pink" Panthers Have The Answers: Carolina Rebounds Against the Redskins

Eric Quackenbush — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:14:44 -0400

With rumors flying around about head coach John Fox telling friends and family that he expects to be fired from the Carolina Panthers; amidst public outcry for the benching or firing of quarterback Jake Delhomme; Jonathan Stewart playing on a sore Achilles' Heel; and Julius Peppers getting paid over $1 million per game only to register one sack in three weeks of the regular season, so far the Panthers are not the team of "destiny" they were haphazardly believed to be.

Changes over the offseason, not winning a game in 288 days, running on a collective (playoffs, preseason, and regular season) eight-game losing streak, and a dark cloud hanging heavily in the air after the meltdown that was the playoff loss to the Arizona Cardinals on a rainy January night for an entire offseason; everything weighing heavily on a beleaguered Panthers squad and their coaching staff, while straining the relationship between fans and the organization.

Up to this point the Panthers have struggled, trying to force good things to happen.

It seems the Panthers theme this year is to force. Whether it was forcing Jake Delhomme to carry a team to a playoff win, forcing Julius Peppers to stay in Carolina, Delhomme forcing plays that haven't worked against defenses in the first three weeks of '09, receivers trying to force plays to happen, a running game trying unsuccessfully to force the ball up the middle...all the while dying to become a force to be reckoned with.

They went winless in the preseason. Not that it matters for the most part, but even at that stage, they were still trying to find their place.

The regular season home-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was bitter, embarrassing, and mind-numbing. After that game I was ready to go to the motel room and go to bed.

In Week Two, the Panthers re-surged for the first half on their road trip in Atlanta, only to fall into a relapse of Week One in the second half, where the offense again sputtered and the defense tired out.

In a "must win" Week Three game in Dallas, the Panthers lost a game they were never into from the beginning, although the final score might suggest otherwise.

The bye week figured to be a savior to their season in more ways than one. Getting defensive players Na'il Diggs, Chris Harris, and Everette Brown back on the field for Week Five were a must.

Then a blessing of sorts came, when the St. Louis Rams released 15-year defensive tackle Hollis Thomas. While Thomas is aged, he was of the size and experience this team has so desperately missed since Ma'ake Kemoeatu went down in training camp.

Against the Redskins, another team that has issues of it's own, the Panthers started the game in much the same fashion it has the first three games: fumbles, missed tackles, turnovers, and the eighth interception thrown by Delhomme. The only bright spot of the first half was a two-point safety at the hands of Thomas Davis, who tackled Redskins running back Clinton Portis in the Redskins' endzone.

The score at halftime was a possible (for the Panthers) 10-2, Washington.

In the third quarter, Delhomme threw a pass intended for receiver Muhsin Muhammad, but was intercepted by Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall.

After a neutral-zone infraction penalty on Panthers' defensive end Damione Lewis, Redskins running back Clinton Portis ran up the middle for a touchdown, furthering the Redskins' lead at 17-2. At this point, momentum was heavily in favor of the Redskins.

The Panthers got the ball back, in hopes of building up some momentum. The offense sputtered on first down, when Delhomme threw an incomplete short pass to Muhammad.

On their second attempt, Delhomme hooked up with receiver Steve Smith on an 18-yard pass, who made it to the Redskins' 22-yard line. Two plays later, Delhomme hooked up with tight end Jeff King for the Panthers' first touchdown of the game.

I breathed a forced sigh of relief, figuring Carolina has been good for at least one touchdown per game so far in regular season, game over.

However, after that I was forced to eat a little crow, which already I am quite familiar with the taste of so early in the season, as the Panthers never let the Redskins score again for the rest of the game.

The defense played up to expectations for the first time this season. Linebacker Jon Beason was all over the field, as were defensive ends Everette Brown and Julius Peppers (who registered a season-high two sacks); Thomas Davis also had a great showing.

The Redskins chipped away, making a few beleaguered attempts into Panthers' territory, but all for naught, as the Panthers scored an unanswered 11 points in the fourth quarter: A successful 43-yard John Kasay field goal attempt for three points, and a touchdown scored by running back Jonathan Stewart. The ensuing two-point conversion, a pass from Delhomme to Steve Smith, would all but seal the deal for Carolina.

On the Panthers final drive following the two-minute warning, Jake Delhomme ran to the right side, stiff-armed Redskins corner DeAngelo Hall, and picked up the first down on a naked bootleg play.

Delhomme got up, his shoulder pads sticking out and his chin strap bunched around his mouth. He pumped both fists and yelled, letting out a month's worth of frustration.

His eighth interception of the season earlier in the day? Forgotten. Carolina's winless start was over, too.

After a Panthers victory, I usually elate in the win for a 24-hour period. Just this once, I have extended the 24-hour rule to 36.

The game ended the way I always like to see a Panthers game end, as Delhomme took a knee, putting the Redskins out of their misery and propelling the Panthers to a well-deserved, much needed win that for now assures they aren't the cellar-dwellers of the NFC South.

The unfortunate matter is, it's still too early to declare if the Panthers have become reacquainted with who they were a year ago. But against the Redskins, the Panthers took a step in the right direction.

Jon and Mark Richardson Resign From Panthers Front Office

Eric Quackenbush — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:52:26 -0400

The bigger news of the day was the resignation of stadium president Jon Richardson. The bigger surprise however, was the resignation of team president Mark Richardson(pictured).

Jon Richardson, who had spoken privately with his father and team owner Jerry Richardson a month ago of his intentions to resign, has been involved with Bank of America Stadium since its construction.

Mark Richardson has served as the team president since the retirement of Mike McCormack in 1998.

While the unexpected resignations and Jerry Richardson's recent health problems raised questions on the long-term future of the Panthers remaining in Charlotte, Johnny Harris, a member of the Panthers Partnership Group, said the organization is "absolutely not relocating and is not for sale."

Jerry Richardson addressed about eight members of the Partnership Group of his sons' decisions on Tuesday morning at a meeting in Charlotte. He talked to other investors afterward, by phone.

Harris, a longtime friend of Jerry Richardson's, said the nature of the sons' resignation was not discussed, but the future of the team was.

"I can tell you unequivocally the Panthers are not for sale," Harris said. "There was no talk of selling or moving the team from Charlotte. That's not going to happen. I can say that unequivocally. The Panthers are staying here in Charlotte. There were no discussions by Jerry or any other members about the sale of the team or the relocation of the team. Period."

According to unnamed sources, Scott Paul is expected to replace Jon Richardson. Paul currently works as an operations manager for the Panthers. A replacement for Mark Richardson has not yet been named, although the Panthers have several qualified people who could step in, including director of ticket sales Phil Youtsey.

Both Jon and Mark will remain members of the Panthers Partnership Group.

Information collected from Carolinagrowl.com and the Carolina Panthers official website, Panthers.com

Breaking News: Carolina Panthers Trade For Browns' DT Leonard

Eric Quackenbush — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:16:08 -0400

On Tuesday the Panthers came to an agreement with the Cleveland Browns, trading an undisclosed draft pick to Cleveland for the services of 6-foot-4, 325 pound defensive tackle Louis Leonard.

Leonard, 25, is expected to compete with Nick Hayden for the starting job. Leonard has played in 20 games, and has four starts over two seasons with the Browns in 2007 and 2008, posting 33 tackles.

Originally signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He spent two weeks on the Chargers practice squad before being signed to the St. Louis Rams active roster on September 12, 2007.

Leonard was waived by the Rams a month later, and signed by the Browns as a free agent a day after being waived.

The Panthers will honor Leonard's current salary of $460,000.

Carolina Panthers Run Out of Gas Against Mid-Grade Baltimore Ravens

Eric Quackenbush — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:08:27 -0400

For the third straight week, the Panthers have still not found solutions to problems that are forcing them to come up short against teams that they were as good as a year ago.

The most glaring of problems is penalties. Nine penalties for a combined loss of 70 yards. Stupid mistakes like facemask grabbing, false starts, and lining up incorrectly. Things that should be reviewed and corrected.

Another problem for the offense is converting on third downs. Against the Ravens, the Panthers were unable to convert in seven third-down situations.

The next issue that is equally as bad, is the defense's inability to make a tackle. If this was touch football, they might be looking pretty good. Ultimately what I see is an overpaid, underperforming defensive unit.

Out of everything that happened there was one improvement in the starting defense. Julius Peppers added an assist and a quarterback hurry to his glimmering preseason record of one solo tackle. So far rookie defensive end Everette Brown has outperformed the overpaid, overrated starter.

Some of you may not know this, others might. I was really hoping that Peppers would be released during the offseason. This team needs a lot of help in a lot of areas, and so far Pep is proving himself to be a part of the problem.

I still feel the Panthers should have parted ways with this Prima-Donna and I am still very skeptical of his work ethic for the regular season.

Overall the defense looked ridiculous and the defensive secondary had major problems defending the receivers and tight ends. The Ravens also were able to run all over the linemen and linebackers, thus screaming even more the need for a run-stuffer like Ma'ake Kemoeatu.

Another glaring problem is the offensive line's inability to protect the quarterback, allowing Delhomme to be sacked twice Saturday night. The offensive line has also been having a difficult time of opening holes for the running game.

Moving away from the poor performances last night, there was some good things happening on the field.

In all, quarterback Jake Delhomme has yet to throw an interception this preseason. Against the Ravens he went 11-for-16 and 180 yards, for a rating of 106.2.

It was also nice seeing Steve Smith get some time on the field in his first preseason game since bruising a bone in his shoulder.

The receiving corps looked a lot better last night, especially rookie wideout Kenneth Moore. Moore played as the third receiver last night, and rivaled both Muhsin Muhammad and Steve Smith, catching three out of four passes for 40 yards. He averaged 13.3 yards after catch.

Another interesting and promising development has been from rookie running back Mike Goodson. Not only did he have 11 carries for 52 yards last night, but he also caught all three passes for 26 yards; averaging 8.7 yards after catch.

A lot has been said that to make room under the salary cap and on the roster, that a receiver should be cut and Goodson should be elevated to the third or "slot" receiver position. If you remember, utilizing Goodson as a slot receiver had been discussed earlier in training camp by the Panthers, and that could very well come to fruition.

With the uncertainty of fellow running back Jonathan Stewart's sore Achilles' the Panthers are probably looking more at using him as a running back behind DeAngelo Williams and using Goodson as a receiving option out of the backfield.

Goodson also had a nice night with kickoff returns, running four returns for 77 yards. His longest return on the night was for 27 yards.

