Richardson on the Path to Recovery

Good news comes today from the Panthers den in Charlotte, as the football team’s owner Jerry Richardson is making steps toward progress in recovering from a heart transplant he underwent earlier this month. Richardson was released from the hospital yesterday after spending 12 days at Carolinas Medical Center following his transplant surgery. The 72-year-old team owner is said to be responding well to the surgery, and his body is accepting the new heart he has was given less than two months after requesting one.

Jerry Richardson is a former Baltimore Colt and teammate of the great Johnny Unitas, and he won the distinction of becoming the second ex-NFL player ever to own a team after earning the Panthers franchise in 1993. The Panthers owner has had multiple heart problems over the last several years, undergoing quadruple bypass surgery in 2002 and having a pacemaker installed in 2008. Richardson spent Super Bowl Sunday this year in a five-hour surgery getting a new heart and all looks good so far, though he will spend a significant amount of time over the next year in and out of hospitals getting check-ups.

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The Peppers Problem

When Julius Peppers announced that he wanted out of Carolina, he wasn’t kidding. The seven-year Panther has made it clear that when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 16 days he’s heading straight to anywhere but Charlotte, and this leaves the Panthers more than a little at a disadvantage. When Peppers leaves Carolina in two weeks, the Panthers will lose all they have invested in him and won’t get anything in return for his departure. Unless, that is, they don’t just simply let him walk.

A few things could happen for the Panthers to gain a little something for losing Julius Peppers, and the first way this would be possible would be if the Panthers slap the franchise tag on the DE. This, of course, would be extremely expensive considering this would cost them upwards of $16.9 million, and it would also hinder the team’s cap space with the upcoming draft, but it would also keep Peppers as a pawn for the Panthers. Another option for the team would be to franchise and trade Peppers, which is what will likely happen in the next few weeks. In this case, the Panthers would hit Pepp with the franchise tag and hope to trade him for a first round draft pick – depending on the team that gets him and how bad they want the All-Pro player. Another less favorable option for the Panthers would be to simply let Peppers walk, but that wouldn’t be so much fun, would it?

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Panthers Pick Up Two More Coaches

John Fox and the Carolina Panthers were hit hard last month when six of the team’s assistants dispersed to take jobs with other teams in the league, and the Panthers are still scrambling to fill the open slots left for next season. After spending weeks interviewing candidates and strategizing team efforts, Carolina has selected two new assistants to fill the shoes of Ken Flajole and Tim Lewis, who recently left the Panthers for coaching jobs with other teams.

Linebackers coach Ken Flajole left the Panthers for a defensive coordinator position with the St. Louis Rams last month, and his position with the team will be filled by Richard Smith, former defensive coordinator with the Houston Texans. Smith has worked with the Texans for the past three seasons, and he spent time with the Miami Dolphins in the same position in 2005.

Ron Milus also plans on joining the Carolina Panthers for next season. Milus was hired to work with the team’s defensive backs alongside Mike Gilhamer, and he will take the place of Tim Lewis, who recently left the Panthers to take a job with the Seattle Seahawks. Milus has spent the last three NFL seasons working as a secondary coach for the St. Louis Rams.

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Salary Caps and Recaps

The Carolina Panthers have a great deal of negotiating to do before next season, and we’re not just talking about the team’s coaching staff. With Julius Peppers and Jordan Gross’ contracts up, these next few days are sure to be some very pivotal ones for the Panthers, and the team’s roster could all come down to a price tag. When it comes down to making the pieces of the salary puzzle fit, a few Carolina players could possibly see a cut.

In terms of the Panthers’ highest-paid players, cornerback Ken Lucas is the top dog. Lucas’ $9.1 million cap hit is almost twice what any other Panther gets paid, and his less-than-mesmerizing performances in the 2008 season could mean that Lucas will be on his way out when his contract expires next year. Receiver Steve Smith is the second highest-paid Panther on the roster grossing $5.4 million, with quarterback Jake Delhomme trailing with $5.325 million. Both Smith and Delhomme are worth the money and are expected to return for the next few seasons without problems. Players with only one year left of their contracts include DE Tyler Brayton ($1.8 million), QB Josh McCown ($1.75 million), T Jeremy Bridges ($1.25 million) and WR DJ Hackett ($1.045 million).

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Panthers Aid Pro Bowl Win for NFC

It was Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald who got all the attention following yesterday’s 30-21 NFC victory in the 2009 Pro Bowl, but the presence of Carolina Panthers Jordan Gross, Julius Peppers, Steve Smith and Jon Beason made a big impact on the division’s post-season win in Hawaii. Leading the way for the NFC defense was DE Julius Peppers, who had a phenomenal game including a Jay Cutler interception that aided John Carney’s field goal and 27-21 NFC lead late in yesterday’s Pro Bowl game.

Another standout Panther in yesterday’s Pro Bowl game was wide receiver Steve Smith, who was overshadowed by Fitzgerald but still managed to post a team-leading 89 yards on six receptions in the game at Aloha Stadium. Carolina offensive tackle Jordan Gross was also a starter in the 2009 Pro Bowl game for the NFC (his first year as a Pro Bowler,) and linebacker Jon Beason contributed to the division’s victory as well with four tackles on defense and one on special teams, making his first Pro Bowl appearance a memorable one.

While this quartet of Panthers made a splash in the Pro Bowl game this year, the question still on spectators’ minds as the NFC took the win yesterday was whether or not Julius Peppers would still be wearing that blue-and-black Carolina uniform for the NFC next year. Stay tuned to find out!

