Panthers Sits Courtside at Nuggets Game

This news story is more than a bit ironic.  With the NFL entering the dark period between the sexy part of free agency and the draft in April, other sports will now take a more prominent role in the public consciousness.  March Madness is upon us, and even the NBA is drawing tons of interest this season.  So it seems only fitting that it took an NBA game to help an NFL superstar to make headlines.  Carolina Panthers pass-rusher Julius Peppers sat courtside to watch the Denver Nuggets slaughter the Seattle Supersonics over the weekend.

Why is this news?  It is news because Peppers is allegedly not being shopped by the Panthers.  Hurny has publicly denied that Peppers is being used as trade bait, as has Peppers’ agent.  And yet, despite all of this talk, here is Peppers, chilling out in Denver, Colorado.  The Broncos would certainly be interested in Peppers.  They had real trouble putting pressure on the passer last year.  While it remains to be seen if this is anything other than a stunning coincidence, it has certainly added some flavor to an otherwise uninteresting weekend for the Panthers.

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Hackett wants to Visit Panthers

According to the good people at the Charlotte Observer (courtesy of Topix.com, who absolutely never provide accurate hard links to their original stories), Seattle free agent wide receiver D.J. Hackett has initially passed on an offer from the Washington Redskins.  Hackett meets with Carolina today, as well as Tampa Bay.  He is rumored to have talks scheduled with a few other teams as well.  Hackett is one of the better free agent prospects still on the market.  The Seahawks would like to re-sign him, but it will likely come down to which team makes him the best offer.

Hackett would be a huge pull for the Panthers.  He would provide the Carolina offense - already in the midst of a major overhaul - with an amazing complimentary weapon to Steve Smith.  With Williams in the backfield and a solid wide receiver set, the Panthers could be fielding a potent offense next season if they pick up Hackett.  That would likely go a long way toward easing fans’ concerns over ticket prices being raised after the team failed to reach the postseason yet again.  Though, to be fair, Panthers tickets are still quite affordable, as far as NFL tickets go.

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Jarrett Gets Popped

According to this report out of ESPN.com, Carolina Panthers wide receiver and former second round draft pick out of USC Dwayne Jarrett had a blood-alcohol content (BAC) of .12 when he was pulled over for driving drunk early Tuesday morning.  Jarrett struggled through his rookie season with the Panthers, never cracking the starting line-up and failing to live up to his hype.  He ended the season with less than 100 yards receiving and zero touchdowns and gained a reputation as a locker room hothead.  By the end of the season, Jarrett was seen as a distraction.

I’m saying all this not to criticize the Panthers, but to go after one of my own.  As a USC alumnus, I take pride in what it means to be a Trojan.  And I don’t like it when a few knuckleheads in the NFL make my school look bad.  There is absolutely no excuse for driving while impaired.  There are many reasons Jarrett may have come a bit off the tracks in his early NFL career, but whatever the problem, I hope it gets rectified soon.  Everyone deserves a second-chance, but so far Jarrett has come across as an entitled screw-up with a load of unfulfilled potential.  I hope this incident helps to put his head back on straight so he can fly right.

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Panthers Cut Center

The Carolina Panthers continue in their offseason of rapid fire moves.  This time, the Panthers have cut center Justin Hartwig, choosing to go in a different direction.  Young center Ryan Kalil will replace Hartwig.  The Panthers have been very impressed by Kalil’s quick progress in their system.  They were going to keep Hartwig on the team and give him a chance to compete for the starting right guard position, but have since decided to let Hartwig go.  He will now be able to pursue other possible starting jobs with interested teams around the NFL.

This is a classy move by the Panthers.  They were down to keep Hartwig on the payroll and give him a chance to possibly start at a different position, but I’m guessing that Hartwig wasn’t interested.  As such, the Panthers went ahead and honored the man’s wishes.  He will now be able to seek employment with another team, for starting pay.  This works out as a win/win for both parties.  Hartwig can certainly find another team interested in his services, and Ryan Kalil is going to be a big time stud in the NFL for many years to come.

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Peppers Not Being Shopped

Lately there have been rampant rumors of a possibly Julius Peppers trade.  One of the more ridiculous stories had the Panthers trading Peppers to Minnesota for a running back.  That’s just ignorant, people.  Why would the Vikings unload a running back they will likely need as a plan B for their injury-prone ROY from 2007?  Adrian Peterson needs a second back.  Secondly, why would they trade him for a possibly past-his-prime Peppers?  It makes no sense. I’m not saying Peppers is definitely beyond his best football, but I am saying that after last year, he’s definitely got a “buyer beware” sticker slapped on him.

However, luckily, the local Carolina media is attempting to act as the voice of reason in all this, printing a story to let everyone know that the Carolina Panthers are not shopping Julius Peppers.  Why would they?  What in the world do Carolina fans expect to get for him?  The Panthers have had a very solid offseason, and I expect them to draft well and continue to make smart moves.  Why wouldn’t they want to at least keep Peppers for the first part of the season to see what they can get out of him?  There is no reason to trade Julius Peppers right now.