Aside from the offensive line miscues, the tight ends, receivers, and running backs look good. The quarterback position has been a little shaky, but last night it looked a little better.

I'm still uncertain of Josh McCown, and I still feel that Matt Moore and Hunter Cantwell should be vying for the second quarterback position as well, but given the amount of time the starting lineup played last night, saying McCown is a clear-cut choice to be the No. 2 quarterback would be quite unfair to Moore and Cantwell. Both Moore and Cantwell should see considerable playing time against Pittsburgh on Thursday night.

On the defensive side of the ball, cornerback Dante Wesley made the lone interception of the game for no return, and Tyler Brayton recorded the team's only sack.

A very disappointing performance overall, by a team that's supposed to have a major advantage, returning 20-of-22 starters from last year.

Looking at my Panthers through rose-colored glasses...the absences of Jon Beason, DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Charles Godfrey, C.J. Davis, and Thomas Davis had a great impact on the outcome and lack of performance of this game.

The Panthers play host to defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh on Thursday night. While I'd like to say the Panthers will give the Steelers a good fight, I remain skeptical but optimistic. The backups seem to be playing better than the starters at this point.

Maybe I'll tempt fate and sneak a peek at how the Panthers fare against the "Stellars" in a Madden 2010 simulation.

Panthers Make Respectable Showing in Preseason Game at Giants

Eric Quackenbush — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 08:53:29 -0400

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

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

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

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

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

After the first two series, Delhomme began to settle in, completing three of his next four pass attempts, including a 17-yard, 3rd-and-9 pass to receiver Kenneth Moore. Delhomme finished his night going 5-for-9 for 38 yards, with a passer rating of 66.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eric also writes for Panther Coalition.com. Check out his weekly pregame analysis every Thursday during the season.

Eric also does a live 60 to 90 minute pregame broadcast on game days through BlogTalkRadio. The gameday link can be found on the main page in the above link.

Carolina Panthers Get Through Third Day With Few Problems

Eric Quackenbush — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:25:55 -0400

Today, the Panthers went ahead and put defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu on Injured Reserve (IR).

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

If you put a player on PUP, he can attend team meetings and rehab on his own, but he cannot practice with the team. A player on the PUP list does not count against the active roster.

Add to that, PUP can only be used during training camp. A player can be activated off the PUP at anytime during training camp, but once the season starts he has to remain on PUP until Week Six.

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

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

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

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

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

Linebacker Jon Beason also watched from the sidelines today. Dan Connor continued to learn among the starters and has filled in nicely while Beason rests that sore hamstring.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Goodson, who is a good 23 pounds lighter than Anderson (who had a running start), battled Anderson to a stalemate after regaining his footing.

Running back DeAngelo Williams remains the No. 1 running back. He's picked up where he left off a year ago, taking off through holes in the line.

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

Also, third-year receiver Dwayne Jarrett caught a couple nice passes today.

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

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

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

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

Injury Report:

WR Ryne Robinson (Team decision)

G Duke Robinson (Heat exhaustion), Did not practice today.

LB Thomas Davis (Knee) Probable

G C.J. Davis (Leg), Did not practice today; day-to-day

MLB Jon Beason (Hamstring), did not practice today; day-to-day

DT Maake Kemoeatu (Achilles tendon) Out; Injured Reserve

Carolina Panthers Off To a Shaky Start On Day Two Of Camp

Eric Quackenbush — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:13:15 -0400

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

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

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

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

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

Rookie corner Sherrod Martin made a solid hit on tight end Jeff King, when he lowered his shoulder and knocked him out of bounds. King praised Martin, patting him on the helmet.

Later in the practice, defensive coordinator Ron Meeks started to change the defensive alignment to a Nickel package, where Tyler Brayton moved to the defensive tackle position with rookie Everette Brown sliding out to left defensive end, while linebacker Na'il Diggs (for formation reasons) came off the field.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Carolina Panthers: Monday Evening Practice Wrap-Up

Eric Quackenbush — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:37:39 -0400

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

The latest news on defensive tackle Kemoeatu is not what we were hoping to hear. It's been made pretty clear that he suffered a torn Achilles tendon and is likely out for the season. The team will announce tomorrow whether or not he will be placed on Injured Reserve.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Panthers reconvene for one practice at 3:10 p.m Tuesday.

Carolina Panthers: Morning Practice Wrap-Up

Eric Quackenbush — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:06:16 -0400

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

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

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

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

Early in the day, defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu went down with a rolled ankle. It is hoped to be a minor injury at this point and could sit him out for up to two weeks depending on the extent and severity of the injury.

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

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

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

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

The Panthers will hold their next practice this evening at 6:40 p.m. Check back for more updates this evening.

Carolina Panthers Preview: Training Camp Edition

Eric Quackenbush — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:54:00 -0400

For the Panthers, 2008 started out with a certain amount of uncertainty. From questions arising about Jake Delhomme's recovery from Tommy John surgery, to the uncertainty of DeAngelo Williams' future, and the big chance taken in the draft of trading away 2009's first round draft pick to the Eagles in order to move up to pick offensive lineman, Jeff Otah.

All those questions were answered last season, when the Panthers went undefeated at home, went 12-4 in the regular season, and boasted a top-three rushing attack.

In the offseason, the Panthers lost one starter, defensive back Ken Lucas. That's all! This season, the Panthers return 21-of-22 of last year's starting players, including Julius Peppers. While the Panthers weren't able to secure a long term deal with Peppers, it is all but assured that Pep will play just as hard this season as he did last year, considering he's playing for a new contract for the second year in a row.

What if Peppers takes a mental break at any point of this season? Well, the Panthers took that and Peppers' uncertain long-term future with Carolina into consideration in the draft this year, trading away next year's first round pick (notice a trend here) to snag Florida State defensive end Everette Brown. A move that on paper, and from looking at film from Brown's years with the Seminoles, could pay dividends right away.

Carolina looked to sure up the defense this year, as their second pick in the second round came from Troy, in Sherrod Martin, a man who will play at the nickel position and can also be utilized as a safety, his primary position in college.

In an effort to add some depth and help solidify the defensive line, the Panthers drafted Corvey Irvin out of Georgia. While Irvin was inconsistent at Georgia, he harbors the raw talent and is a big man up front. With a little work, he could develop into a solid run stopper and pass blocker.

In the fourth round, the Panthers went with Mike Goodson. He has potential as a third running back, slot receiver, and as a kickoff or punt return specialist. He's fast, shifty, and has great vision on the field. He took some impressive hits at Texas A&M, but he always tried to get as much out of a run, even when he was wrapped up with a defender.

In the fifth round, Carolina took a look at the lack of depth on the offensive line and took Duke Robinson out of Oklahoma. With the departures of Frank Omiyale, Geoff Hangartner, and Jeremy Bridges, the lack of depth on the O-line was a critical issue that needed to be addressed. While Robinson won't be able to fill the void of three offensive linemen, drafting him was a move in the right direction.

Carolina's final draft selection was Captain Munnerlyn in the seventh round out of the University of South Carolina. Munnerlyn adds another piece to the defense, but more importantly to the special teams return gameplan puzzle.

After the Panthers let Mark Jones go, Munnerlyn becomes another candidate as the new return man for the Panthers, and he's up against some good competition with Ryne Robinson, Mike Goodson, and Larry Beavers competing against him.

On the offensive side of the ball, Carolina failed to address the depth at quarterback, or lack thereof.

Backing up Delhomme is Josh McCown, a quarterback who, when under intense pressure, folds like a lawnchair. However, when given time, and with the strength and size of the Panthers offensive line, he can make some good plays. But with the schedule of opponents the Panthers are faced with, blitzing defenses are like water: They will look for the path of least resistance. And if any of the big boys up front go down, so will McCown.

What about Matt Moore? He seemed to do pretty well a couple years ago, until he sustained an injury, at being a game manager and made some smart decisions. My problem with him is he takes too long in the pocket, and again, with blitzing defenses, the more time spent holding onto the ball in the pocket means more time for the defense to make a play on the quarterback.

I'm not too thrilled with the lack of proven, experienced depth at the quarterback position. But with the lack of salary cap space for this year, it's understandable that Carolina will have to work with what's there.

In light of salary cap complications, the Panthers also went ahead and re-signed Delhomme to a five year contract extension. Five years was not exactly what I had expected, although I was both comfortable and happy knowing Delhomme will remain in Carolina for the remainder of his career.

In the end, Delhomme is not a bad option as the starting quarterback; he's the longest-tenured starting QB for Carolina, the winningest quarterback in team history, and he has an uncanny ability to keep himself together when the game is on the line.

As a leader, Delhomme is one of the best. As a quarterback, well...fans, the coaching staff, and the talking head "experts" must remember that Delhomme has never been a flashy quarterback. He's always been a game manager, which isn't bad, so long as Carolina has the running game around him, and the big offensive line to protect him.

I do agree with most that the Panthers must be instrumental in finding his eventual successor, as I don't see one on the current roster.

The receiver position is nothing to be upset about, really. Certainly Steve Smith is an overlooked playmaking threat by the experts, and Muhsin Muhammad is considered old by NFL standards, but as long as they can stay healthy, the Panthers have what I consider their best receiving duo in team history.

Add Dwayne Jarrett into the mix at the slot receiver position, and the Panthers have a talented enough receiving corps (provided Jarrett steps up to the plate this year) that has the ability to spread the field against opposing defenses.

The tight ends are serviceable. Out of the three veterans, Jeff King and Gary Barnidge show the most promise. As much as I love that game winning catch against the Chargers that Dante Rosario snatched out of the air, he disappears too often. He's not good at blocking, and his performance ebbs and slows. Yes, slows. Very inconsistent.

Jeff King might move slow, but he has decent hands, and has great blocking skills. I haven't seen much of Barnidge during the regular season, but I hope to see more of him this season, as I feel he has the potential to be a possession tight end with the speed of a receiver.

In the backfield, the Panthers drafted Syracuse fullback Tony Fiammetta in the fourth round. This move really shouldn't come as a shock to the majority of Panthers fans, though when it happened, I too was thinking, why fix something that's not broken? Then I started thinking about how long Brad Hoover has been a Panther, and the realization was at some point, they will need to find his successor.

Fiammetta is raw and rough around the edges, but after playing some special teams and watching Hoover, the master at the fullback position, Fiammetta will have an idea of what's expected of him. He's big-bodied, and can hit the gaps pretty hard. My biggest concern over him right now, is his ball handling skills and he needs to become a little more aware of his footing.

