Panthers Fantasy Preview Up
ESPN.com has published their fantasy football guide to the Panthers. The guide has a few really ugly things to say about last season. Though to be fair, 2006 was a really ugly season for the Panthers. The article is long, in depth, and has a ton of information for all you fantasy football geeks out there. Plus, if you’re a Panthers fan, the article is very honest about how your team shapes up this year.
As far as fantasy football is concerned, there’s not much going on with the Panthers that should excite people. Sure, someone will take Steve Smith, and probably in the first round too. But unless another receiver steps up and keeps the opposing defenses honest, Smith might have a tough time pulling in huge numbers. Past that, the Panthers don’t have much to get excited about, in terms of fantasy football. Luckily for the Panthers and their fans, they play real football, not fantasy football.
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Panthers Sign Fourth Rounder
The Gaston Gazette is reporting that the Carolina Panthers have signed their fourth-round draft pick, Ryne Robinson, to a four-year contract. The contract is scheduled to pay over over two million dollars over the next four years, Though Robinson was a standout receiver with blinding speed in college, he is actually only fifth on the Panthers wide receiver depth chart, and is expected to make his biggest impact on the team as their return specialist.
The Panthers no doubt envision Robinson as this year’s Devon Hester, and they may very well be correct. IF nothing else, Robinson figures to improve their abysmal return game exponentially. And seriously, can we just note for one moment how freaking loaded the Panthers are at wide receiver this year? This kid had 22 touchdown catches last year at Miami of Ohio. He’s the school’s all time leading receiver in total receptions and receiving yards, and he’s fifth on their depth chart. How did this team do so badly last year? Can they possibly not make a run deep into the playoffs this year? It seems impossible, but they were a pre-season Super Bowl pick last year, so don’t put anything past them.
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Second Year Running Back Expected to Perform
Len Pasquarelli has high hopes for DeAngelo Williams this year, as he writes for espn.com that second year players like DeAngelo Williams tend to show a great amount of improvement in their sophomore seasons. The Carolina Panthers are hoping the same thing, as Williams was a first round draft pick and if should become an integral part of the Panthers’ game plan in the 2007 season.
Williams’ numbers were unimpressive last year, but the second-year running back believes this year will be very different. It definitely takes time to adjust to the NFL from the college game (so I’ve heard and read. It should be noted that I have absolutely no NFL experience, nor do I desire to accrue any). Williams is, by all accounts, a very hard worker and is extremely self-motivated. If there is any second year player ready to make the leap, it’s Williams. Well, either Williams or Reggie Bush. Time will tell.
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Panthers Player Awaits Test Result
The Gaston Gazette is running an article on the situation regarding Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Jordan Carstens. Carstens has a rare disease in which his body doesn’t produce enough protein in the blood, a kidney problem known as membranous. Carstens hasn’t been cleared to play football since doctors found a blood clot in his lung early last season. The disease basically makes Carstens much more susceptible to blood clots of this type.
Carstens is by all accounts a great guy and a solid football player. I know this is usually the part of the blog where I type a bunch of witty smartass remarks and talk crap about the player or story in question, but this is certainly neither the time nor the place. When a man’s livelihood is threatened by a disease, your heart has to go out to him. Here’s hoping that Carstens finds a medication that works for him and is finally cleared to play football again.
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Cowher May Have Eye on Panthers Head Coaching Job
According to a report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Bill Cowher may be thinking of returning to coach the Carolina Panthers in 2008. In a story based off a rumor that is most likely 95% fabrication (and the article basically says as much), it is being reported that Cowher has been in secret talks with the Redskins, Browns, and your beloved Carolina Panthers.
Factually speaking, the odds that Cowher has had any sort of actual interaction with any of these three teams are not good. These are simply three teams that are likely to have a coaching vacancy at the end of this season if none of them rise to the next level. For the Panthers and Redskins this will mean deep runs into the playoffs. For the Browns, I’d say a .500 mark would be seen as grounds for ol’ Romeo to keep his job. However, fabricated as this story may be, the fact remains that right now, a solid 8 months from the Super Bowl, these three teams are the most likely spots for Cowher to land in 2008. And if you don’t think he’s coming back, then you just haven’t been paying attention.
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Panthers Receiver in Car Accident
According to an espn.com report, rookie receiver Dwayne Jarrett was in an automobile accident Wednesday evening. Jarrett is apparently unhurt, escaping with only minor bumps and bruises after the accident. Details of the accident were not available, but initially there is no report of Jarret driving while impaired or being in any way responsible for the crash. Jarrett was reportedly wearing his seatbelt at the time, which is credited with saving him from more serious injury. This comes as good news for the Panthers, who expect Jarrett to challenge for the starting job that was vacated when they released Keyshawn Johnson.
