10 Questions John Fox Needs to Answer

The draft has concluded, off-season workouts are beginning to become mandatory, it's official, the 2009 NFL season is ALMOST here. 

It's only May actually, but there still is a lot of work to be done.  Especially with the Panthers.

The rookies have to get acclimated to playing in the LEAGUE, usually (not in the panthers case) free agents and other acquisitions are befriending those who have been there, veterans are hopefully in shape and fine-tuning their already captivating skills, and the coaches, at least in the panthers case, have to earn the trust of their players.

The Panthers hired a new QB coach, as well as a new coach for every position on the defensive side of the ball (LB, DL, secondary) including defensive coordinator. That means new schemes and new plays and the players need to believe that the new coaches know what they are talking about.

One person is in charge to bring this all together, to make sure everyone is on the same page; obviously they dont have to get along, but they do have to work together.  Just ask Steve Smith and former Panther CB Ken Lucas.

That person is John Fox, he's in charge of keeping the ship afloat.  He has been here since 2002 through good times (2003 Super Bowl charge) and the bad (the injury plagued seasons 2004, 2006, where he made the team show heart and fight to finish a sub .500 team).

Here is a list of 10 questions that John Fox needs to answer Panther fans.  Now we all know how Fox and the Panthers treat the media, like Watergate, as in, "you can ask all you want, we're still not going to say anything substantial".  But it is fun to pretend these questions could actually get an answer. 

Feel free to comment with your take.

1) What is it about Jake Delhomme that hinders you from looking towards the future?  He has been good at times but you act like he's the best quarterback in the league, what about him causes you to not worry, while everyone around you pulls their hair out?

2) Is Matt Moore really that good? Do you think he could be the next Tony Romo?  Or are you just out of options and haven't had a decent pick to grab a QB in the past few years?

3) With the Julius Peppers situation, do you think if you were to play him more sporadically like you used to and switch him out to cover TE's, play linebacker, and even come into goal-line situations on offense occasionally, do you think that would make him want to play with the Panthers?

4) During the past 2 drafts you have traded the team's first round picks for the next year's draft.  Do you feel as if you have to win to keep your job now?  Are you feeling any added pressure to finally have back-to-back winning seasons?

5) John Fox, what happened on January 10, 2009? Seriously...what were you thinking!? 

6) How do you make decisions during the game? What is the thought process that happens before you call in a play to the offense? You are the king of the 3rd and 15 "they'll never see it coming it we run the draw!", you have so many weapons on offense, why don't you use them?

7) Any chance we will ever see a 'wildcat' formation of Smith, Stewart, and Williams in Carolina? Seriously, who's stopping that?

8) If Moose would have stayed around after that Super Bowl trip and teams were forced to cover him instead of tripling Smith, do you think that the Panthers could have made another run?

9) Your teams have always played with heart and ferocity when they are the underdogs and achieved more when no one expects anything, but they crash and burn when they are the favorites (for instance the 2004 season when we were expected to go back and win the super bowl...finished 7-9), why? 

10) How do you expect Ron Meeks and the other coaches to come in and affect this team? Will you give him a chance to call the plays on D, or do you still think you are a defensive guru?