Bleacher Report - Articles by Charles Bloomfield

Carolina Panthers' Steve Smith Injures Shoulder

Charles Bloomfield — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:56:49 -0400

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith injured his right shoulder after hitting the ground hard and colliding with cornerback Chris Gamble at practice. Luckily, X-rays came back negative.

Smith did not inform anybody about his return to the practice field, but did say he'd be ready for the team’s season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 13.

It's unlikely that Smith will play during the preseason. He could be replaced by third-year wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett, who has been a bust his first two seasons and has yet to score a touchdown.

Dan Morgan Retires from NFL Again

Charles Bloomfield — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:22:32 -0400

Four months after returning to the NFL, former Carolina Panthers' linebacker Dan Morgan has decided to retire again, due to continued injuries. Morgan, a one-time Pro Bowler with Carolina, signed with the New Orleans Saints in 2008, but never played.

Morgan spent seven years with Carolina, starting in 2001, but never played in all 16 regular-season games. The 2004 season was his best, having 101 tackles in 12 games. In 2005, he played in a career-high of 13 games in the regular season. He played in four games during his last two seasons with the Panthers.

Morgan's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has said Morgan's decision was final, meaning that he's done for good. He will now focus on his restaurant business in Charlotte. He also wants to spend more time with his wife and kids.

Panthers' WR Jarrett Needs Breakout Season

Charles Bloomfield — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 01:24:54 -0400

Carolina Panthers' wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett has been quiet, since being drafted in 2007. He struggled learning the offense and getting off the line of scrimmage. He was inactive for the majority of his rookie season, catching only six passes. Jarrett has yet to score his first NFL touchdown.

During the 2008 season, Jarrett caught 10 passes for 119 yards. Carolina expects more improvement from him in '09. He battled with D.J. Hackett for the number three wideout spot throughout the season, and eventually won the job. Jarrett made a couple of big catches on third downs, which convinced Carolina to release D.J. Hackett.

The 6-foot-4, 219 pound receiver is bigger than most of the NFL cornerbacks. He's strong at jumping up and getting the ball. He may not be the fastest, but has enough speed to get open. He's pretty much like another Muhsin Muhammad or Jerry Rice.

Jarrett is now the Panthers' third wideout and has a chance to become someone special. Expect Jarrett to compete with Jason Carter, Kenneth Moore and Ryne Robinson, during training camp.

If Jarrett does not show progress this season, the Panthers may part ways with him.

Panthers-Saints: Carolina DTs Damione Lewis, Maake Kemoeatu May Sit

Charles Bloomfield — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 16:56:08 -0500

The Carolina Panthers may be without starters Damione Lewis (shoulder) and Maake Kemoeatu (ankle) this weekend, meaning that they would have to go with Darwin Walker, Nick Hayden, and J'Vonne Parker, who was signed from Atlanta's practice squad.

Hayden and Parker are two unproven inexperienced players who will have their hands full against Saints running back Pierre Thomas. Lewis is listed as doubtful, and Kemoeatu is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at New Orleans.

Kemoeatu is hoping that he'll play Sunday, but for now, he doesn't know.

The Panthers will have a chance to wrap up the NFC South, and also earn a first-round bye. The Panthers will be division champs if they beat the Saints or if the Falcons lose. The Panthers' defense has to step up and play throughout the whole game—instead of playing good for well one half.

The Top 10 Carolina Panthers Highlights

Charles Bloomfield — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:19:31 -0500

The Carolina Panthers have been my favorite football team for a long time, and I thought that it would be great to show everybody some of their best highlights. I've liked the Panthers before they went 1-15 in 2001. I really enjoyed watching them in 2003, which was when they went to the Super Bowl. I felt heart-brokened after they lost to the Patriots by only a field goal. We had that game in our hands. After the 2007 season, there were rumors saying that head coach John Fox and general manager Marty Hurney were going to be fired, which was not true. This year, the Panthers are playing well and are listed as the second best team in the NFC. I'm hoping that they make it to the Super Bowl again, and win one for the first time. So now, here are some of their best highlights. GO PANTHERS...

Begin Slideshow

Charles Johnson and Tyler Brayton Show Signs of Improvement

Charles Bloomfield — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:43:03 -0500

So far this season, the Carolina Panthers' defensive ends, Charles Johnson and Tyler Brayton, are continuing to improve their performance on the field. Both players have combined for 48 tackles, 9.5 sacks, along with two forced fumbles. We all know that Julius Peppers leads the team in sacks, but Johnson and Brayton have done a great job playing on the left side.