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Carolina’s Defensive Strategy

The Carolina Panthers have a whole lot of defensive strategizing to do before draft day. Assuming Julius Peppers won’t be back next year (as he’s all but said he’s leaving,) there will most certainly be a gaping hole on the defensive line. Who will fill this void? It won’t be easy, but Carolina can overcome the Peppers deficit with a number of strategic defensive moves.

As far as defensive ends go, look for the Panthers to select one early in the draft, possibly even coming off a trade with Peppers. The 2009 NFL Draft looks to be heavy on the defensive end side, which is nothing but good news for Carolina as the team is almost certain to lose one of the league’s best DEs with Peppers’ departure. Players like Texas’ Brian Orakpo and FSU’s Everette Brown will be hot commodities in the draft, so look for one of these names to possibly show up on Carolina’s roster in 2009.

Damione Lewis and Maake Kemoeatu are most certainly sure bets to stick with the Panthers’ defensive tackle positions, and with Charles Godfrey and Chris Harris covering the safety position, no help will be necessary in this slot, either. Carolina’s next move on the defensive side could be with drafting another top cornerback for depth, as Chris Gamble, Ken Lucas and Richard Marshall all seem somewhat iffy when it comes to the demands of the team.

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Basanez Leaves Panther Den

Backup quarterbacks in the NFL are far more valuable than most fans could comprehend (how could we forget the sagas of Tom Brady and Matt Cassel?), and Brett Basanez could just be the next QB from the practice squad to get his shining moment. Basanez has been on the practice squad of the Carolina Panthers since he joined the league in 2006, and now the quarterback is actively taking steps to see the spotlight, making a surprise move this week to leave Carolina to join Lovie Smith and the Chicago Bears for the 2009 season.

Basanez has chosen to leave the Panthers’ practice squad and the shadow of Jake Delhomme to join Kyle Orton, Rex Grossman and Caleb Hanie as quarterback for the Bears. His chances of becoming a second string QB are better in Chicago, and perhaps the NFL could even see a bit more play time for the Northwestern alum. Basanez joined the NFL as an undrafted free agent for the Carolina Panthers in 2006. Before joining the pros, Basanez played at Northwestern and broke several of the team’s records, including passing yards (10,580), total offense (11,576), completions (913) and tied the record for touchdown passes (44). Will he get more action in Chicago? Only time will tell!

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Geoff Schwartz and Babatunde Oshinowo Stick with Panthers

The Carolina Panthers are in that transitional rebuilding stage following their exit from the playoffs earlier this month, and while trying to get their lineup squared away, two more players have been added to the team’s roster to join the team in action next year. Offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz and defensive tackle Babatunde Oshinowo both signed with the Panthers this week to reserve-future contracts, officially joining the team once the 2009 season commences.

Geoff Schwartz joined the Panthers’ practice squad last season as a seventh-round draft pick out of Oregon, beginning his career in the NFL with Carolina. Babatunde Oshinowo, on the other hand, has been on the rosters of several different teams in the league, starting with the Cleveland Browns in 2006. He was a sixth-round pick for the Browns out of Stanford and played in the team’s season finale against the Houston Texans in 2006. Oshinowo also spent time with the practice squad of the Chicago Bears in 2007 and the Washington Redskins in 2008 until August 24, 2008, when he was waived by the team. He then joined the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad in 2008, and has now signed a future contract with the Panthers for 2009.

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Matt House Next to Go

It looks like Carolina Panthers strength and conditioning coach Matt House has followed the lead of several other Carolina coaches and jumped ship. Following in defensive coordinator Ken Flajole’s footsteps, House has recently announced a move from the Panthers to the St. Louis Rams for next season, accepting a position as the Rams’ defensive quality control. House is one of 14 coaches that Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo has hired in the last 16 days, and the former Panthers coach was recently announced as part of a new batch of coaches brought in by Spagnuolo. House enters St. Louis alongside new Rams running backs coach Sylvester Croom, strength and conditioning coach Rock Gullickson, special teams coordinator Tom McMahon and defensive line coach Brendan Daly.

Prior to working with the Carolina Panthers, Matt House also contributed his football brains to several collegiate teams, including the University of Buffalo, where he served as defensive backs coach/recruiting coordinator in 2006 and 2007. House also worked as a defensive line coach with Gardner-Webb (2005), was a defensive assistant with University of North Carolina (2003 – 2004) and also a graduate assistant at his alma mater Michigan State (2001 – 2002).

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New Season, New Heart for Richardson

Carolina Panthers owner/founder Jerry Richardson didn’t get to hold the Vince Lombardi trophy last night after the Super Bowl, but what he did get was even better than a Super Bowl victory. Richardson was in the market for a new heart after his installed pacemaker/defibrillator failed to help his ongoing heart problems last year, and after being placed on the UNOS (United Network of Organ Sharing) heart transplant waiting list in December, he finally got one and had the surgery last night as the Pittsburgh Steelers were battling the Arizona Cardinals.

Richardson underwent a successful five hour heart transplant surgery last night performed by Dr. Mark Stiegel and Dr. Eric Skipper at Carolinas Medical Center, and he is now resting in the post operative cardiovascular recovery unit. The recovery time expected for heart transplant patients is between three and six months, which means Richardson should be going strong again in time for next year’s football season to commence.

72-year-old Richardson has had heart problems since 2002, when he underwent coronary bypass surgery. He has been the Carolina Panthers owner since 1993, when he was awarded the expansion franchise and thereby became the first former NFL player since George Halas to own an NFL team.

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