Panthers Gear up for Second Preseason Game

Channel 9 is running an interesting piece on the Panthers next preseason game versus the Philadelphia Eagles.  The game is expected to be Donovan McNabb’s first game back since he season-ending knee injury last year.  McNabb will play for a series or two in the first quarter before being pulled, according to coach Andy Reid, who also says he plans to keep most of his first-team players in the game for the entirety of the first half.

The Panthers are coming off a solid showing in their first preseason game.  The team looks comfortable within the new offense, moving the ball well up and down the field.  Players are starting to express their excitement for the upcoming regular season, when they will get a chance to truly show everyone that last season’s 8-8 record was an anomaly.  With only a few weeks until the beginning of the season, they won’t have to wait much longer.

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Ryne Robinson Trying to Follow in Smith’s Footsteps

According to a report out of WRAL.com, Panthers fourth-round draft pick Ryne Robinson is already attempting to emulate teammate Steve Smith’s career path with the Carolina Panthers.  Robinson, a 5′9″ receiver drafted by the Panthers with the expressed intent and purpose of returning punts and kickoffs already has plenty in common with Smith.  They share the same height and path of entry into the NFL, though Smith was a third round pick.  Robinson is hoping to work hard and parlay his returning duties into full time receiver play, a la Smith or, more recently, Devin Hester.

Robinson will obviously have a tough road ahead of him.  There aren’t a great many receivers in the NFL less than 6 feet tall.  And Robinson will have his hands full this year attempting to help one of the worst return squads in the country do a complete 180 on his watch.  However, Robinson did have nearly 100 catches last season for Miami of Ohio, so we know his hands are good.  Only time will tell if Robinson can truly follow in Steve Smith’s footsteps.

You can get all your Carolina Panthers tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Colbert Looking for Resurgent Year

Panthers.com is running a piece right about Panthers wide receiver Kerry Colbert.  While everyone seems to be focusing on Dwayne Jarrett as the heir apparent to KeyShawn Johnson in the Panthers’ pass game, it may very well be Colbert who works his way into the starting position.  First year wide receivers are rarely breakout stars, and though Jarrett does enter the NFL as the USC Trojans’ career receptions leader, it was Colbert’s record that Jarrett broke.

Colbert’s career to date has been up and down to say the least.  However, he has shown flashes of brilliance in his career, and he has been getting touches with the first team under new offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson, which could bode well for his future with the team in 2007.  I’m not saying that you should start looking at drafting Colbert to your fantasy team, but I am saying that someone has to step up to be the number two receiver opposite Steve Smith, and Colbert’s the guy with the experience.

You can get all your Carolina Panthers tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Panthers Sign Former Buc

According to reports on ESPN.com, the Carolina Panthers have signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackle Kenyata Walker to a one year contract.  Details of the deal have yet to be revealed.  Walker was a very productive and reliable tackle for the Bucs for six seasons, until a knee injury sidelined him last for most of last year.  The Bucs, being the classy organization they are, released him in the offseason.

The Panthers have signed Walker and hope that he has recovered from the surgery to his right knee and will be back to his old, productive self in 2007.  The signing brings Walker to a team with which he has had issue in the past, most notably with Kris Jenkins and Julius Peppers.  Walker had one fairly infamous on-field altercation with Peppers, during which Peppers actually took a swing at Walker.  No word yet from Walker, Jenkins, or Peppers on what it will be like to work together this season.

You can get all your Carolina Panthers tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Panthers Look Great in Preseason Opener

The Carolina Panthers won their preseason opener against the New York Giants 24-21, in a game that has Carolina fans buzzing about just how good their team is looking heading into the 2007 season.  The first team offense looked very comfortable with their new system.  Jake Delhomme hooked up with Steve Smith for an opening drive touchdown pass in the first quarter.  The defense looked great too in the limited action it saw, frustrating the Giants defense as well.

Granted, the preseason doesn’t mean anything, and the Giants are a team in disarray (one must wonder if Tom Coughlin will last the entire season as head coach), but the Panthers can take a lot of good things away from this game.  They seem laid back and comfortable.  Their first teams especially look as though they are all on the same page, and the coaching changes seem to have worked out in their favor.  You can’t ever put too much stock in preseason wins and losses, but you can find good things to build on and spots where your team needs improvement.  The Panthers seem to have lots of good things to build upon this year.

You can get all your Carolina Panthers tickets at www.stubhub.com.