For the second year, the Panthers return one of the best running duos in the league, aptly named "Double Trouble." DeAngelo Williams had a fire lit under his feet on draft day, when the Panthers took Jonathan Stewart to be his replacement and No. 1 running back.

As fate would have it, a series of excellent events transpired, as Williams put up Pro Bowl caliber numbers, and the rookie Stewart, almost broke 1,000 yards rushing. Other than the potential for injury, there is nothing to really be concerned with in the Panthers' running game.

On the defensive side of the ball, there are a couple of question marks, but a lot of depth. The defensive backs, Julius Peppers, and the defensive line's run-stopping ability are questionable.

Jon Beason, who plays behind the defensive line as a linebacker, has performed solidly for the Panthers, statistically finishing second overall amongst the linebackers in the NFL, in his first two years on the Panthers defense.

However, his counterparts on the defensive line, while they are a force to be reckoned with, will have to penetrate some good offensive lines, especially in the NFC East, to make plays on the quarterback and to effectively be the first line of defense on opposing teams' running games.

Second year man Dan Connor has recovered well from a torn ACL sustained last year in the preseason, and should contribute greatly on special teams. But if new defensive coordinator Ron Meeks likes what he sees from Connor, there is potential that he could see some time in the starting lineup.

In the backfield, the Panthers are pretty well set at the safety position with Charles Godfrey and Chris Harris. Godfrey and Harris are both hard hitting and have big playmaking capabilities. With Harris, comes something else that isn't learned on the football field: Leadership.

The defensive backs look good, too. I was a little uncomfortable with the Panthers releasing Ken Lucas, but not totally against their decision, either. I've always liked Chris Gamble, and I've been eagerly awaiting the day that he would be given the opportunity to come out of Lucas' shadow on the depth chart.

That day is finally here, and he will be the the closest to a shutdown corner that the Panthers have had. He's fast, nimble, and has great hands. All big playmaking qualities.

Starting opposite Gamble will be Richard Marshall. Marshall is another solid threat at the corner position who brings big play capability with him, as well.

All-in-all, the Panthers look pretty well set to make a run at the playoffs and to repeat as division champions. However, Atlanta and New Orleans will be in the thick of that race as well, so the NFC South will be quite competitive, yet again.

I predict Carolina to finish with no less than 10 wins and decent potential to win the division in '09.

The Panthers start their training camp in Spartanburg, SC on the second of August. Practices are open to the public.

Carolina opens the preseason with a trip to the Meadowlands to face the New York Giants on Monday August 17 at 8 p.m.

Fan Fest will be Saturday August 8 at 11 a.m. at Bank of America Stadium.

Carolina Panthers: Julius Peppers to Work Out a Deal in 2010?

Eric Quackenbush — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 07:25:38 -0400

All talks are off...at least until spring. The Panthers and Julius Peppers could not come to terms on a new contract by the 4 p.m. deadline on Wednesday. Peppers will cost the Panthers $16.683 million this year.

With that bit of news, the fans may rest easy knowing that Peppers is once again in a contract year, so his performance shouldn't suffer. He should put up quality numbers like last year.

Until the offseason, the Panthers may not talk with Peppers about any contract negotiations. Once the offseason comes and before free agency begins, hopefully the team and Peppers will be able to work out a deal, but don't be surprised if the Panthers are left with no other choice than to franchise Pep again, for over $20 million.

Click here to check out more of Eric's work.

Carolina Panthers To Play "Deal or No Deal?" With Julius Peppers

Eric Quackenbush — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:04:30 -0400

July 15 is the day.

Will Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers sign a long-term deal to keep him in Carolina?

If he does, doing so will help the Panthers out quite a bit, so that they will be able to sign a few free agents before training camp. If not, the Panthers will have no choice but to head into this season with their current roster pretty much intact.

The Panthers have yet to sign any free agents because of their salary cap woes, due in large part to the large salary that might very well get paid to Peppers, in the sum of $16.683 million for this season alone, if a contract deal is not worked out.

If the Panthers can't sign Peppers before the league's Wednesday deadline, they will have to wait until the end of the season, or postseason to try again. But even at that, the Panthers could choose to place the franchise tag on Peppers again at a cost of more than $20 million for 2010.

However, I would be very surprised that if it came to that point, the Panthers would even consider paying anyone that sum of money for only one season.

Hopefully we'll see something within the next 32 or so hours that will confirm Peppers will be in Carolina for a few more years.

NFC South Competes Well Among the NFL's Top Running Games

Eric Quackenbush — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:49:13 -0400

In the precursor to 2008, the NFC South was a division that many experts and fanbases failed to take seriously.

It's a Jekyll and Hyde division of worst-to-first, fans are fair-weather, it's a wishy-washy division; I heard it all. My blood boiled. I even yelled at Adam Schein and Solomon Wilcots on Sirius NFL Radio.

In '07, the South had it rough overall. The Bucs lost Cadillac Williams, while the Falcons were just in shambles without Michael Vick. Then Atlanta head coach Bobby Petrino, who had no business being in the NFL, split on the team like the Colts did when they left Baltimore.

The Panthers had an overrated, overpaid running back in DeShaun Foster, and DeAngelo Williams was having a hard time coming out of his shell. Then of course, the whole team got decimated by injuries, even having to dig Vinny Testaverde out of the grave.

The Saints were the only light of hope for the division in '07, and a dim light at that.

In 2008, the Panthers' tandem of "Double Trouble," Williams and Jonathan Stewart, combined for 2,351 yards rushing and averaged five yards per carry.

This year, the Panthers will meet those numbers with the addition of running back Mike Goodson. I aptly name this group of backs the "Trio of Trouble."

The Falcons unearthed a real gem in Michael "Burner" Turner, signing him from the San Diego Chargers in the offseason.

In 2008, Atlanta's duo of Turner and Jerious Norwood combined for 2,188 yards rushing, averaging a nice 4.8 yards per carry.

Atlanta brings back that same running game, plus a strong offensive line to make way for Turner and Norwood while giving Matt Ryan time to dissect the opponent's defense in passing situations. Atlanta should easily break 2,000 combined yards rushing.

Tampa Bay ranked third in the division with their running game totals. Their three backs, Warrick Dunn, Earnest Graham, and Cadillac Williams, combined for 1,582 yards rushing, averaging four yards per carry.

This season the Bucs are without Dunn, but they have replaced him with the Giants' Fire. Fire, Derrick Ward, the guy who burned my Cats in overtime last December, is among the ranks of division rival Tampa Bay.

For the G-Men, Ward had a solid 1,025 yards rushing, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Adding his experience and production to the Bucs backfield is an immediate improvement. Tampa Bay easily hits the 2,000-yard rushing mark with Ward, Graham, and Williams in '09.

The Saints finished last in the division in rushing. Their trio of Pierre Thomas, Deuce McAllister, and Reggie Bush combined for a paltry 1,447 yards rushing, averaging a straight four yards per carry.

The Saints cut McAllister this offseason, but they return Thomas and Bush to the starting lineup and have a couple potential bright spots in newcomers Herb Donaldson from Western Illinois and P.J. Hill out of Wisconsin.

Depending on what kind of impact the newcomers make, Thomas should break 1,000 yards rushing, and Bush will probably get between 800 and 900 yards rushing. So effectively, the Saints have the potential to come very close to 2,000 yards rushing, perhaps even break the mark.

The NFC East had monster rush statistics last year, all of those coming from the New York Giants, who fielded two 1,000-plus-yard running backs in Brandon Jacobs and Ward.

The biggest news from the NFC West last year was the Cardinals. Not even the Rams' Steven Jackson was able to make that division's running stats competitive with the rest of the league. Seattle was decimated with injuries, and the 49ers were and are still finding their way through the mire that is the NFC West.

The NFC North had the lone bright spot in Minnesota's Adrian Peterson, another monster back, but if they keep pounding him as an every-down back, his career might very well be shortened.

The AFC's bright spots came from the Ravens, Dolphins, Colts, Chargers, and Titans—all playoff teams. Pittsburgh's not on the list because their running game couldn't stay healthy long enough to make that big of an impact.

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger (I need a dictionary to spell his name) threw for almost 3,500 yards during the regular season and in the end was ranked 14th in passing stats, one spot above Panthers QB Jake Delhomme.

I digress. The AFC's strongest rushing division was the AFC South. The rest of the divisions in the AFC had one dominant team.

This goes to prove that the NFC, as a whole, is far superior to its AFC counterparts when it comes to the running game.

Experts beware: The NFC South is on the rise.

The Official Carolina Panthers 2009 Prediction

Eric Quackenbush — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:02:53 -0400

2008 proved to be many things for the Panthers, but exciting and unpredictable were the two main ingredients that made Carolina's season very memorable.

This season looks to be much the same as last season, but this time around, the Panthers have been scheduled with a true test. Games against the NFC East, the Patriots, and their usual division games will test the Panthers' strengths to their limits, while exposing any soft underbelly of weakness.

Carolina made very little noise during the offseason for various reasons, but the most important offseason move they made was bringing back 21 of 22 starters from last year's team. The odd man out is defensive back Ken Lucas, who found his home back in Seattle.

The Panthers even got disgruntled defensive end Julius Peppers to sign his franchise tender after a four-month holdout.

Things are looking up for Carolina, much like they did last season at this time.

The Panthers return one of the best offensive lines in the league, assuring that we should see more of a dominating running game like last year, but this time there may be a third running back to mix into the rotation in rookie sensation Mike Goodson.

The Texas A&M product did not have quite the stellar career that his highlights make out. In fact, his best season statistically was in 2006, when he rushed for 847 yards and four touchdowns, averaging a conference-high 6.7 yards per carry, and also caught 17 passes for 113 yards.

He had a career-high 127 yards against Oklahoma and scored a critical 41-yard touchdown against the Texas Longhorns, who had the nation's leading rush defense.

The Panthers also focused mainly on the defensive side of the ball in the first couple rounds of the draft.

Carolina pretty much stole Florida State defensive end Everette Brown, who fell to the second round of the draft. Brown is in the top three FSU defensive players statistically in school history, just behind the Eagles' Brodrick Bunkley.

Carolina also drafted Troy defensive back Sherrod Martin in the second round, a move that will help bolster the defensive secondary. Martin should fill in nicely in a unit without the services of Lucas.