Johnson (95), who was the Panthers' third round pick from Georgia in 2007, was listed as inactive for the majority of the season. The first game that he played in was a home game against Seattle. He made his first start against Dallas, replacing Peppers, who was out with an injury. During that game, he had three tackles and a batted down pass.

Brayton (96), who spent the first five seasons with the Raiders, now has a two-year contract with Carolina. This year, he has shown coach John Fox and his teammates that he belongs on this team.

Although, he may not be a great pass rusher, but he's good at playing the run, which is why he remains the starter at left defensive end. On nickel downs, he is replaced by Johnson for pass-rush situations.

During the preseason, both Johnson and Brayton had each recorded one sack. They also had a sack on Denver's quarterback Jay Cutler. These guys have proved their point, so far this season, which means that Peppers is not the only guy that opposing quarterbacks have to worry about.

Panthers Beat Broncos to Complete Undefeated Home Record

Charles Bloomfield — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 18:56:22 -0500

The Denver Broncos just saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.

The Carolina Panthers defeated the Broncos 30-10, which gave them an undefeated 8-0 season at home, along with an 11-3 record. The last time the Panthers went undefeated at home was during the 1996 season. The Broncos are still in the hunt for the playoffs, despite being 8-6.

Panthers' quarterback Jake Delhomme completed 17 of 26 passes for 253 yards, along with a touchdown pass to Steve Smith.

Running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combined for 140 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The biggest run of the game was DeAngelo Williams' 56-yard touchdown run.

With veteran cornerback Champ Bailey and safety Marlon McCree out, Denver's secondary had trouble containing Steve Smith. Smith caught nine passes for 165 yards and a touchdown. His receiving yards were more than the Broncos' receivers (Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal) combined.

Carolina's defense held these two primary guys to only 96 yards.

Carolina has an outstanding defense. It forced two turnovers from Denver's rushing and passing games. Charles Godfrey forced a fumble on Broncos running back Selvin Young which was recovered by defensive end Tyler Brayton. Later, Cornerback Chris Gamble intercepted a tipped pass from the air.

Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler completed 21 of 33 passes for 172 yards and one touchdown. He was sacked four times, three times by defensive ends Tyler Brayton and Charles Johnson and once by linebacker Thomas Davis.

After the game, Panthers safety Chris Harris told the media, "As long as the people in our city are happy, then we're happy."

Jon Beason: A True Leader in Carolina

Charles Bloomfield — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:50:11 -0500

Carolina Panthers' Linebacker Jon Beason, who was their first-round draft pick in 2007, continues to play extremely well. He was determined to become a rising star with 106 tackles and one interception during his rookie season. This year, he is leading the team with 91 tackles and three interceptions, including one at Green Bay, which sealed a victory for the Panthers (35-31).

Beason puts you in the mind of former linebacker Dan Morgan, who retired after seven years with Carolina, due to having many concussions, along with a torn Achilles tendon, which kept him off the field for the last 13 games of the 2007 season.

Both players have the same mindset, which is a quick reaction to the ball. Morgan was a key mentor to Beason, until he was released.

Beason adjusted quickly to the game, despite his two-year experience. He is not only a team captain, but a true leader as well.

Panthers-Broncos: Two Division Leaders Face Off

Charles Bloomfield — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:36:34 -0500

The Carolina Panthers (10-3) and the Denver Broncos (8-5) will face off Sunday afternoon at 4:15 PM, at Bank of America Stadium. Both teams are leading in their divisions. The last time that these two teams have met was in 2004, when half of the players on the Panthers team were on IR. The Broncos defeated the Panthers 20-17.

This upcoming game will be the last home game for the Carolina Panthers 2008 season. The Panthers are 7-0 at home. Beating the Broncos will make them become 8-0, along with an 11-3 record, heading into New York.

After winning the Monday Night Football game against Tampa Bay, Panthers' Head Coach, John Fox informed the team to just stay focused.

Denver's offense is ranked No. 2 in the league, and was never defeated by Carolina. Broncos' QB Jay Cutler, is one of the top quarterbacks in the league. Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall is one of his primary targets. Broncos running back Peyton Hillis was put on IR for the remainder of the season, due to a torn hamstring.

Broncos Head Coach, Mike Shanahan, said he enjoyed watching Panthers' running backs DeAngelo Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewart play. Both of these players combined for 301 rushing yards and four touchdowns, in the Monday night game against the Bucs.