NFL 2010 Camp Preview: Carolina Panthers
John Fox and the Carolina Panthers did what they historically do which is follow up a successful winning season with a non-winning one. The Panthers seemed shell shocked to start the season dropping their first three games and muddling their way to an 8-8 record.
The team cleaned house this off season letting Jake Delhomme, Julius Peppers, and Na’il Diggs go and dealing Chris Harris to Chicago. The team also lost Maake Kemoeatu and Damione Lewis via free agency.
Long time receiver Muhsin Muhammad decided to retire rather than try and squeeze another year out of his flagging career.
Carolina seems to be following the path the Eagles have taken over the past couple of years purging the roster of aging high priced veterans to get younger and hungrier. They are pinning their short term hopes on Matt Moore who led the Panthers to four wins in their last five games.
The offense is keyed by the best one-two rushing punch in the game. DeAngelo Williams and Johnathan Stewart are both coming off 1,000 yard seasons and ran for a combined 2,250 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Steve Smith’s numbers were down last season but that can be attributed in large part to Delhomme’s wild inconsistency to start the season. He is still one of the best 5 to 10 receivers in the league and Fox knows he will always get 100% out of Smith on game day.
The defense will have a lot of new faces this season with the team letting several veterans go via free agency and will be lead by All Pro linebacker Jon Beason. Beason has quietly become one of the league’s best defensive players and is widely seen as one of the team’s leaders in the locker room.
Thomas Davis, who was on the verge of a big breakout season in 2009 before tearing up his knee in week seven, is already out for the year after tearing the same ACL again in mini-camp.
Chris Gamble and Richard Marshall give the Panthers one of the better corner duos in the league. Neither guy is considered an elite corner but both will battle and generally hold their own against the receivers they are matched up against. Both guys are solid play makers who are not afraid to step up and support against the run.
Key Veteran Additions – Ed Johnson (DT)
With the team losing two of its top defensive tackles this off season Ed Johnson will get a chance to earn significant playing time this summer. He is a proven run stuffer and should see plenty of action on running downs for Carolina this season.
Key Rookie Additions – Jimmy Clausen (QB), Brandon LaFell (WR), Armanti Edwards (ATH), Eric Norwood (OLB/DE), Greg Hardy (DE)
The Panthers have long been in search of a potential long term replacement for Jake Delhomme and they were thrilled to see Jimmy Clausen fall to them in the second round. Clausen has the skills to excel at the NFL level but there is some question as to whether he has the mental chops to handle the NFL game. He could get a chance to win the starting job but is expected to back up Matt Moore for the time being.
Brandon LaFell is expected to come in and compete for the other receiver job opposite Steve Smith. LaFell is big, strong, and athletic and has decent speed. Once he learns to run better routes and starts to do a better job of hanging onto the ball he could be a good complimentary receiver in the league.
Armanti Edwards played quarterback in college at I-AA power Appalachian State, but the Panthers are not interested in him for his passing skills. Edwards had a knack for making big plays with his athleticism. He does not have great speed but really excels at making people miss when he has the ball in his hands. The Panthers intend on converting him to receiver with the idea in mind of turning him into a slot receiver. He could also contribute as a kick returner and see some snaps as a Wildcat quarterback.
Norwood and Hardy could contribute as pass rushing specialists this season. Hardy was once considered a top prospect in this year’s draft only to see his stock fall after a disappointing senior season in which he struggled with nagging injuries. Nobody is quite sure where Norwood will line up in the NFL. He was a great pass rusher in college but is not quite big enough to play end in a 4-3 scheme so he could be asked to move to OLB.
Key Position Battle
With Muhsin Muhammad retiring the #2 receiver job opposite Steve Smith is up for grabs this summer. The team was hoping that Dwayne Jarrett would have developed into that guy by now, but after four years it just has not happened for him. The Panthers will likely enter camp with Jarrett as the de facto starter but one can expect that LaFell, Edwards, and fellow rookie David Gettis will get looks with the first team offense as well. LaFell probably has the best chance to unseat Jarrett as the other starting receiver.
Players to Watch
Matt Moore was one of the best quarterbacks in the league over the last five weeks of the ’09 season posting a 104.7 passer rating and throwing 8 touchdowns while leading the Panthers to a 4-1 record to close the season. It all seemed to come together for Moore down the stretch. It should be interesting to see if Moore builds on that momentum and how he fares now that teams have game film on him.
With Julius Peppers moving on to Chicago the Panthers need Charles Johnson and/or Everette Brown to step up as pass rushers this season. Johnson has shown flashes of his ability but has yet to be able to put it all together his first three years in the league. Brown was a disappointment during his rookie season.