The third pick made by the Panthers was defensive tackle Corey Irvin out of the University of Georgia. Irvin will help anchor a defensive line that had a problem getting into the quarterback's face last season.

In the end, the Panthers have a tough season ahead of them. In the first three games Carolina jumps right into the frying pan, playing at home against Philadelphia, going on the road to Atlanta in Week Two, and then making a Monday night visit to the Dallas Cowboys in Week Three.

The Panthers wrap up the first quarter of the season against the Redskins after the Bye Week—the Bye Week that early is just stupid for any team.

The first quarter of the season is probably about the toughest for Carolina, and while they could start 4-0, I'm going to say they most likely take a loss to the Falcons, finishing the first quarter with a record of 3-1.

After the Bye Week, the Panthers have been a little sluggish lately at getting back into their groove. But the second quarter is a little less intimidating, with games against Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Arizona, and New Orleans.

The Panthers must face the Redskins first—I've already labeled the outcome, but the Bye Week inconveniently broke up the first quarter of games, so coming out of the Bye, I call delay of game—but it should be to Carolina's benefit, since they will face Washington in Charlotte.

Home crowd advantage is always nice, and the fans should have a winning record to cheer about.

Tampa Bay literally got stripped of almost everything this past offseason and is in a long-term rebuilding mode. New head coach, new defensive coordinator, new quarterbacks...the list goes on and on.

However, if Tampa Bay wants a shot at beating the Panthers, it's in Week Six when Carolina comes to town. The Panthers have a rough time playing the Bucs in Tampa.

Week Seven brings Buffalo to Charlotte. At this point, the Bills might have a better than even record with newly acquired receiver Terrell Owens. But that acquisition won't faze Carolina, as the defensive backfield should be able to cover Owens and make plays to keep the ball away from him.

Week Eight brings the rematch, a sort of grudge match if you will, when Arizona hosts the Panthers in the desert.

Arizona is going to be an interesting team to watch, after losing their head coach and offensive coordinator, I believe it was. Excuse me if I'm mistaken, but last year was the first time I had ever heard of the Cardinals, so I'm a little foggy when it comes to their coaching personnel.

I'm not foggy when it comes to the players—playmakers like Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Kurt Warner. They are the big three on that offense. But how it all works out now that some sideline personnel are not there anymore remains to be seen. Carolina travels well, and I'm giving this game to the Cats.

Going to New Orleans is never a pleasurable environment to play in. The crowd noise gets louder than any stadium in the league—ANY stadium in the league. Saints fans are the loudest bunch unless, of course, an unexpected chain of events unfolds—then you can hear a pin drop.

I hate calling losses against Carolina, but since the Saints are something of a question mark at this point of the offseason, I'm going to give them the win in this matchup. Not a great way for the Panthers to begin the third quarter, but they should recover nicely in the following weeks.

At the midway point of the season, Carolina finishes with a 2-2 record in this section, the Bucs delivering an opening second quarter loss to the Panthers, and New Orleans closing the quarter delivering Carolina their third loss of the season.

The third quarter of the season gets a little interesting. Carolina has two home games against Atlanta and Miami, a road trip to East Rutherford to play Rex Ryan's Jets, and then they're back home in Week 13 for a rematch against Tampa.

In Week 10, the Panthers host the Dirty Birds, Atlanta, in their second of two games. Atlanta may have won the first matchup, but Carolina takes this one, splitting the series.

After the win over the Falcons, the Cats will be licking their chops in anticipation of some Tuna—I mean the Dolphins come to Charlotte in Week 11. This game is something of a question mark to me. Not that I don't think the Panthers will win; they definitely should.

What high school gimmicky offensive game plan will the Dolphins think up this year? Granted, it worked for them last year and turned their season around, but how much longer can the Wildcat play sustain life in the NFL? It can't. The Panthers will have that play for breakfast, Tuna for lunch, and Dolphin for dinner. Corny, no?

I digress. I have to stop with the attempts at humor, if only to save whatever's left of my already questionable reputation.

Week 12 should be a relatively easy win for the Panthers, when they travel to East Rutherford, NJ to take on the New York Jets.

On a side note, if the Jets are having a bad season at this point, they will become the New York Rex—word play is just so much fun. This team really shouldn't give Carolina much of a problem offensively, as they will be starting a rookie quarterback in Mark Sanchez, a player whom I think will do better in his second year in the league.

The final game of the third quarter is a home game against the Buccaneers. At this point of the season, Tampa's been through a lot. They most likely will have slowed down and be somewhat banged up, and they'll be looking to play spoiler to any team with a shot at the playoffs.

The bright side, however, is this game is played in Charlotte, giving Carolina that home crowd boost, and so long as everything goes as planned, the whine—no, I meant wine—and cheesy crowd, myself included, should be quite satisfied with a Carolina victory over the much-hated Buccaneers.

The final quarter of the season could be about as tricky as the first quarter was. The first and fourth quarters of the Panthers' season can be compared to two pieces of stale bread, really: tough, chewy, and not the easiest to get through—a struggle, more or less.

At New England in December, hosting the Vikings, and then the NFL did the Panthers a huge favor, rescheduling the game against the Giants at the same time as last season!

Going to New England in December is probably the equivalent of the seventh circle of hell for any visiting team. The fans are obnoxious, more so than Eagles fans, but more interesting is that after Brady went down last season, their fans are just as phony as New England's Super Bowl rings!

The schedule makers did no favors for Carolina in the final quarter of the season. The game against Minnesota might be something of a respite compared to the other three games the Panthers must win.

The Panthers will be tested strongly by the Giants yet again, but they won't let the Giants off with a win this time. The tables have turned in favor of Carolina in this rematch, as they added a third member to the already potent rushing attack. They should slide past New York in the end, winning by no less than seven points.

The Panthers then wrap up what looks to be a winning season with a home game against the Saints. Carolina will take that game and add it to the win column

To keep matters plain and simple, I see the Panthers only losing to New England in the fourth quarter. Not bad for a team that is supposed to finish no better than 7-9 or 8-8. The reason for the loss to the Pats is simple: Tom Brady.

At the end of the season, the Panthers look to amass a winning record of 12-4, which, according to Eagles writer Dan Parzych, will put the Panthers behind the Eagles, who will have a record of 13-3, and an eventual date with Carolina in the NFC Championship, where I predict a Panthers win.

The Twists and Turns of Life: The Power of Desire

Eric Quackenbush — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:55:19 -0400

To start, this really isn't an article about my Panthers or Eagles; it's not going to be much of a sports article at all, really. But you who are reading this, I consider friends, and I wanted to share my recent experience with you.

On Thursday, July 2, I was officially laid off from my job in making big things little. I was a heavy equipment operator of six years, operating bulldozers, front-end loaders and such. I loaded chunks of concrete and asphalt into a crusher plant to make a recycled material that could be, well, reused.

Back in April, for those of you who may not know, I was accepted into Penn State University. At that time, I really wanted to be laid off from my job, as the business was very slow, and I wanted to start concentrating on getting ready for college, getting into football shape and writing on Bleacher Report.

My ideal time frame for getting laid off was over the summer, as I really didn't want to spend another winter in the windy dust-land that was the yard I worked in. I set my mind to being laid off in the summer or early fall.

Then a new opportunity was presented by Bleacher Report. A correspondent gig through CBS to cover the team of my choice, the Carolina Panthers, of course, beginning in July. At that news, I had set in my mind that whether I was laid off or not, if offered, I would accept the job from CBS.

Another reason I wanted to lose my job is because I can now get in better condition to try out for the Penn State football team. I have always wanted to play football, but never had the opportunity. At this point, I am not really trying out for any one position in particular. Though I am one hell of a punter, I just want to make the team.

The amazing thing is how when you really want something, if you put your mind to it, you really can move mountains. I never thought leaving my job and getting ready for college and whatever other opportunities may arise would be so easy.

In the end, whether I get the gig as a Carolina Panthers correspondent for CBS Sports, I still have six months in the meantime to get conditioned for football, and I will have a lot of time to write about the two teams I love like family: The Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles.

In August, I will be going to Bethlehem, PA, for a weekend of watching one of the best football teams in the league, the Philadelphia Eagles. While there, I am going to do something that, until now, I have never had the opportunity to do. For one weekend, I will be a self-appointed Philadelphia Eagles correspondent for Bleacher Report.

I will try to get any quotes I can, as well as interview fans at random, to get their take on the upcoming season as well as their thoughts on the team's draft day and expectations.

Stay tuned, Bleacher Report readers, as I am about to delve into an area I have no prior professional experience with. And unlike last preseason, I won't wear a Panthers jersey this time.

Panthers Sign Two Draft Picks

Eric Quackenbush — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:41:40 -0400

As reported by Panthers beat reporter Steve Reed of carolinagrowl.com:

The Carolina Panthers signed two of their fourth-round draft picks, running back Mike Goodson of Texas A&M and fullback Tony Fiammetta, the team announced Friday.

So far Carolina has signed three of its seven draft picks, defensive back Captain Munnerlyn from the University of South Carolina being the first signee.

Mike Goodson played in 36 games with 14 starts and twice led Texas A&M in rushing before entering the NFL Draft following his junior season. He compiled 1,964 career rushing yards on 374 carries for an average of 5.3 yards per attempt and 13 touchdowns. Also a capable receiver, Goodson registered 90 catches for 860 yards and seven touchdowns.

In his junior season, Goodson started in seven-of-10 games, finishing first with the Aggies with 406 yards and five touchdowns on 94 attempts. Part of a three-back attack in 2007, Goodson put up 711 yards and four touchdowns on 153 carries.

Goodson earned honorable All Big 12 recognition as a freshman in 2006 after ranking first on the team with a career-best 847 yards on four touchdowns on 127 attempts despite starting just one game.

At Syracuse, Tony Fiammetta played in 45 games with 18 starts at fullback with the Orangemen. He finished his career with 16 rushes for 89 yards and 28 receptions for 202 yards and a touchdown.

He made his reputation, however, as a fierce blocker, making 108 knockdown blocks during his junior and senior seasons. Fiammetta also served as a team captain his senior season when he started 10-of-11 games and notched seven touchdown-resulting blocks to go along with 66 yards rushing on five carries and 16 catches for 127 yards and a touchdown.

Of Note: The Panthers waived long snapper Patrick MacDonald and defensive tackle Babatunde Oshinowo. Both players were signed as free agents during the offseason in January.