McClover Loves to Bark

Panthers.com has a great article about Carolina Panthers defensive end Stanley McClover and his patented “bark.”  McClover claims he has had the bark with him for a long time, though some of his teammates claim to have never heard it before this season.  McClover, who stands six feet, two inches tall and weighs almost 270 pounds, can be quite intimidating when he’s stalking the field, barking at the top of his lungs after every tackle.  It seems the barking also helps to motivate and pump up his teammates.

With the retirement of Panthers career tackle leader and defensive anchor Mike Minter, the Panthers will certainly need other players to step up and provide that defensive spark and leadership that Minter brought to the locker room.  Until a new veteran leader emerges in the locker room, the defensive will most likely fill Minter’s shoes by committee.  Keep your eyes on McClover, who could certainly become one of the new leaders on the Panthers defensive squad.

You can get all your Carolina Panthers tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Notes from Panthers Camp

The Gaston Gazette has posted an article detailing some notes from Panthers camp.  Among the notes are second year player Stanley McClover taking the field for many more plays with the first team in camp, not to mention his development of a habit of barking like a dog after every single good defensive play he makes.  Also of note, temperatures at camp are topping three digits in Spartanburg, South Carolina, making conditions at camp somewhat hazardous.  Precautions are being taken to prevent overheating and dehydration.

The Panthers seem to be having a blast at camp, and spirits are high going into this season, along with team expectations for improvement on last year’s 8-8 record.  The Panthers may be facing an uphill battle, but they appear to believe they are more than up to the task.  I expect the Panthers to make some serious noise in the NFL in the upcoming 2007 season.

You can get all your Carolina Panthers tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Peppers Now Called Upon to Lead

In an article today in the Gaston Gazette online, is is being reported that Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson has called upon Panthers defensive veteran Julius Peppers to step up and become the leader of the defense in the wake of safety Mike Minter’s retirement.  Peppers will now be the ranking defensive veteran superstar and will be expected to become even more vocal in the locker room.

This article perfectly illustrates just exactly how losing Minter really affects the Panthers.  They haven’t just lost a player.  They have lost their leader and defensive compass.  Minter was vocal in the locker room as a leader and also led by example on the field.  The Panthers will need a player to step into that position to keep the defense together and push them the way Minter did.  Minter provided tons of intangibles to the Panthers, both on and off the field.  No one will truly the know the true impact of his retirement on the Panthers until the season starts.

You can buy all your Carolina Panthers tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Panthers Career Tackle Leader Retires

According to ESPN.com, Carolina Panthers career tackle leader Mike Minter is retiring after 10 seasons with the team.  Minter blamed his failing knees for his retirement.  At age 33, Minter is retiring one year ahead of schedule, due to injury.  The Panthers will most certainly feel the effects of losing a leader like Minter in the 2007 season.  Team owner Jerry Richardson was reported to be fighting back tears as he stood by while Minter made the announcement.  Minter was not only a great player on the field, but a team leader in the locker room, and a role model in the community.

It’s rare in the world of sports these days to see a player go through his entire career with one team in professional sports.  Minter was drafted by the Panthers in 1997.  The second-round pick went on to quickly win over Carolina fans, coaches, and teammates alike with his toughness, leadership, and character.  Minter has logged 141 starts, 94 of them consecutive.  He also has 467 more tackles than the next closest Panther to his total.  He was a great Panther and will be sorely missed this season.

You can buy all your Carolina Panthers tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Morgan Returning to Action with Panthers

If you are an ESPN Insider, then you are privy to some of the hottest gossip and rumblings from around the league in the “Whispers from Around the NFL” section. It’s a good cross section of the current situation that faces players one pretty much every team in the league. If there was on thing that might make this story better, it might be to organize it more efficiently. That way, if you were trying to get some news about just one team (say, the Carolina Panthers) then you could do so much quicker. Oh, well. You are lucky that you have me to sort through it all so that you can get the nuggets of information without digging too far.

One thing of note from the “Whispers” section is that middle linebacker Dan Morgan will be returning to play for the Panthers this year. He missed over a dozen games because he was knocked unconscious twice in a month last year. He will be wearing a more protective helmet and brace, and will not be participating in the hard drills in preseason practice. He is also not likely to be part of the preseason exhibition games.

But the good news is that you will probably get to see Morgan in uniform again by getting Carolina Panthers tickets at StubHub.com.

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