Carolina Panthers

Magazines Picking Panthers To Win NFC South

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:45:00 +0000

With the opening of training camp now only a little over a month away, the NFL magazines have their season previews out and many of them are picking the Panthers to make a successful defense of their NFC South title.

And at least one of them is picking Carolina to make an NFC Championship Game appearance.

Lindy's Pro Football Preview picks Carolina to win the NFC South and advance to an NFC Championship game showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles. Pro Football Weekly and a number of other NFL magazines are also picking the Panthers to repeat as NFC South champions.

Let's hope that Lindy's is right about the Panthers' NFC Championship Game appearance but wrong about the outcome of the game!

Peppers, Panthers Closing In On Long-Term Deal?

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:55:00 +0000

Carolina's All-Pro defensive end Julius Peppers is now open to negotiating a long-term deal with the Panthers, according to a report in Friday's edition of the Charlotte Observer.

The newspaper cited comments by Peppers and his agent, Carl Carey, in the report. "Julius Peppers has tremendous respect for the people in the Carolina organization and recently had the opportunity to talk with those individuals face to face and we believe we can reach a deal with the Panthers organization that will keep Julius in Carolina for the rest of his career," Carey said.

Carey's comments followed a statement released by Peppers earlier in the day. "I have had some very positive and productive discussions with the Carolina organization recently and I am optimistic about my future with the Panthers and very focused as I look forward to the upcoming NFL season," Peppers said in the statement.

Sounds like great news for the Panthers and their fans.

Let's get that long-term deal done!

Carolina Signs Fourth-Round Picks

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 05:11:41 +0000

The Panthers signed two of their 2009 draft picks on Friday, inking fourth-round picks Mike Goodson of Texas A&M and Tony Fiammetta of Syracuse to four-year deals.

The pair will add talent and depth to one of the NFL's best backfields. Goodson, a 5-11, 210-pound running back, will back up DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart at tailback and will see action as a slot receiver and kick returner as well, while the 6-1, 245-pound Fiammetta will split time at fullback with Brad Hoover.

The Panthers have now signed three of their seven 2009 draft picks.

Panthers Sign Seventh-Round Pick

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 05:29:48 +0000

The Panthers signed the first of their seven 2009 draft picks on Wednesday, reaching an agreement with seventh-round pick Captain Munnerlyn.

A 5-8, 185-pound cornerback and kick returner out of South Carolina, Munnerlyn will compete for a job as a kick returner and backup cornerback with the Panthers. He had five interceptions and three fumble recoveries in 36 career games with the Gamecocks.

The Panthers do not anticipate any problems in signing their seven draft picks before training camp begins on August 2nd.

Peppers Signs With Panthers

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:59:00 +0000

Defensive end Julius Peppers signed a one-year, $16.683 million franchise tender with Carolina today, ending the contract stalemate between the Panthers and their disgruntled superstar.

Great news for Carolina fans and the Panthers, who need the superstar defensive lineman in the lineup to make a successful defense of their NFC South Championship.

A four-time Pro Bowl starter and a first-team All-Pro selection in 2004, Peppers is Carolina's all-time leader in sacks (70.5), forced fumbles (24), and blocked kicks (8).

Peppers started all 16 games for the fifth time in his career in 2008, making 64 tackles and leading the Panthers in sacks (14.5) and forced fumbles (5).

Delhomme's New Deal A Bad One?

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:16:29 +0000

There is usually a strong correlation between an NFL team's success on the field and the amount of respect given to that team's quarterback.

But that hasn't proven true for Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme.

The Panthers have won an NFC Championship, made a Super Bowl appearance, and posted the fifth best record in the National Football League over the last seven seasons with Jake Delhomme as their starting quarterback.

And yet, Delhomme remains an underrated and unsung player despite having the fifth highest winning percentage among active NFL quarterbacks.

His new contract with the Panthers (a $30 million deal) was even attacked by many as being a bad move on Carolina's part.

But was it?

We don't think so.

If Delhomme stays healthy and continues to play well, $30 million for a proven and successful NFL quarterback is a bargain price given the rapidly escalating player salaries of the current era.

And most of the money in the contract is deferred over the long-term and/or incentive-based.

Eye of the Panther's take on Delhomme's new deal?

It's a good deal for the Carolina Panthers...and for Jake Delhomme as well.