Tennessee Titans: Duo of "Smash and Dash" is SO "Last Year"

Eric Quackenbush — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:41:06 -0400

It's about time that the moniker of "Smash and Dash" was dropped. After last season's controversy between the Titans' Twins and the Panthers' Pals as to which team's running backs held the rights to the name, Chris Johnson decided to divorce himself from LenDale White.

Surprisingly, his motive to rid himself of the nickname was not fueled by the controversy last season, but because he wanted his own nickname, and didn't want to play second fiddle to LenDale White's "Smash."

Johnson's new nickname, "Every Coach's Dream," is the not-so-humble handle he came up with.

"I have to be my own guy; so no more Smash-and-Dash, that was last year," Johnson said. "Every Coach's Dream, that's me. Because they say every team has it's own identity. I feel for me, I can't be noticed as a group any more. I am my own guy."

The poor part of Johnson's decision,was that he made the initial announcement on Twitter, without the input or courtesy of informing teammate LenDale White of his desire. He also Tweets that "Lendale White is upset mad he don't know to accept that we are split up."

How terrible it must be, to see LenDale upset mad.

Is it just me, or is a player's production on the field more important than a ridiculous nickname? Perhaps Johnson has been in touch with Chad Ochocinco—someone less of a coach's dream.

Ernest "Ernie" Davis: The Elmira Express

Eric Quackenbush — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:50:35 -0400

Everyone is at least familiar with the name Jim Brown. Most folks are familiar with the name Floyd Little.

Not many are too familiar with the name Ernest Davis, or Ernie, as he was known among his friends.

Davis was born in New Salem, Pennsylvania, Dec. 14, 1939. He spent his early years in the Pittsburgh Coalfield after moving to industrial Uniontown, Pa.

His parents separated just before his father died in an accident, and he was raised by his grandparents until he reached 12 years of age, when he moved with his mother and new stepfather to Elmira, NY.

Davis played in Elmira's Small Fry Football League for the Superior Buicks and was named a Small Fry All-Star in 1952 and 1953. He was also an All-Star basketball player in grade school.

Throughout his high school career at Elmira Free Academy, Davis' talent on the football field began to shine. He was named the Elmira Player of the Year and a high school All-American in both his junior and senior years. He also did well in varsity basketball and baseball while excelling academically.

While many universities were not offering scholarships to black athletes in those days, colleges from around the country watched Davis' high school career closely, and more than 50 offered him scholarships.

During his senior year, one of the schools that came calling on Davis was Syracuse University. Syracuse's All-Star running back Jim Brown had just been signed by the Cleveland Browns of the NFL, leaving the Orangemen without a marquee runner.

At the time, Syracuse head coach Ben Schwarzwalder requested Brown to help recruit the young prospect, asking that he do and say whatever it took to get Davis to commit to Syracuse.

It took very little to get Davis, a huge fan of Jim Brown, to commit to Syracuse, where he played football and gained national fame for three seasons (1959-1961), twice earning first team All-America honors.

As a sophomore in 1959, Davis led Syracuse to the NCAA Division I-A football national championship—the only football championship to this day won by the school—ending an undefeated season with a 23-14 win over the University of Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Davis was voted Most Valuable Player of the 1960 Cotton Bowl and 1961 Liberty Bowl.

In his junior year, Davis set a record of 7.8 yards per carry and was the third leading rusher in the country with 877 yards. He ran for 100 yards or more in six of nine games.

The country was far from a perfect place when Davis was in college. Racism was still very widespread and common in the South during his Cotton Bowl visit. At a banquet following the 1959 game, Davis was told he could accept his award, but was required to leave the segregated facility. Davis refused, and his teammates, mostly white, boycotted the banquet.

In 1961, Davis accomplished another milestone when he became the first black athlete to be awarded the Heisman Trophy following his senior-year season at Syracuse. President John F. Kennedy had followed Davis' career and requested to meet him while he was in New York to receive the trophy.

Davis was selected No. 1 overall in the 1962 NFL draft, becoming the first black football player to be taken first overall.

He was selected by the Washington Redskins, but his rights were then traded to the Cleveland Browns. He was also drafted by the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League.

Davis signed a three-year, $200,000 contract with the Browns in late December 1961 while in San Francisco, Calif., practicing for the East-West Shrine Game. Originally reported at $80,000, the contract consisted of $80,000 for playing football, including a $15,000 signing bonus, $60,000 for ancillary rights, such as image marketing, and $60,000 for offseason employment.

At the time, it was the most lucrative contract for an NFL rookie. However, the Browns' dream of teaming Davis with Jim Brown in the backfield took a tragic turn when Davis was diagnosed with leukemia during preparations for the 1962 College All-Star Game.

Davis never played a down of professional football. He only once appeared before a crowd at Cleveland Stadium, where he ran onto the field during a 1962 preseason game as a spotlight followed him.

Around the time that Davis was recognized by the Cleveland franchise, he had been requested by a newspaper editor to write an article. After having done so, he followed up his article with a letter to the publication's editor, Mr. Tom Martin, of The Saturday Evening Post.

"Yesterday was my 23rd birthday. Compared to some, that doesn't seem like a whole lot of life to talk about. Thing is, I don't know how much more is in front of me. I'm not sure how to end this or even if I want to.

It's funny, most people think my life has been all about football. I've even thought that myself. But football is just a game. What matters, is what you play for.

Sometimes, when the game is close and everything is on the line, that's when you forget the crowd and the noise. That's when it's just you against somebody else, to see who is the better man. That's what I like about the game. Because at that moment, you're friends and you're enemies...and you're brothers."

Ernie Davis died at the age of 23 on May 18, 1963, of acute monocytic leukemia. Ten Thousand people attended his funeral, where a telegram from President Kennedy was read, in which Kennedy said of Davis:

"He was an outstanding young man of great character who served—and, my hope is, will continue to serve—as an inspiration to the young people of this country."

Davis was a member of The Pigskin Club of Washington, D.C., National Intercollegiate All-American Football Players Honor Roll. He was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979.

Although Davis never played a down in the NFL, the Cleveland Browns retired his No. 45 jersey.

On November 12, 2005, Syracuse University retired the No. 44, in recognition of former running backs Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, and Floyd Little, all of whom made their mark in Syracuse football history wearing No. 44.

Injury Update: Panthers RB Stewart Will Be Ready for Training Camp

Eric Quackenbush — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:45:41 -0400

Original story reported by Steve Reed at carolinagrowl.com.

Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart said that while a sore left Achilles caused him to miss all of the Panthers' organized team activities (OTAs), he should be ready to practice when training camp arrives in August.

The injury spawned from Stewart's overcompensation for a toe problem that slowed him down before his first season in Carolina.

"It just kind of flared up," he said. "I'm pretty much staying off of it, to just kind of let it heal."

Stewart, who ran for 836 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, has not participated in any practices for the last four weeks, but did take part in in the conditioning sprints Tuesday that marked the conclusion of this year's OTAs. He appeared to be close to 100 percent, considering the fast pace at which he ran.

The Panthers are off until they report for training camp on August second.

"Oh yeah, I’m going to be up and running when camp starts," Stewart said. "Unfortunately I missed out on minicamp. But I’ll be ready."

This marks the second straight year Stewart has missed OTAs, but if Stewart's performance last season was any indication of what we should expect this season, I doubt it will be a problem.

Last year Stewart wasn't allowed by the NFL or NCAA to participate in OTAs, as his academic school year at the University of Oregon hadn't been completed. Nonetheless, Stewart would not have been able to participate in OTAs, because he was still recovering from toe surgery at the time.

The fact that he's missed the team's activities in consecutive years wasn't lost on his teammates, either.

"You’re going to take teasing," said Stewart, flashing a bashful smile. "They’re out there busting their butt with me just sitting on the sideline for the second year in a row. I’m really taking the heat for that."

However, Stewart said he was thankful to at least be present at OTAs this year to keep up on the playbook.

He was often seen sticking his head in the huddle just to get the playcall.

"Definitely just being in tune with the play-calling and stuff like that helps," Stewart said. "Terminology is something I definitely know now. The rookies that came in this year, it’s weird that they’re all older than me, but they’re still called rookies. Being able to help them out and saying plays in my head and actually be accountable to them, try to teach them … it’s another learning point, I guess."

Stewart said he doesn’t plan to make a habit of missing the OTAs in the future.

"The opportunity of learning stuff on the field, running plays, and getting in tune with the feel of the game at this level, that’s something I’ve definitely missed out on," he said. "But it is what it is. Like (running backs) coach Jim Skipper says, I have to use whatever’s available to me to the best of my ability."

Carolina Panthers: Comings and Goings

Eric Quackenbush — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:54:11 -0400

In 2001, the Panthers added a player to their team who came with very little fanfare, but left as a fan-favorite in 2009.

Nick Goings never said much during his eight years with the Carolina Panthers, but his actions spoke loud for those inside Bank of America Stadium.

"Nick made the most of his talent and was one of the most popular players in the locker room and among the coaching staff. You look for people who are accountable, and Nick was that," said head coach John Fox.

Despite his quiet nature, Goings was one of the more active pranksters among the players.

"He didn't say much, but he was always good for a practical joke and laugh," said quarterback Jake Delhomme. "We are going to miss him."

When Goings arrived in Carolina in 2001, he wasn't expected to last beyond the team's return to Charlotte from Spartanburg, SC.

Goings was not a standout starter in college, as his career at Ohio State fizzled and he wound up playing backup to Kevin Barlow at Pittsburgh.

Barlow was drafted in the third round in 2001 by the San Francisco 49ers, while Goings signed with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent.

A longshot, he persevered to make the team and rushed for 86 yards on 25 attempts in a reserve role in a season opening upset of the Vikings in Minnesota.

That was the highlight of the year for Goings and the Panthers, a season that saw Carolina finish 1-15; a season that, in the end, resulted in a coaching change, ushering in the John Fox era.

Goings' niche as a role player and special teams standout caught the eye of Fox in his first season as Panthers head coach.

His role did not change for the next two-and-a-half years, until injuries sidelined running backs Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster midway through the 2004 season, and Goings was thrust into the starting lineup.

Goings responded in heroic fashion, with five 100-yard games in six starts, including a team record four in a row, which DeAngelo Williams tied last season.

In a December game against New Orleans, he carried 36 times, a team record that still stands, and finished the season with 821 yards rushing.

It was almost enough to thrust the Panthers into the playoffs, but when Davis and Foster returned the next season, Goings remained on the depth chart at running back. Once again, injuries put him in play in the playoffs, where he gained 97 yards against the New York Giants and Chicago.