The Panthers are most likely breathing a big sigh of relief upon hearing this news, as Jarrett is expected to step in and be a playmaker opposite Steve Smith for Carolina. But they shouldn’t have been worried. Jarrett is a Trojan, which means he of course was wearing his seatbelt, as that would be the intelligent thing to do. And while USC Trojans are not perfect, nor are we free from the dangers of the accidents of the world, we are certainly smart enough to know to buckle up.
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Rookie Center Adjusting to Pros
The Carolina Panthers web site has a short article posted about rookie center Ryan Kalil’s transition into the pros as a Panther. Kalil was a dominant force at the University of Southern California for years, playing on teams with many future superstars. However, the article details how even someone playing on such a high caliber team as the USC Trojans still has to make a bit of an adjustment when playing at the pro level. However, the piece shows Kalil to be the fast learner he truly is, and he will surely have a great career in the pros.
Kalil, being a Trojan, is almost assuredly going to rise to the occasion in the NFL. The pros are already littered with young men who are playing at the absolute highest levels after coming out of Pete Carroll’s system - The Steelers, Saints, Bengals, and Seahawks can all attest to how quickly Pete Carroll’s boys become men in the NFL. Now that the Cardinals have a real coach, they’ll soon be singing the praises of their Trojan QB, Matt Leinart. So just give Kalil a little time, and watch him develop into an awesome Center for the Carolina Panthers. He’s a Trojan. It’s just how we do.
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Carolina Panthers Excited about new Offense
The Carolina Panthers have wasted very little time making their feelings known about their brand new offense for 2007. According to a report by the Charlotte Observer, the Panthers are extremely excited about their new offense, calling the old offense “predictable,” among other things. Apparently the Panthers are quite happy to be leaving ex-coordinator Dan Henning’s schemes behind them in favor of new offensive guru Jeff Davidson. Davidson, apparently, has found many ways to improve the Panthers offensive, beginning with varying the snap counts. You heard me. Last year, according to this report, the Panthers always snapped on “One.”
That’s all I’ll give away from the article. But seriously? That can’t be true. You’ve just got to be kidding me. I’ve never heard of a high school football team snapping on “One” every play. That’s the most insane thing I’ve ever heard. I went into this article thinking my angle was going to be that it was somewhat classless of the Panthers to throw their old coordinator under the bus like that, but honestly? If he had them snapping the ball on “One” every single down of every single game, then he deserves every bit of criticism they lob at him. The guy is basically fit to be the head coach of a powder puff team, if that story is true.
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Panthers Ponder End of NFL Europa
In yet another slow news day for the Carolina Panthers, the Gaston Gazette is running an article about the possible folding of NFL Europa, the ill-conceived crappier version of the NFL we gave to Europe. They’re running the article because Jake Delhomme made a name for himself in the Euro League before receiving a real NFL contract and leading the Panthers to a Super Bowl in 2003. While the writer of the column raises an interesting point and his article is well written, i’d like to offer up a different point of view on the possible end of NFL Europa as we know it. Nobody cares.
NFL fans don’t care. Poll a thousand NFL fans and ask them to name one actual NFL Europa team. If you get more than 1% who can, I’ll be floored. Give the same poll to active NFL players. Again, I bet less than 1 in 100 players can name one NFL Europa team. Even Jake Delhomme probably doesn’t care as much as he’s saying he does. The guy plays in the NFL now. What does he care if the NFL goes under in Europe. Heck, even the NFL probably doesn’t actually care, as they’re trying to market the REAL NFL overseas now. So in conclusion, so long NFL Europa. It was nice not knowin’ ya.
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Panthers extend punter’s contract
According to espn.com, the Carolina Panthers have come to an agreement on a five-year contract extension with their punter, Jason Baker. Baker, age 29, has been very productive for the Carolina and was in the last year of his old contract. The new contract is reportedly worth 8.5 million dollars, which would certainly put Baker near the top of the pay scale as far as punters are concerned in the National Football League. The deal represents more than just money for Baker, who has been released six times in his NFL career before finally finding a home in Carolina.
So yeah. Congratulations to the Carolina Panthers. They locked down their punter for five years. According to the report, Baker averages 41.8 gross yards per punt and a 35.7-yard net average. He apparently has also averaged 62.2 yards on 170 kickoffs in his career. I don’t know if that’s all that good or not, because like most NFL fans, players, coaches, and janitors, I couldn’t give two craps who the punter is. However, it was a slow news day for the Panthers, so there you go.
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