NFL Top 10: Most Valuable Carolina Panthers

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:10:00 -0500

Last year, MVN successfully projected the Carolina Panthers to win the NFC South. While we were not the only media source to make that prediction, they weren't the type of trendy pick that either the Bucs or Saints were.

The Panthers return most of their talent from last year, but might meet their match in a division that figures to not be the patsy it was last December. The Saints are almost universally better, the Falcons should have a more consistent effort from start to finish, and the Bucs cut a lot of their dead weight veterans in order to find a team that could improve as the season went on. Carolina returns as the favorite, but with a very thin margin for error in the NFC South.

Below are MVN's hand chosen 10 most valuable players on the Carolina Panthers, courtesy of NFL Top 10:

10) LB Thomas Davis
In three years as a starter, the Panthers have gotten 8 sacks, more than 230 tackles, and 6 forced fumble in this converted college safety, who has improved every year, while starting in all 32 games for Carolina since 2007. He's really the poster child for the way the Panthers' have drafted over the last few years. Always hitting on their picks, even if they fly below the radar for the first four years of their career.

9) CB Richard Marshall
The release of CB Ken Lucas was an effective promotion of Marshall to the starting lineup, after he did not start a game last year. To be fair, the Panthers' already knew what they had in Marshall before 2008 began (6 career INTs in 2006 and 2007, 1 in 2008), and the fact that he never started spoke more to the rare bill of good health that this organization received in 2008. He hasn't been injured in his career, so Marshall will be asked to start 16 games for the first time in his career, but the early returns are so far so good. He's the least of the Panther's DB worries, non-elite player edition.

8) RB Jonathan Stewart
He found a nice niche in the offense right away, eliminating the number one reason why most rookies struggle. No freshman jitters or hitting the wall from Stewart, at least not last year. From an upside/fantasy perspective, his value would be limited by the fact that he's going to be playing second fiddle to DeAngelo Williams for quite some time. However, after finishing in the top ten in rushing TDs and YPA last year, that may not be a problem. In an era that is quickly becoming one of running back duos, Stewart is in a great place to be successful for the first five years of his career. Second fiddle would be just fine for me, if I were in his shoes.

7) C Ryan Kalil
Known around the game as one of the league's best young center's, he may not have been the best move the team made last offseason to improve their offensive line (see below for that), but he was the metaphorical shot in the arm. He replaced the consistent Jeff Hartwig, who got a championship with the Steelers, with dynamic athleticism not often seen from the Center position. In one more year, we'll know if it was just one exceptional year, or if he's the future of the Center position in the NFL. With the exception of Winston Justice, USC's OL from 2005 appears to have made it at the next level.

6) DE Julius Peppers
For one of the game's more prolific edge rushers, #6 seems like a bit of a raw deal. But while Peppers' rebound season of 14.5 sacks was well deserved, it's hard to list him among the games best pass rushers. His production speaks to being a quality player since he came into the league in 2002, and broke out in 2004, but now that we're through 2008, his theoretically best years produced his worst and then best sack seasons. Over the next five years or so, he can be expected to average 8-12 sacks a season, which is great production for a mortal, but for Peppers, it's not worth the kind of money he wants. Maybe going to a 3-4 defense will be good for him, eventually.

5) WR Steve Smith
Done last year, and he's the going away number one on this list. And that was on the team I thought would win the division title. But the focus away from the passing game has hurt Smith's value, relative to the rest of the Panthers. Consequently, I can't say an injury to him would hurt as much as to some of the young, elite defensive talent, or the players at the focal point of this new, successful Panthers' offense. He's still probably one of the ten best receivers in the game, and capable of producing like so if asked.

4) CB Chris Gamble
Gamble is a shutdown corner who was just rewarded with a new contract that pays him like what he is: one of the five best corners in football. Gamble profiles as the next Champ Bailey. He combines top-notch coverage numbers with rare ball skills, and the end results is that he's the next great corner produced by Ohio State -- at least until Malcolm Jenkins wrests that title from him.

3) LB Jon Beason
Beason's value at his position pales in comparison to Peppers, Smith, or Gamble, but he's the key cog in the Panthers defense. He's not without his inconsistencies, but moreso than any other Panther, when this young player is "on", they are a virtually unbeatable team. When he's barking out the defensive signals, offenses just have to hope that they have the right call to beat them, because the Panthers are going to get there fast. That's mostly a credit to Beason's leadership skills, but he's also freaky fast in his pursuit of the ball.