More than half his career rushing total of 1,470 yards came in the half season of '04, but his yardage still ranks seventh best in team history. His 110 receptions are 10th on the team's career list, as are his 105 games played. On special teams, he ranks fifth with 53 career tackles.

Although he might have been unassuming in his arrival, Goings' contributions were loud and clear upon his departure.

Story shared from the Carolina Panthers official publication, Roar.

Tampa Bay GM Mark Dominik: Team Has No Interest in Vick

Eric Quackenbush — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 09:12:01 -0400

In an NFL.com news release, Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik stated Tampa Bay has no interest in the services of Michael Vick.

On the same day that quarterback Michael Vick was released by the Atlanta Falcons, a team known for collecting quarterbacks declared that it had no interest in Vick.

Tampa Bay General Manager Mark Dominik said that the Buccaneers would not be pursuing Vick, the Tampa Tribune reported on Friday.

"We weigh every option when it comes to players and I can honestly say we've done our due diligence on Michael Vick and we're not interested," said Bucs GM Mark Dominik.

Tampa Bay has Byron Leftwich, Luke McCown, and draft pick Josh Freeman battling for the starting job at quarterback, with veteran Brian Griese and Josh Johnson also on the roster. Coach Raheem Morris said it's an open competition and didn't rule out Freeman winning the job.

"Our starting quarterback has to be decided on the field of play and I'm not ruling out anyone," Morris said. "I'm not ruling out the guy sitting here to my right (Freeman). We're trying to win right now. My job is to win and I plan on doing it. We have a vision and we do have a plan. You cannot be a great team until you have a great quarterback. We want to develop here the same feeling Indianapolis has about Peyton Manning."

Notorious in Carolina: What Is with the Hating on Panthers QB Jake Delhomme?

Eric Quackenbush — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 09:01:55 -0400

Where to begin? I have never seen a fanbase, writers, the media, or even that casual observer hate a quarterback as much as Jake Delhomme.

I am going to try and keep this as light as possible, so please excuse me if I get a little heated at times.

Delhomme is not the poster child of the kind of quarterback a team wants to have, although he does make up for what he lacks in other areas. Delhomme's leadership, competitive nature, and selflessness are intangibles that one doesn't learn.

After the worst game of his career, Delhomme shouldered the entire blame of the team's and coaching staff's shortcomings. That's integrity. That's also Delhomme being selfish, taking all the credit for a terrible, overall team performance.

I know that Delhomme finished just above dead middle (15th overall) in the quarterback rankings for 2008, but he wasn't in bad company. Names like Eli Manning, Jason Campbell, Matt Ryan, and Super Bowl winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger accompany his name in the less-than-stellar rankings.

Delhomme finished ranked 15th overall among quarterbacks, completing 246-of-414 passes for a rating of 59.4 percent; 3,288 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and an overall quarterback rating 84.7.

I'm not saying Roethlisberger is a bad quarterback, and I'm not trying to say that Delhomme is better than Big Ben, but their respective numbers are interestingly similar.

The Steelers' running game was somewhat of a non-factor in 2008 and Pittsburgh had to throw the ball more than run it. The Panthers on the other hand, stayed healthy in their ground game, and relied on that more than Jake's arm, whenever possible.

Roethlisberger finished with a 14th overall quarterback rank—one spot higher than Delhomme—completing 281-of-469 passes for a rating of 59.9 percent, five-tenths of a percent better than Delhomme. Roethlisberger threw for 3,301 yards, 17 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, and an overall quarterback rating of 80.1.

Again, don't take this out of context as me saying Delhomme is better than Roethlisberger or something ridiculous like that. I am merely using Roethlisberger as the measuring stick of success, as he guided the Steelers to their sixth Super Bowl title.

At some point the fans, media, us writers, and the casual observer need to get one thing in their head: Jake Delhomme is a game manager. He's not the Brett Favre gunslinger, nor is he the Tom Brady or Peyton Manning—Peyton Manning or Tom Brady ( I don't want to upset anyone debating which QB is better) of precision. Delhomme's a game manager.

As soon as everyone gets back to that mindset, and takes Delhomme off the pedestal you have put him on, the more you'll begin to like and appreciate Jake for who he is. He will never live up to your expectations of greatness if you hold the bar too high.

To me, Delhomme is a solid quarterback. He's been instrumental in this team's success since 2003, having played a part in Carolina's going to the Super Bowl in 2003, the NFC Championship—albeit a loss—in 2005, and the 12-4 season we just witnessed in 2008, with a playoff loss I have been ready to move on from for almost five months now.

When you look at his overall career as a Panther, wins and losses, he finishes with an average quarterback rating of 84.6. Not the worst rating in the world, but it's higher than a middle-of-the-road rating.

Delhomme has also never thrown for more than 16 interceptions in a season. In 2003, (Super Bowl season) Delhomme threw 16 interceptions, and in 2005 (Playoff season with a loss to Seattle in the NFC Conference Championship game) he threw 16 interceptions.

Delhomme's been under the gun since he took the team to the Super Bowl in '03, and understandably so. We want a Super Bowl title in Charlotte!

2009 is going to be a season to remember. The Panthers should go the distance—deeper into the playoffs than 2008, and whichever team they face in the NFC Championship game will have their hands full.

So let's everyone give Delhomme a break. Stop hating on him so much. You're tirelessly trying to draw blood from a stone. The Panthers have him signed up for five more years, and with the guaranteed money in his contract, expect to see him in a Panthers uniform for at least three more of those five years.

Carolina Panthers Have Accepted the Idea of Life Without Peppers

Eric Quackenbush — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:30:35 -0400

I might as well get this out in the open, as everyone needs to at least get used to the idea that Julius Peppers may not be a suit up for the Carolina Panthers this season, nor will he be on a different team, perhaps until next season.

The Panthers have done a great job this offseason of masking the fact and the idea that Peppers will sit out the 2009 season, all because he hasn't been traded to a team of his choosing.

For anyone who can't read the blatantly obvious writing on the wall, the Panthers have mentally moved on, casting Peppers into football's version of limbo.

Carolina tried anything it could to keep Peppers and appease his wants by offering everything short of switching the entire defensive style to a 3-4 scheme.

Last season Carolina offered Peppers a lucrative contract extension that would have made him the highest paid defensive end in the league. Peppers turned down the team's offer.

During the regular season, Peppers performed exceptionally well, compared to previous seasons, having his best season in Carolina yet.

Life was great. Carolina was the happening place to be, rubbing elbows among the elite franchises in the league with a 12-4 record, a top-three rushing backfield, the best offensive line in the league and a great run-stopping defense.

Then, on that dreadful rainy night in Charlotte after a 33-13 drubbing from the Arizona Cardinals, the walls began to crumble.

A pillar in the Panthers' defense stated he wanted out of Carolina. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it, Peppers was looking for the exit sign to leave Carolina.

Without missing a beat, the Panthers regrouped from the postseason loss, and moved on to the offseason.

The offseason saw a few contract renegotiations and saw at least one popular face, running back and special teams player Nick Goings, get released.

There were other casualties. Ken Lucas, who underachieved and was about as inconsistent from game-to-game and season-to-season as Julius Peppers has been, was one of the characters who the Panthers decided it was in the team's best interest they part ways, after Lucas turned down a trade to Detroit.

Out of a very quiet offseason, the Panthers did sign offensive tackle Jordan Gross to a very nice and understandable contract extension, while slapping the franchise tag on now disgruntled Julius Peppers.

If Peppers didn't want to reamain in Carolina, at the very least he was going to become trade bait.

There were a few nibbles on Peppers from around the league from teams like New England, Denver, Dallas and the rest of the usual suspects. Peppers refusal to sign his franchise tender, and a lack of salary cap space on the aforementioned teams, left a feeling of helplessness in the air.

I thought the Panthers would lower their asking price of Peppers come draft day but I was wrong.

At this point everything becomes cloudy, and that is due to the expert deception the Panthers are giving the media and fans, making Patriots-like statements that Peppers will be ready to play come the start of regular season. Meanwhile everyone in the front office who needs to know, is uncertain of the return of Peppers.

After seeing the Panthers' draft day, I call "bull crap" on the front office.

Once again, us fans watched the Panthers mortgage away next year's first round draft pick to move up in the second round and select Florida State defensive end Everette Brown, adding to the promising, already-talented defensive line.

I will not bat an eye when the Panthers have no other choice than to rescind the franchise tag on Peppers, and let him go of his own free will to sign with whatever team he chooses.

If it doesn't go that way, the Panthers will assuredly let him go at the end of the season.

With promising talent like defensive end Charles Johnson, a third-round selection in the 2007 draft and the likelihood Brown will be looking to make an immediate impact, the Panthers have little use for an overpriced player like Peppers, when they can get the same or better performance for less cost.

The Panthers explicitly expressed by there actions that this year's draft was to bolster the depth and talent on the defensive side of the ball. They accounted for who they already have: The keepers, maybes, doubtfuls and those who are no longer with the team.

Peppers was accounted for on the doubtful list.

Don't believe everything you hear, even when it's from the horse's mouth. The Panthers are doing their best not to let Peppers and the media attention he has drawn become a distraction to what they are trying to build on from last season.

The question is, what team will we see Peppers playing for in the next year?

The NFL's Five Most Anticipated Games of the 2009 Season

Eric Quackenbush — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 14:17:46 -0400

I have officially hit something of a writer's block, so I haven't been very active in the Bleacher Report community in the recent past. During my hiatus I've been watching YouTube videos, selling and bidding for stuff on eBay, and playing football; all the while not being able to come up with anything to write about. I was stymied to say the least. Today I was looking at the NFL schedule, and that's when a thought occurred to me: There are a few very interesting games on the schedule this season, and it would behoove me to come up with a little preview and analysis on what to expect. I'm not going to be a homer and pick all Panthers games in this one, though the Panthers do have some potentially exciting games this season, but this is geared toward the casual or beginner NFL fan. Here are my five most anticipated games of 2009.

Begin Slideshow

Carolina Panthers: Smart Changes While Maintaining Continuity

Eric Quackenbush — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:06:54 -0400

There have been few changes to the Carolina Panthers as a whole this offseason, but the few minuscule changes that were made should make an immediate impact.

The biggest addition to the Panthers this offseason was the hiring of defensive coordinator Ron Meeks and the release of former defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac.

With Trgovac, the Panthers defense was looking stale. He ran a very conservative style of defense and the Panthers looked to have lost their aggressive defensive play from the 2003 Super Bowl season.

