Panthers Sign Ian Scott

Yesterday we linked to the story about Carolina signing defensive lineman Darwin Walker.  Today, we have this story about the fact that the Panthers have signed Ian Scott, another defensive lineman, in an effort to continue the shoring up of their D-line.  Scott of course was a very effective lineman for the Chicago Bears before leaving for Philadelphia.  His time in Philly was forgettable, as a knee injury kept him sidelined and the Eagles didn’t re-sign him.  Now the Panthers are hoping that Scott can bounce back and be effective for them in the next football season.

The Panthers are taking a calculated risk with these two players.  First of all, they’re betting that the defensive linemen already on their roster will be able to step in and make an impact on the field next season.  Second, they are betting that the two veterans they have signed will be able to overcome injuries to be effective as well.  If both of these things work together, they should be able to rotate a solid D-Line that will be solid enough in the NFL.  However, if any of these risks don’t pan out, the Panthers may have to get creative to get some defensive pressure going next week.

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Panthers Sign Walker

The Carolina Panthers have signed defensive end Darwin Walker, according to reports out of ESPN.com.  Walker will add some much-needed depth to the Panthers’ defensive line.  The signing comes on the heels of the NFL draft - a draft in which the Panthers did themselves many favors in the short term, but didn’t help their d-line much - with the Panthers likely hoping that Walker can put his injury-plagued 2007 behind him.  Walker played for the Chicago Bears last season, but his performance was lackluster, and he was released by Chicago.

The Panthers are certainly hoping that one team’s trash is another team’s treasure with this signing.  Walker had five solid seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before he made his way to Chicago.  However, it appears the physical toll the NFL has taken on Walker’s body my finally be too much, and it is possible the man is breaking down.  However, if Walker is fully recovered from his 2007 injuries, then he could be a steal for the Panthers.  Only time will tell how these late offseason signings turn out for the Panthers.

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

Panthers Make a Splash on Draft Day

The Panthers delivered a big offseason splash on Saturday.  In case you’ve been living on the moon and missed it, the NFL draft happened over the weekend, and many a team has now picked their brand new superstars, or at least they hope they’ve picked their brand new superstars.  The draft is often filled with more busts than it has sure things, and this draft is sure to be no exception.  While it bears noting that it is legitimately impossible to say whether or not a draft is a success until many years down the road, that hasn’t stoped Mel Kiper Jr. over at EPSN.com from delivering his immediate post-draft grades for each and every team, nor from giving the Panthers a B.

I would say Kiper’s grade of the Panthers is fair, though I’m not sure they don’t deserve an even higher grade for taking a chance and going after two players in the first round.  The main knock Mel has on the Panthers is that they gave up their first rounder next year to get Otah now.  There aren’t many people who believe this is good for the Panthers, but I will say that I believe this risk will pay off.  The Panthers have too much talent to go into full-on rebuilding mode, and this draft helped get them to the level they need to be at to compete in the NFC next season.

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Panthers Draft Preview

Tomorrow, sports fans, we will all sit down to watch the amazing spectacle that is the NFL draft.  Men all over the country will literally begin to carve out that spot on the couch that they will turn into a defined rut by the end of football season.  There are some people who believe the football season doesn’t start until the games are played.  Those people are fools.   The NFL season begins when your team starts making draft picks for you to analyze and brutalize for the next few months until they finally start playing those games we’re all so psyched about.

With that in mind, let’s get into the Carolina Panthers draft preview.  I cannot make it more clear than this: The Panthers need to draft players in the trenches early and often.  The desire to pick up a running back or even trade up to get a quarterback will be great, but the Panthers must avoid these unnecessary risks.  This is not the draft for the Panthers to behave erratically.  This team is in a solid position to truly compete at a high level next season if they give themselves a solid foundation of young linemen in the draft.

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

Remembering Rucker

With Mike Rucker’s retirement, there is much to get to.  The Panthers now have to face the prospect of a completely new defensive line next season - something they haven’t had to deal with in quite some time.  They will be a much younger team next year, and this will certainly affect the way they go about their business on draft day.  However, there is more to be done than just move on in Carolina.  Mike Rucker spent his entire career with the Panthers.  He was a Panther for nine full seasons, and as such, it is only right that we remember Mike Rucker properly.

I may post yet another one of these types of stories tomorrow if no one finds anything interesting to say about the Panthers’ draft.  Mike Rucker was extremely well-loved by the Carolina faithful.  He played every down like it was his last, and the fans responded by heaping love and adoration upon him with every tackle.  Rucker’s news conference was an emotional affair in which he spent most of the time deflecting the spotlight from himself onto others who made his career possible.  It is rare that fans get a glimpse into the character of one of their heroes, and rarer still that they enjoy what they see.  In Rucker, fans had a player they could feel proud to cheer for, and that is invaluable in the world of modern sports.