2) RB DeAngelo Williams
The absurdity of the fact that DeShaun Foster got most of the carries for the Panthers in 2007 was evidenced in the 2008 season that DeAngelo Williams had. A perpetual ineffective ground game became a two headed monster for the Panthers in 2008, and Williams personally rushed his way to the top of the charts. He returns as one of the league's best draft picks, made good on his first-round promise from 2006, and looks to lead the Panthers' ground game even deeper in the playoffs this year.

1) OT Jordan Gross
In an era that really doesn't feature any truly dominant offensive tackles, Jordan Gross might just be the best LT in the game. If only for this year. His skill set and pass blocking tools doesn't suggest that he would have made a great LT, but he had a career year protecting Jake Delhomme's blind side. He's the senior member of this offensive line, and the decision to move him over to the left paid off in the form of a playoff berth. His move was the biggest reason for the offensive resurgence and his play typified that of his entire unit. The Panthers' OL is a rare species, a power line in a finesse running era.

Stewart On Track For Training Camp

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:44:21 +0000

Sidelined recently by pain in his left achilles tendon, Panthers' running back Jonathan Stewart said yesterday that he is feeling good now and will be ready when Carolina's training camp opens on August 2nd in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Stewart was unable to participate in last month's mini-camp or this month's team workouts but did some running yesterday and says he'll be ready for training camp.

"Oh yeah, I'll be up and running when camp starts," Stewart said. "Unfortunately, I missed out on mini-camp and summer school but I'll be ready for training camp. You can count on that."

That's great news for the Panthers and their fans.

Stewart and DeAngelo Williams combined to rush for 2,351 yards and 28 touchdowns last season as the Panthers featured one of the NFL's best running attacks.

Peppers Will Play For Panthers In 2009

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 05:02:45 +0000

Ending months of speculation, Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers confirmed on Friday that he will play for the Panthers in 2009.

The Carolina star notified teammates via text message that he will be present when the Panthers' training camp opens on August 2nd in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

This is great news for the Panthers, who will be defending their NFC South Championship this year after posting an impressive 12-4 record last season.

Peppers, the Panthers' franchise tag player, is one of the NFL's top defensive players and will make over $16 million this season.

Former Carolina Star Retires

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:45:30 +0000

Former Panthers' linebacker Dan Morgan has decided to retire from the NFL for the second time, according to his agent Drew Rosenhaus.

Morgan was attempting a comeback with the New Orleans Saints after playing seven seasons (2001-2007) with the Panthers.

A first-round draft choice in 2001, Morgan's best season came in 2004 when he made 109 tackles and was named to the Pro Bowl.

His 452 career tackles ranks third in Carolina franchise history.

Can Panthers Repeat In NFC South?

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:05:00 +0000

The NFC South was one of the toughest and most competitive divisions in the National Football League last season. And it is expected to be just as tough and just as competitive again this year. Given those facts, can the Panthers repeat as NFC South Champions in 2009?

Yes, they can.

But it won't be easy.

All of the NFC South teams (Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers) had .500 or better records last season and all four teams have upgraded their respective rosters via free agency and the 2009 NFL Draft.

The Atlanta Falcons are considered the primary threat to dethrone the Panthers. The high-flying Falcons posted an impressive 11-5 record a year ago and could be even better this season. Led by quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner, Atlanta has an explosive offense and an aggressive defense that should make them one of the NFC's best teams.

The New Orleans Saints are also capable of dethroning the Panthers. Plagued by inconsistent play last season, the Saints compiled an 8-8 record, but that could improve significantly if they play better defense and play with more consistency this season. New Orleans has one of the NFL's best quarterbacks in Drew Brees and the Saints could very well be a playoff team this year.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were a shoo-in for an NFC playoff spot last year but a late-season collapse dropped their record to 9-7 and knocked them out of the playoffs. Jon Gruden and GM Bruce Allen are gone, as are former Buccaneer stars Derrick Brooks and Joey Galloway. There is talent on the roster, but the Bucs may be hard-pressed to avoid a last-place finish in the rugged NFC South.

Which brings us to the Panthers. 21 of 22 starters return for the defending NFC South Champions, who went 12-4 in 2008. The Cats feature one of the NFL's best running attacks with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, and superstar Julius Peppers will again anchor a tough Carolina defense that should be even better in 2009 under new defensive coordinator Ron Meeks. The Panthers have one of the NFL's toughest schedules this season, so duplicating last year's 12-4 record will be tough to do. But can they repeat in the NFC South?