The Panthers had a pedestrian defensive secondary a lot of times during the 2008 campaign. The defensive front, while powerful, had problems closing the gaps to stop good running teams.

Under new defensive coordinator Ron Meeks, look for the Panthers to employ a more aggressive style of attack on the defensive line, and more tight coverage in the secondary. Ron Meeks knows how to build a solid defense and make it perform well.

Other issues addressed by the Panthers in the offseason were the re-signing of offensive tackle Jordan Gross to a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract, making Gross one of the highest paid offensive linemen in the NFL.

Gross played a big part in the strength of the Panthers offensive line in ‘08. With the club re-signing him in the offseason, they all but assured continued success in the running game and pass protection for quarterback Jake Delhomme.

The question for the Panthers is, will they be able to add any depth to the offensive line?

They have their starting five on the line and they drafted Duke Robinson from Oklahoma. But he, like last year's picks (Mackenzy Bernadeau and Geoff Schwartz), has no NFL game experience.

Another order of business addressed by the organization was the releasing of cornerback Ken Lucas and fan favorite, running back Nick Goings.

Lucas, who underperformed a lot in 2008, was somewhat of an expected departure. His age and lack of consistency weighed heavily on the Panthers front office.

With talent like Chris Gamble, Richard Marshall, and Dante Wesley waiting to move up on the depth chart, the Panthers could afford to let Lucas go, while also freeing up much needed cap space.

In the 2009 draft, the Panthers also added depth to the defensive backfield, with talented corners Sherrod Martin of Troy University and Captain Munnerlyn of the University of South Carolina. Martin could very easily make a case for being second or third on the depth chart.

Nick Goings, a solid special teams player and reliable backup running back in 2005, was not foreseen by most fans as a potential candidate for the Panthers’ unemployment line. But as fate and the lack of salary cap space would have it, we saw Goings get released this year.

The Panthers drafted running back Mike Goodson, who could get some looks at the slot receiver position, or be used in kick return or punt return duties among receiver Ryne Robinson and Sherrod Martin.

The Panthers also negotiated with quarterback Jake Delhomme on a new five-year contract to assure the position would be occupied by an experienced and accomplished individual who has been a strong leader and competitor for this team since he first took over the position in 2002.

The biggest question mark for Delhomme will be whether the chip he carries on his shoulder and the lingering bad taste he's held in his mouth from his atrocious performance against the Cardinals in the playoffs translates to his playmaking abilities on the field.

Now two years removed from Tommy John surgery, Delhomme, with new quarterbacks coach Rip Scherer, should show a vast improvement in accuracy, ball handling, and decision making.

The elephant in the middle of the room that is Julius Peppers, is the Panthers last matter of major importance right now.

Peppers, a first round draft choice in 2002, a fan favorite, and native North Carolinian, was placed under the team’s franchise tag just before the start of the free agency period.

To this date, he has still not signed his franchise tender of $16.7 million, leaving the Panthers to make alternate plans by drafting defensive end Everette Brown out of Florida State.

Until Peppers signs his franchise tender, don’t look for him in training camp, on the practice field, in uniform on Sundays, or on another team’s roster. Most likely, Peppers will sit out the 2009 season, though there remains a slim chance he may sign his franchise deal and play in 2009.

Everything else looks to be in place for the Panthers this season, which are returning 21 of last year’s 22 starters. This season looks to have a difficult schedule with formidable opposition. Carolina needs all the talent it can get.

What Others View As an Obsession, Is Merely a Hobby

Eric Quackenbush — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:49:34 -0400

My brother and I have something in common: among other things, we're both fanatics of the Carolina Panthers.

I spent a beautiful Memorial Day weekend at my bro's in Maryland. The weather was great, food was excellent, and one can never go wrong spending time with family. These liberties and more, we have, thanks to our men and women in the armed forces.

Fortunately for me, my brother has the NFL Network, and being that he lives closer to North Carolina than I do, his chances of seeing a live Panthers game far exceed mine. Thank goodness he tapes any game he can on TV.

While visiting, I got to see the game against the Chargers, Packers, the Monday night game against Tampa Bay, the Sunday night game (and bitter loss) to the New York Giants, the preseason game against the Eagles (I was at that game), and a game against the Ravens from a few years ago.

For those games that my brother is unable to watch, we'll chat online. I have the Field Pass from the Panthers' Web site, so I can listen to their games every week. What I wind up doing is patching the broadcast through the chat service to him.

We've had some great games to listen to, and then there were those few losses that made for a disappointing evening, at which we would console one another that they'd win next week.

In between Sundays, holidays, the end of regular season to the beginning of preseason, and over the years my brother and I collect Panthers memorabilia; most notably, their game worn jerseys.

I was thrilled with the first three game worn jerseys I got. My bro hooked me up with them, and I still have them to this day: wide receiver Karl Hankton, tight end Michael Gaines, and running back Eric Shelton.

I have also hooked my brother up with a few jerseys: cornerback Ken Lucas, wide receiver Anthony Bright, and quarterback David Carr.

His collection still outnumbers mine, but I've been building on mine for a long time now, and I'm slowly catching up to his numbers. I've likened this collecting of jerseys as the adult version of collecting football or baseball cards.

While I currently have 15 game worn jerseys, I also have 17 of the Panthers practice jerseys, three pairs of game worn pants, media guides, yearbooks, hats, blankets, pillows, books, and other collectibles.

I ask myself however, "When and where does it end?" I don't think it ever will. I have surmounted a rather impressive collection of game worn jerseys, and thus far I see no end in sight as to when I will no longer collect jerseys.

Names like Jeff King, Kindal Moorehead, Reggie Howard, Eugene Baker, and Rashard Anderson make up some of my game worn jersey collection, while the jerseys of Ken Lucas, Dante Rosario, Chris Gamble, Keary Colbert, and J.T. O'Sullivan are among those in my practice jersey collection.

These aren't things that I say prove me to be a Panthers fan (that's what my Panthers tattoo is for); just one who has become borderline obsessed with anything Panthers I can get.

It's very interesting however, what fans of various teams do collect. While my one brother has an awesome Panthers display of jerseys and player figurines, my other brother has a really cool Eagles shrine of race cars, key chains, and wall hangings.

I have a closet full of game worn jerseys and pants. I don't really have the room to have such a shrine as my brothers have, but when I do have the room, it will be filled with framed jerseys, helmets, and anything Panthers I have collected over the years.

What started out so small and innocent has become greater as it has infinitely captured my interest. But I do enjoy it, and while I don't let it interfere with responsibilities that take precedence, I don't mind making trades or buying something when I have a little extra money to put towards my hobby.

It's amazing what once started out as football trading cards, pictures, and stuff of the like has become jerseys, pants, helmets, and cleats. At some point I imagine I will have enough jerseys to suit up a football team.

But for now, it's one jersey at a time, when finances allow for it.

My next investment will be the grandiose of Panthers jerseys. My biggest investment will be the day I have a room for the sole purpose of displaying the fruits of my labor and years of collecting.

I am a Panthers fan, and what others may view as an obsession, is really nothing more than a hobby to me.

15 Minutes With Carolina Panthers Quarterback Jake Delhomme

Eric Quackenbush — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:35:05 -0400

Ever since he led the Panthers to the Super Bowl, I have been a strong supporter of quarterback Jake Delhomme.

He's performed well when needed, but he's also suffered in plays that left me thinking, "What in the world was that?"

Delhomme brings intangibles to the Panthers huddle, and that's probably what attracts me to him the most as a fan; his fiery competitive nature and leadership qualities are becoming in what I prefer in a quarterback.

Here are some questions for the Panthers' quarterback:

1. Coming off the most lopsided loss in Panthers postseason history, what has been your plan of attack to better your passing game and ball handling skills?

2. From a spectator's point of view, I found you're shouldering the entire blame for the loss a very noble and respectable gesture of sportsmanship. With the additions the Panthers have made to the coaching staff, how do you feel new quarterbacks coach Rip Scherer's techniques will help to improve your game?

3. Tell me what your typical game day preparations consist of. Do you do anything for luck, is there anything you do to ward off bad luck?

4. How does it feel to have proven yourself as an athlete, competitor, and leader; going from the NFL Europe, to backup quarterback with the Saints, and then starting quarterback for the Panthers?

5. The demands and challenges of the NFL are extreme. How do you mentally and physically prepare yourself during the regular season? How does that preparation differ during the offseason?

6. If you could spend a day with anyone in the world, who would you spend the day with?

7. What advice would you offer to the younger athletes who are still in college or preparing for college?

8. Do you feel that Carolina is where you were lead to play football? Is there a team you would have rather played for?

9. What makes the chemistry of this team more special than other teams you've been on?

10. How do you feel the Panthers will fare against their respective opponents this season, division and non-division?

Philadelphia Eagles' Jim Johnson Takes a Leave of Absence

Eric Quackenbush — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:32:34 -0400

Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson has taken an indefinite leave of absence because of a cancerous tumor on his spine.

"Jim and I agreed that he needs to concentrate all of his efforts on his recovery," Eagles coach Andy Reid said Monday. "His health is number one."

In 2001, Johnson was treated for melanoma. Following the Eagles' loss to the Cardinals, the team announced the cancer had returned.

"He's struggling," Reid said Monday. "But he's a tough guy and a true battler."

Johnson had recovered enough to to coach from a motorized scooter during the team's first post-draft minicamp earlier this month, but he wasn't sure if he could return to the field for the upcoming season.

"It's too early to tell," Johnson said on May 2. "I'm taking this one day at a time or one camp at a time. I'll just keep working at it, and as long as I can hold my work schedule, I'll feel fine, and we'll just see how it goes."

Reid said he hopes Johnson will be able to return to the team soon.

Johnson, known for his aggressive defensive style and blitzing defenses, played a significant role in the team's success over the last decade. The Eagles finished third in total defense and fourth in points allowed after advancing to the NFC Championship game for the fifth time in the last 10 seasons.

"I hope everyone will keep him in their thoughts and prayers during this period of time," Reid said.

Not to worry coach Reid, we will.

This Fan Doesn't Mind That the Carolina Panthers May Be Out of Peppers

Eric Quackenbush — Sun, 17 May 2009 21:55:24 -0400

There's an old saying that goes, "You're only as strong as your weakest link."

The way I've seen things in recent years with the Panthers, the performance of Jake Delhomme has way overshadowed that of Julius Peppers.

Julius Peppers, a former first round draft pick of the Carolina Panthers, has underperformed his entire career.