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Effect of Rucker’s Retirement on Panther’s Draft

Mike Rucker has now officially retired.  In a move that wasn’t entirely shocking, but wasn’t entirely out of the blue either, the Carolina Panthers lost yet another of their once-formidable front four.  With the other personnel moves in the offseason - the trade of Kris Jenkins and the release of Dan Morgan - the Panthers will now finally have a completely new defensive line for the first time in years.  This newest wrinkle in the Panthers offseason now means that Carolina needs to look at picking up a D-lineman in the first round of the draft, according to the article in question.

I would have to totally agree with this writer’s assertion.  The Panthers look very solid as a team because of the many shrewd pick-ups they made in the offseason.  While they certainly still need other players, such as a complimentary running back for DeAngelo Hall, the D-Line is the place they must start.  Bill Parcells knows a thing or two about football, and he has a hard and fast rule to never draft running backs in the first round.  So before you go calling for QB Ryan or RB Mendenhall, keep in mind that NFL games are won and lost in the trenches, and the Panthers need help on the defensive front.

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Rucker Retires

Mike Rucker is retiring, according to reports out of ESPN.com.  The 33-year-old defensive end is an unrestricted free agent, but apparently felt he would be best served hanging up his cleats than looking for a new team.  Carolina didn’t re-sign Rucker immediately in the offseason, mostly because they were waiting to see if Rucker would actually retire.  It doesn’t appear that Rucker harbors any sort of animosity toward the Panthers for their waiting game.  After a knee surgery in 2006, Rucker was not the same player last season, and many analysts felt that it may have been his last year in the NFL.

It would now seem those pundits were exactly right.  Rucker has played his last game in the National Football League.  He was moved to tears during his last game of the season in 2007, and it now seems fitting.  Rucker had an amazing career at Carolina, and he leaves as one of their most beloved players.  A 10-year career in the NFL is nothing to sneeze at, and Rucker was a formidable force for the entirety of his time in the league.  31 years of age is just too late in one’s life to undergo serious knee surgery in the NFL.  Rucker will certainly be missed by the Carolina fans, organization and his teammates.

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

Breaking Down Panthers’ Draft Day Needs (Again)

With the Carolina Panthers entering the final week before the NFL draft, now is the time for everyone to start getting completely geeked out about who the Panthers will be drafting.  The News Observer out of Raleigh has put together a very comprehensive breakdown of the Panthers possible draft picks.  This write-up is very informative and well put together.  If you have any opinion as to what the Panthers should be doing with their picks (and as a fan, you’re required by law to have such an opinion), then you will absolutely love this piece.

Although this write-up seems to agree that the Panthers will have to select some backups at QB and RB, it at least isn’t making the case that the Panthers should mortgage the present to plan for the future.  The Panthers need to take players in the trenches early.  The article at least acknowledges this.  However, it makes the assertion that the Panthers are in rebuilding mode, and I’m not sure I agree.  I believe the Panthers are in a solid position to do some real damage in the NFC next season, so I don’t know where all this rebuilding talk is coming from.

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

Will Panthers Trade Up for Ryan?

Yesterday I posted that the Panthers were showing interest in Boston College QB Matt Ryan.  Now, we have this article in which Mel Kiper Jr. states his belief that the Panthers should attempt to trade up to get Ryan.  He believes the Panthers would do well to get themselves a face for their franchise.  If the Panthers pick up Ryan, they’ll have someone they can bring along while Jake Delhomme finishes his career.  Of course, that would be how it would work out in a perfect world.  However, the world is not perfect, and I believe that picking up Ryan would lead to more problems than it would solve.

The Panthers are a team that may well be ready to take a run at the Super Bowl if they put a few more parts in place.  The Super Bowl Champion New York Giants took a hit in free agency.  They won’t be as strong.  Dallas will be back, but they are vulnerable and apt to make mental errors.  The NFC North is going to be a JV League, and the West will likely spit a flawed Seattle team at us again.  Why start thinking about the future now when the Panthers could make a legitimate run at the Super Bowl next season?  I just don’t get it.

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

Panthers Interested in Ryan?

According to this article out of the Charlotte Observer, the Carolina Panthers may be interested in Boston College QB Matt Ryan.  While it has been assumed for most of the offseason that the Panthers would be using this pick to bolster their team withing the trenches, particularly with an offensive tackle or defensive lineman.  There has also been some speculation that the Panthers might try to get a running back in the draft to compliment DeAngelo Hall. However, this news that they may be enamored with Matt Ryan is a little out there.

My take on this entire situation is that the Panthers could certainly pick up Matt Ryan if he falls all the way to 13 and no one would blame them.  However, I don’t think that the Panthers should even remotely entertain the notion of trading up to get Ryan.  While there is always a desire to pick up a replacement QB for Jake Delhomme, I’m not sure this year is the year to do so.  The Panthers still have a chance to make a couple of moves and become a Super Bowl contender.  If they start trading up to pick up rookie blue-chip QBs, then they’re basically rebuilding.

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

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