They can.

And we think they will.

Richardson Recovery Going Well

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 05:25:45 +0000

Panthers' owner Jerry Richardson is currently progressing very nicely following his recent heart transplant and his prognosis is good.

In fact, the 72-year old Richardson even made a surprise visit to the Panthers' practice facility late last week, where the popular team owner received a thunderous round of applause from his players.

"He's a very special man," Panthers' quarterback Jake Delhomme said. "He knows his players personally and he cares about us. We really appreciate that."

"He said he's doing great and that everything is going well", Carolina coach John Fox added. "And I thought he looked great. It was great to see him out here today."

It was indeed. Here's to the continued good health of Mr. Richardson!

Eye of the Panther Returns To MVN Lineup!

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:05:00 +0000

Welcome to the new edition of Eye of the Panther! My name is Scott Humphries and I cover the National Football League's Carolina Panthers (as well as NCAA College Football and Major League Baseball) for the USA Sports Media Group and I am going to be doing the same for MVN here at Eye of the Panther.

If it is Carolina Panthers/NFL related, we are going to cover it for you here at Eye of the Panther. The NFL Draft, the free agent signings, the roster moves, the preseason, the regular season, the playoffs, even the Super Bowl - you name it, we're going to be covering it for you!

So come along for the ride Panthers/NFL fans - it's going to be a lot of fun!

NFL Top 10: Coaches on the Hot Seat in '09

Wed, 13 May 2009 12:41:45 -0500

You know, I think there are only a handful of topics in sports that would make for great discussion on radio shows, or on blogs, that have no practical meaning in the real world. I think back to debates about running up the score: you'll get tons of callers in on a topic like that, putting in their two cents. Is is right? Did it happen? Does it matter?

Well, to me, I see the ever-present NFL Head Coaching Hot Seat as cut from the same mold. It's a debate partially on the merits of certain coaches, partially on the trends of certain owners hiring and firing patterns, and mostly on probability. Does it really matter if Coach 'X' is on the Hot Seat? We're not even wondering if he should be fired, we're asking if he should be/is in a position where you would consider a coaching change.

I don't have the answer to that question, but it sure is a fascinating topic. Here follows MVN Outsider's largely meaningless list of coaches who may or may not be on their way out at the end of the 2009 season.

10. Mike McCarthy, Green Bay
McCarthy enters his 4th year as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers, and after falling from 13 wins to 6 wins in just one offseason, McCarthy needs to show that 1) it wasn't his fault, and 2) he can get the Packers trending back in the right direction. Truth be told, it wasn't his fault the team lost ten games last year, but if they lose ten games again, it would be hard to argue he should keep his job.

9. Jim Zorn, Washington
Jim Zorn is a second year head coach, but has been handed a ready-to-win team that figures to be much better than last year's 8-8 team. By no means is the Redskins roster without flaw, not even without major flaw, but the expectations in the beltway mean that Zorn has to oversee a team that improves over last years first promising, but ultimately disappointing effort. Owner Dan Snyder isn't married to the idea of having a big name coach, but won't have the patience to see Zorn through another streak of 6 losses in 8 tries.

8. Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville
Del Rio has lasted an impressively long tenure in Jacksonville, as he begins his 7th year as coach of the Jags, one of only two coaches to roam the sideline in the franchises history (Tom Coughlin -- 8 seasons). But recent inconsistencies--following up playoff years in 2005 and 2007 with non-winning seasons in 2006 and 2008--mean that Del Rio is only as safe as his next season suggests. I don't think it's playoffs or bust for Del Rio, but if he wants to match Coughlin's length of tenure, he best have his team in the hunt in December.

7. John Fox, Carolina
Fox has been around for seven seasons as well, and last year, he rebounded to lead the Panthers to 12 wins and the NFC South title. But Fox is a mainstay on these hot seat lists because of failures such as last year's NFC Divisional Round debacle against Arizona. The allure of the 2003 season is now gone. Fox could be in-line for a contract extension if his team has another 10+ win regular season, but if they drop to 3rd or 4th in the NFC South, he could get the boot.