If you break down each season, Peppers has been mediocre at best. He's had spikes in performances from game-to-game and season-to-season.

The rest of the time has been drops in production, his worst year being in 2007, where he garnered two-and-a-half sacks, 38 total tackles, and five passes defensed.

In his time with the Panthers, Peppers has averaged just over 10 sacks per season. Nothing impressive, but fairly productive; certainly not worth $17 million for one season.

Peppers has also produced an average of 47 tackles per season, which is being generous, considering that three out of those seven years he was under 47 total tackles.

For those who think that the absence of Julius Peppers will weigh heavily on the outcome of the Panthers season, I assure you that will not be the case.

For the other half who say "Okay, the Panthers season will weigh more heavily on the play and decision making of Jake Delhomme," I say not necessarily.

When I look at Peppers' career as a Panther, I am disappointed. So far, the three best seasons he turned in while in Carolina, were 2004, 2006, and 2008.

If anything, the Panthers have been cheated by Peppers since the year after his rookie season. He has not lived up to nor exceeded expectations consistently, to warrant the lucrative contracts he's signed his name to.

Now Peppers has the Panthers in a corner. Until he signs his franchise tender, he holds all the marbles, unless the Panthers rescind the franchise tag and kick Peppers to the curb, which I would applaud them for doing so.

Up to this point, Jake Delhomme has also been more of a team player than the highly coveted Julius Peppers, who has in effect, been holding the Panthers hostage over a franchise tender that will pay him more than one million dollars a game in 2009!

Delhomme restructured his deal shortly after the start of the offseason to help free up cap space, and then later on before the draft, he signed a restructured contract that would help free up more space for the Panthers, since Peppers has been hell-bent and stubborn to get whatever he can from holding management hostage.

This shows me that Peppers, while idolized by most Panthers fans, is a man who is all about himself, is worried about his best interest, what's in it for him, and how does he benefit?

Peppers is a financial, moral, and under-performing hindrance on this franchise; he is not a team player.

Peppers can be likened to a primadonna with his unwillingness to contribute for the overall cause of what this team is setting forth to accomplish every year. His greed and stubbornness have engulfed him, and those who can't come to the realization that the Panthers are better off without Peppers, are being bamboozled.

Like any aspect in life, whether it's a person, an organization; the smallest entity of a life form to the largest conglomeration of free enterprise, change is not necessarily a bad thing.

The thought of Julius Peppers leaving the Panthers, whether by trade or in the form of a release, does not concern me in the least bit. I welcome that change.

His presence has become nothing short of a cancer to the fanbase, and it will soon eat at the locker room as the season draws near, creating what could be a huge distraction to otherwise productive hopes on a season where a lot of jobs are on the line yet again.

I am ready to see what the new class of Panthers will bring to the team, and how they will congeal with who is already in place to contribute to making this team better than it was last season and the season before.

The Panthers don't need an adverse disruption from a member who is in it for himself and wants to make a scene while collecting his inflated salary.

My message to team owner Jerry Richardson and GM Marty Hurney, with whom I hold the utmost respect: Keep Charlotte clean. Do your part to put inflated egos where they belong.

The NFC South's Ranking Among the Divisions: Penthouse or Outhouse?

Eric Quackenbush — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:51:44 -0400

Every fan knows that their division is the toughest. That's why we're called fans. We're fans of the game, our teams, and our divisions.

With regards to any one specific team, no true fan is a fan of an opposing inner-division team, with respect for a team or respect for an opposing player being somewhat of an exception to that rule.

But when an opposing division is compared to my division, the NFC South, as a fan like any other, I always tend to stick up for my division no matter how good or horrible it may be.

This year, the AFC just managed to squeak by the NFC with an overall record of 130-125-1, while the NFC fell just short (thanks mostly to the Detroit Lions) with a record of 125-130-1.

Adding to the fact that the AFC held a slight edge over the NFC, the Pittsburgh Steelers—an AFC team—won the Super Bowl.

I'm trying my own formula, using the regular season winning percentage of each team's division over a three-year period (2006-2008), and using that average as the winning percentage for 2009.

Here's a summary of what 2009 should hold for each division, and where they are ranked in the preseason.

8. NFC West

Last season, the Arizona Cardinals made it to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history.

A lot of that success was attributed to the great passing game from quarterback Kurt Warner to receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald.

The Cardinals also had a decent running game with running backs Tim Hightower and Edgerrin James.

I don't look for Arizona to win their division this year; rather, the Seattle Seahawks will retake the NFC West.

The NFC West will have an overall winning percentage of 40.2, thus remaining in the outhouse.

7. AFC West

No team in the West did better than 8-8 last season; the San Diego Chargers barely squeaked into the playoffs by beating out Denver to win the division by a hair.

This offseason, Denver traded Jay Cutler for Kyle Orton—their biggest mistake in franchise history. This, along with hiring Josh McDaniels as their head coach after firing Mike Shanahan, is yet another huge mistake. The Denver Broncos will finish just above .500, while the Chargers once again represent the division in the playoffs.

Even though Denver made some nice acquisitions during free agency, it still won't cover the cost of losing Cutler for Orton, or Shanahan for rookie Josh McDaniels.

The Raiders should do better after signing quarterback Jeff Garcia to "backup" current starter JaMarcus Russell, and drafting outstanding wideout Darrius Heyward-Bey.

The AFC West will have an overall 43.3 winning percentage, keeping it one step over the NFC West.

6. NFC North

The NFC North will be an extremely close division between the Vikings, Packers, and Bears. The Lions still have a lot of work to do, leaving them as bottom-feeders of the NFC North.

I will take the Bears to win the North, mainly because of their new franchise quarterback, Jay Cutler. So long Orton. Take a nap, Rex. Cutler will show everyone in the NFC North how loud the Bears roar.

The Packers and Vikings will win a game apiece against each other, while losing both their matchups against the Bears.

The Lions are a lost cause for at least one more year.

The NFC North will finish their regular season with a 46.9 winning percentage.

5. NFC South

Even though the NFC South didn't have a single team finish under .500 in 2008, the two previous years weren't as generous, seeing the division finish under .500 overall.

The Panthers were the strongest team in the NFL with a winning percentage of .625, an 8-0 record at home, and the third-ranked running game in the league.

Jake Delhomme's shaky passing game and the coaching staff's lack of a running game was the demise that befell the Panthers in the playoffs.

I don't look at this year as a rebuilding one for the NFC South, and while statistically they rank fifth in the league, they will finish strong in the regular season, perhaps to the first or second-ranked division overall.

The Panthers will compete in the playoffs as a Wildcard, and the Falcons will win the division this year.

The Panthers will buck their trend of missing the playoffs after a winning season, while the Falcons, who didn't finish last in the division will finish first, while still denying the NFC South adage of last-to-first that the Panthers started last season.

The NFC South will finish with a winning percentage of .500 or better.

4. AFC North

With the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns still looking to be the weakest links of the division, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens will run the North, yet again.

Once again, I see the Steelers finishing strong in their division, with the Ravens nipping at their heels to finish at a close second.

The AFC North will finish with a 50.3 winning percentage.

3. AFC East

Until last season, the AFC East was not a powerful division. The New England Patriots ran the tables in the East—and in the NFL—until Tom Brady went down.

Even without their franchise quarterback, the Patriots still managed an impressive 11-5 record while just missing the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

The Dolphins became the AFC East champions for the first time in almost a decade, while the Bills and Jets missed out yet again. The Jets were the heartbreakers, just missing out on a playoff berth with Brett Favre as their quarterback.

This year the Dolphins will settle back down, but I see them finishing second to the division-winning Patriots.

The AFC East will finish with a 52.6 winning percentage.

2. NFC East

Last season the NFC East looked to be the division to beat early on in the season. This season, I am predicting them to be the division to beat, yet again, only this time the NFC East looks to have solidified itself with a lot of solid playmakers on each team.

I see the Eagles finishing as Division Champions in a tiebreaker with the New York Giants, the Redskins at third, and the Cowboys rounding out the division.

The NFC East will finish with a 57.6 winning percentage or better.

1. AFC South

It's difficult to predict the AFC South as the strongest division to start the season. The Colts lost head coach Tony Dungy to retirement and defensive coordinator Ron Meeks left for Carolina.

The Titans are still a one-dimensional run-first team with a mediocre-at-best quarterback situation. Kerry Collins was a great game manager for much of the season, since he had an excellent running game to rely heavily upon.

Gone from the Titans is Albert Haynesworth, an anchor on defense for the Titans.

I look for the AFC South to actually be a pretty tight division this year: Jacksonville will finish third, the Colts and Titans will finish first and second, and the Texans will finish fourth. I don't see any of these teams finishing worse than 8-8.

The AFC South will finish the season with a 59.4 winning percentage or better.

With the NFC South remaining a very competitive division within itself, I can see a very close competition between the Falcons, Panthers, and Saints to represent the division in the playoffs this season.

While I hold the Saints with a lot of respect, they have a lot of question marks still on their roster. One of their biggest question marks is still Reggie Bush.

The Saints lost workhorse running back Deuce McAlister to retirement, so their running game is a very big question mark in the preseason.

If the Saints can make a strong case for their running game and mix that well with the passing game they had last season, then the Saints could very well win the games to get the Wildcard from the Panthers.

The Buccaneers are in a rebuilding phase. They lost a lot of big-name veterans, but it's better for the Bucs' growth. I don't see them finishing any better than 8-8.

In order for the Panthers to remain competitive in the division, they'll need to stay healthy, Delhomme will need to be even more consistent than he was last season, and the Panthers defensive secondary will need to step their game up big time.

As far as Julius Peppers is concerned, newly drafted defensive end Everette Brown will actually be an improvement over Peppers, and if Peppers chooses to sit out the season, I really don't see much problem with Brown sharing some of the workload with Hilee Taylor, Charles Johnson, and Tyler Brayton.

Depth will also be added to the Panthers offensive line with the return of linebacker Dan Connor, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during the 2008 preseason. Even if he contributes primarily on special teams, Connor will bring speed and tenacity to the Panthers offensive line.

Everette Brown will bring a dimension to the pass-rush that Panthers fans have always wanted, but never got to fully see from Peppers.

There's still time for something to be done with Peppers, but I wouldn't count too much on anything at this point. I figure he will either be on the field or sitting out. Until he signs his franchise tender, there is no team that is seriously interested in him.

My prediction for Carolina: 10-6; Wildcard.