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Tampa Bay — Carolina’s guinea pig game for next season

For the 2007 season, this final game means about as much to the Panthers as does the next game for the Miami Dolphins… or, say, how other people view him for Bill Belichick (I think that’s about as nice as I could have put it).  So, this is the game where John Fox and especially offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson get to have some fun and test out some players and positions in preparation for the 2008 offseason, draft, training camp and season.

Tampa Bay is a relatively balanced team, with a solid offense run by newcomer and “where else can I resurrect my career?” quarterback Jeff Garcia.  The defense is of course staunch with Pro Bowl-caliber players at every position.  What should Carolina test? Let’s break it down by position.

Quarterback
Bleh.  What a mess.  Start Matt Moore and play him for the entire game.  This guy looks like he will be the No. 2 quarterback next year unless Carolina decides to get a veteran for the No. 2 job.  Jake Delhomme will be back next year, and there’s even a chance that there could be a good quarterback to snag in the draft.

Runningback
Give Alex Haynes some carries.  Between injuries and releases, DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams have been the only people worth even trying all season.  Haynes is a guy who has been off-and-on with the Panthers for a few years now, spending time on the roster, the practice squad and NFL Europe.

We know what Foster and Williams can do, although some of the more intricate run options might be interesting to try, especially with Williams.  This was the year when the offensive line became comfortable with Davidson’s zone blocking scheme.  Expect the run to be a lot more efficient next year.

Offensive Line
With the running game should be mentioned the offensive line.  It has been relatively in tact for a couple years now.  Rookie Ryan Kalil is looking like a great, versatile grab from the draft.  He will fill in at center against Tampa Bay, although it would be nice to see him get some time at guard, since that’s where he will likely be playing on a regular basis.

Carolina probably ought to invest a draft pick in a good offensive tackle in the first four rounds of the draft, as well as get a good tackle in free agency.  This game will be a real test for left tackle Travelle Wharton, who has been inconsistent this season.  Tampa Bay is right at the middle of the league in sacks (ranked 16th with 32 sacks), so it will be interesting to really scrutinize this performance.

Wide Receivers and Tight End
As messed up as the quarterback position has been, trying to figure out who can catch the ball has just as much (if not more) of a problem. These are the positions people should watch most closely.

Steve Smith — duh.  But with all the coverage and attention he now receives, there must be other threatening options.  Keary Colbert made us believe at the beginning of this season that he would step up and be a decent No. 2 receiver.  Then he reverted back to old-Keary, and it’s virtually guaranteed he will be with another team next year since he is a free agent after this season.

I like Drew Carter.  A lot.  When he reaches his full potential, the guy is nearly impossible to stop with his speed and size.  If he could develop some consistency (granted, the quarterback situation this year has not helped), he would be my nomination for the guy to stick with as the No. 2 receiver.  Fox should have at least 10 passes thrown his way.  The Bucs are the second-best pass defense (170.6 ypg allowed) in the NFL.  If Carter can prove himself here, it will be comforting to know he is continuing to develop and can step up, especially for next season.

It seems like rookie Dwayne Jarrett never really got a solid shot, having been inactive for a lot of the season.  The guy is so physically gifted (big, tall guy with big hands), it’s hard to believe he really couldn’t come along enough in practice to prove good enough to get more playing time.  Then again, this guy could follow in the USC footsteps of Keyshawn Johnson and Keary Colbert and bust with the Panthers, in which case, you can bet we stop drafting USC wide receivers… unless in an act of suicide we hire Detroit’s wide receiver-fetished Matt Millen.  Get at least five passes his way.

Finally, there’s the tight end position.  For a long time, I was upset Carolina didn’t make a better effort to get a better tight end in the draft or free agency.  However, Jeff King began to blossom this season, showing good consistency and capability for being the lead receiver in a game.  He should get a lot of passes, but the guy people should really want to see tested is rookie Dante Rosario.  This guy has really shown some athletic potential, and he should have at least five passes thrown his way, too.

Defense
For the first half of the season, the defense underperformed to is fullest (or would it be least?) potential.  Carolina — with Julius Peppers, Kris Jenkins, Mike Rucker and plenty of blitz-capable linebackers — sits dead last in the league with only 19 sacks.  There have been injury problems, of course.  After all, Dan Morgan is still on the roster.  But someone needs to light a fire under the defense’s ass.  Still, somehow, Carolina ranked 16th in the league in overall defense.
There’s not a whole lot to test out here.  The only thing I can really think of is letting cornerback Richard Marshall start in place of Chris Gamble.  I don’t know why he hasn’t already been starting, since Gamble’s hand is wrapped up in a mile of cloth.  There are also a lot of guys at safety to consider.  Most likely, not all will be back, so everyone should be tested to see who is worth keeping.  This is a key position for Carolina, and it shouldn’t be ignored.  Letting Marlon McCree go a couple years ago has proven a big mistake.

Also, maybe test some more of the versatility of Jon Beason.  Obviously, the guy has a lot of it.

OVERALL…
The receivers, as they have always been since Muhsin Muhammad left, are the big question mark.  They’re the guys to test out.  Tampa Bay isn’t really playing for much other than keeping momentum going into the playoffs, so it’s a bit difficult to gauge how they will come out.  Bucs head coach John Gruden never lets on to anything.

Again, the players to watch are:
-Drew Carter
-Dante Rosario
-Ryan Kalil
-Travelle Wharton
-Jon Beason
-Safeties

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 27th, 2007 at 12:18 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.