6. Lovie Smith, Chicago
Not that it's fair to Mr. Smith, but Coach Lovie is going to get all the heat if/when the team does not win with Jay Cutler. Again, playoffs are not the dealbreaker in this situation, but when your G.M. gets a top ten NFL QB gift-wrapped in a trade to you, losses against inferiorly Quarterbacked teams in the division will likely not be tolerated. If the Bears struggle against Green Bay, Minnesota, and Detroit this year, I think Smith could take the fall. Otherwise, he should get at least one more year to try to get back to the playoffs.

5. Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati
Lewis is just going to hang out on the hot seat until the Bengals finally get rid of him, but I think the Bengals did the right thing giving him a free pass for last season. Still, you could have argued that the Bengals should have been heading in a different direction before last year's 4-11-1 mess. He's got the offensive pieces back this year, so .500 should be a realistic goal for this team.

4. Josh McDaniels, Denver
McDaniels hasn't coached a game yet, but he's put himself in a position where he has to live up to tempered expectations in order to keep his job. The Broncos aren't looking for a chance to rebuild, and McDaniels will not be graded on the quality of his defense in his first year, but 6 wins and a productive offense are a must for the young head coach. I know owner Pat Bowlen trusts McDaniels and will give him plenty of time to get the Broncos back into the playoffs, but he has to establish himself as worthy of trust, and he's only going to get one year to do that. If the players start pining for a change before the season is over, watch out.

3. Andy Reid, Philadelphia
Andy Reid is still in a great situation for a coach to be in, with a great roster full of talent, high continuity, and relatively low expectations. He's earned all of those things with hard work. However, do understand that both of the last two Eagles' playoff teams have wound up in last place the following season. That is not a pattern that will be tolerated for a third time. For Reid, it might be a playoffs or bust year. This marks his 11th season with the team, and the last time they were playing in consecutive January's: 2004. He could earn a contract extension for himself and his QB with a strong 2009 season, or he could earn his leave with more disappointment.

2. Brad Childress, Minnesota
Coach Hot Seat himself has survived his first three years with the Vikings, but remains a hot topic regarding job security every offseason. They won three of their final four games to slide into the playoffs atop the NFC North last season, but that was the bare minimum for Childress to keep his job, and he didn't accomplish much once in the playoffs. So, if the Vikings go back to the way they have played under Childress in 2006 and 2007, underachieving with a top level defense (and if Brett Favre can't stop this trend, then it's a certainty), he's out. This one is almost certainly a playoffs or bust type situation.

1. Wade Phillips, Dallas
Many local reporters feel that Phillips should have taken the fall for last year's debacle in Big D, but Jerry Jones accepted the blame himself, and bought Phillips another season. While admirable, Jones is going to expect Phillips to repay him with a deep playoff run. Otherwise, we're talking about blowing up the current Cowboys roster, and coaching staff (including Jason Garrett), and starting fresh in 2010. Jerry Jones is a good businessman, but he's not going to keep making excuses for Phillips if he can't get this roster into the playoffs and doing some damage there.

The 49ers and Julius Peppers: a waiting game

Sun, 10 May 2009 08:14:08 -0800

Matt Barrows had a Q&A on his blog and the topic of Julius Peppers was brought up. Peppers was a free agent entering this off-season, but the Panthers put the franchise tag on the disgruntled defensive end. Peppers has voiced his desire to play for a 3-4 defense and trading Peppers might be the only solution for the Panthers.

Question: Matt, you got everyone all jazzed up about a possible trade for Julius Peppers and then nothing happens? What the hell, dude?
- Ronald, Oakland

Answer: Patience, Ronald. Patience. I don't imagine anything would happen too soon. The Panthers and Peppers are currently engaged in a staring contest. Those situations typically don't get resolved until training camp at the earliest. If the Panthers end up blinking and look to trade Peppers, the 49ers have as much ammunition as any team to make a deal. That's all I was saying in the original post ...
- Matt

When I think about the Peppers deal, I don't know if the 49ers are willing to give up so much for him. Not only would a trade for Peppers require the 49ers to possibly give up a first or second round pick, but it will also require them to give Peppers a contract that might pay him about $15 million a year.

For a team that is trying to build the franchise from the bottom up, spending so much on one player goes against the philosophy of the team. Of course, Peppers is a huge upgrade and would definitely make the team better in the pass rushing category, but at what price would the 49ers give up to get him? At this point right now, they shouldn't even think about it. It's a lot to give up for Peppers.