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Panthers Acquire More Players

According to this article out of the Charlotte Observer, the Carolina Panthers have picked up more players in free agency.  The Panthers have been derided by fans and local media recently for a lack of solid offseason moves.  On Friday, they responded by picking up Cincinnati linebacker Landon Johnson and Jacksonville running back LaBrandon Toefield.  Landon Johnson gives the Panthers a much-needed boost to their linebacking corps, while Toefield gives them a large, pounding runner to strengthen their attack between the tackles.

Toefield will be an excellent addition to the roster.  He will be great for goal-line stands and should provide a very solid compliment to DeAngelo Williams.  Johnson is the highest rated player the Panthers have picked up so far, and hopefully his signing quiets some of the rumblings among fans and media that the Panthers were not being aggressive enough in the offseason.  The Panthers have made many intelligent moves so far this offseason that should make them a completely different team heading into 2008.  I expect them to be much-improved.

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Panthers Land Landon Johnson

According to a report out of ESPN.com, the Carolina Panthers have acquired the services of Landon Johnson, outside linebacker formerly of the Cincinnati Bengals.  Johnson has reportedly agreed to terms on a three-year, 10 million dollar contract with the Panthers.  He is certainly the biggest name the Panthers have signed in free agency so far, and he fills a big need for the Panthers after their release of linebacker Dan Morgan.  Johnson was a solid contributor for the Bengals woeful defensive unit that has now lost some of their best players and may be one of the worst defenses in the league next season.

Hopefully this signing will help placate some of those Carolina fans out there who are unhappy with their team’s behavior in free agency this season so far.  Johnson is a name that fans can at least recognize, but he may not be that “big splash” free agent they were hoping for.  However, I still maintain the Carolina Panthers have done very well for themselves in free agency.  They have picked up quite a few solid role players to add to a team that - despite popular opinion - really didn’t need a total overhaul.  Kudos to the Carolina brass and coaching staff for not overreacting.

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Panthers Fans Getting Impatient

I have been lauding the Carolina Panthers’ offseason behavior since free agency began.  So imagine my surprise when I came across this article out of the Gaston Gazette ripping apart the Carolina Panthers’ lack of offseason aggressiveness.  This one really has me scratching my head.  I don’t know if Steve Reed is just trying to stir the pot, or if Carolina Panthers fans just aren’t that “football smart,” or what.  But I do know that the Carolina Panthers are making some definite moves in the offseason that should set their team up to make the playoffs next season.

I really find it disturbing when fans just don’t understand the way the game of football really works at the professional level.  They think one big signing is going to wave a magic wand over their team and make it a Super Bowl contender.  They believe they have a shot at every big name free agent.  They don’t take into account things like chemistry, multiple needs, and salary cap considerations over multiple years.  In short, fans want a quick fix.  The NFL is not a quick-fix league.  It takes real time and real work to get to the top.  The Panthers are a much-improved team already.  These angry fans need to stop complaining and pay closer attention.

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Bridges Drops Appeal

According to this story out of ESPN.com, Carolina Panthers guard Jeremy Bridges has dropped his appeal of a misdemeanor assault conviction.  Bridges dropped the appeal when he learned from the NFL that he would face no further disciplinary action from the league for the altercation in the summer of 2007.  If you remember, Bridges was convicted of pointing a gun at a woman during an altercation.  He was given a fairly light sentence and then suspended two games by the Carolina Panthers.  Since then, Bridges has been well off the radar.

It will be good for Bridges to be able to put this whole ugly mess behind him.  He has never been a player to stir up trouble, on or off the field, and this incident has not been followed by any others.  It’s quite decent of the league to allow him to play without further punishment, as it truly seems this issue was isolated to a one-time deal.  Bridges can now move on to the business of enjoying his time off at the moment.  In a few months he will be returning to Panthers camp, most likely in ready to play and forget about the ugliness of this ordeal.
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Panthers Overhaul their O-Line

I can’t say enough good things about what the Carolina Panthers have done so far this offseason.  The signing of Muhammad to bring in another big veteran receiver to compliment Steve Smith was a great start.  Releasing David Carr was also a wonderful move.  Bolstering the defensive unit has been a priority, and the Panthers have done well there too.  But no story has me as excited as this one from the Gaston Gazette.  Apparently the Carolina Panthers are planning on putting together an offensive line full of totally new starters at every position and throwing them out onto the field in 2008.

While not every member of the O-Line will be new, two of the guys are being moved over.  Ryan Kalil is going to start at center.  New signee Kendrick Vincent will compete for the right guard spot, and the Panthers are expected to use their first round draft pick to get the last piece of their offensive line and start him immediately.  With the issues the Panthers had last year on offense, it shows a good degree of sense for the Panthers to bolster their offensive line.  Delhomme will be more protected, giving him more time to find his receivers, not to mention less chance of injury.  I expect the Panthers to be much better in 2008.

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