Panthers Make Several Cuts to Trim Roster

The Carolina Panthers were busy trimming their final roster over the weekend, releasing 23 players and placing one on the injured reserve to bring the roster total to 51. Now that the team is two players short of a full roster, the search begins for a kick returner and possibly even another defensive tackle, as rookie DT Corey Irvin was placed on the IR after suffering a torn MCL in his knee last Thursday. After releasing return man Ryne Robinson last week, the Panthers had a failed attempt at getting Mark Jones back to the team, as Jones failed a physical yesterday, just a week after being released from the Tennessee Titans with a hamstring injury. The disastrous performances from Kenny Moore and Captain Munnerlyn in the preseason signify that the Panthers are still on the prowl for a kick returner, even though rookie Mike Goodson will likely return kickoffs in Carolina’s first regular season game against Philadelphia.

The long list of released Panthers this weekend include S Kevin Kaesviharn, WR Larry Beavers, RB DeCori Birmingham, DL Casper Brinkley, OL Patrick Brown, QB Hunter Cantwell, WR Jason Chery, S Paul Chiara, DB D.J. Clark, TE Andrew David, DT Marlon Favorite, DB Joe Fields, OL Justin Geisinger, OL Keith Gray, LB Anthony Heygood, DT George Hypolite, LB Mortty Ivy, RB Jamall Lee, LB Jeremy Leman, WR Kevin McMahan, WR Marcus Monk, OL Jonathan Palmer and LB Kelvin Smith.

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Panthers Finish Preseason with 0-4 Record

The Pittsburgh Steelers were the final team to bring Carolina to a 0-4 preseason record, handing the Panthers a 21-10 loss last night as the blue and black fumbled and stumbled its way through the game. Carolina’s first-team offense and defense both looked shaky, with QB Jake Delhomme being sacked and Muhsin Muhammad dropping a crucial pass while Carolina’s defense couldn’t so much as stop Steelers backup RB Isaac Redman from scoring on a 10-yard run. The Panthers’ special teams didn’t look much better, and this is one team that has its work cut out for it over the next week, as Carolina needs badly to work out the kinks before the start of the regular season on Sept. 13 with a matchup against Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Running back Mike Goodson may have been the only bright spot of last night’s play for the Panthers even though he lost a fumble at the 4 to put a halt on what could have been a scoring drive, as Goodson managed to rush for 79 yards on 15 carries with gains of 11, 12 and 22 yards. Overall, “We should some glimpses of what this team can be,” Muhsin Muhammad said after the game. “We have enough hunger built up to move forward.”

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Richardson Appoints Morrison as Team President

Just days after the shocking announcement of Mark and Jon Richardson’s resignations from high offices of the Carolina Panthers, their father, owner Jerry Richardson, hired Texas Christian University athletic director Danny Morrison to take over as team president yesterday. 55-year-old Morrison has been in close contact with Richardson ever since 1995, when Morrison was the athletic director at Wofford College, the site of the Panthers’ training camp. “We are very familiar with Danny and he is very familiar with our organization,” Richardson said in a statement yesterday. “He has been successful as a college administrator and commissioner and brings a business expertise and sense of community that fits the position perfectly.”

Danny Morrison is a native of Burlington, North Carolina, and the new Panthers’ team president played basketball at Wofford College. After getting graduate degrees from North Carolina and South Carolina, Morrison climbed the rungs of the athletic administration ranks, becoming the commissioner of the Southern Conference before taking the job as athletic director at TCU. He now replaces Mark Richardson as team president, and he recently said, “I am thrilled to be joining an organization I have followed closely since its inception. Meeting the high standards that Mr. Richardson sets is a challenge I embrace.”

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Panthers Pick up Defensive Tackle, Drop Two Richardsons

The Carolina Panthers’ recent decision to scoop up another defensive tackle in the absence of starter Maake Kemoeatu was hardly surprising, as veteran DT Louis Leonard is sure to provide some relief for the Panthers’ ailing defense this season. Carolina’s truly shocking decision yesterday, however, was the announcement that team owner Jerry Richardson’s two sons, Jon and Mark, had both stepped down from their respective positions as head of Bank of America Stadium and team president of the Panthers. Both men had been expected to be groomed to take over for their ailing father when the 73-year-old retires, but now reports are saying that “sibling disputes” could be to blame for their resignations.

According to a report by NBC Sports, Jerry Richardson may have forced his sons to both resign from their positions with the Carolina Panthers because they couldn’t get along, but the team is being mum on explanations, with Jerry Richardson simply stating, “Both Mark and Jon made great contributions to the stadium and team that have enabled us to enjoy much success over the last 15 years. At the same time, I am thankful that we have a staff that has been in place for many years and knows our philosophy.”

The players are staying out of the controversy, as well, with Muhsin Muhammad only publicly stating, “Obviously both guys will be missed. For whatever reason they resigned, no one knows exactly what that is. But we all have complete trust and faith in Mr. Richardson’s ability to put good people in place.”

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Panthers Release Robinson in First Round of Cuts

It was almost solidified that Ryne Robinson would lose his job with the Carolina Panthers when he was still seen playing with the second string during the preseason, and yesterday he was released by the team in Carolina’s first round of cuts, ending his two-year stint with the Panthers. Ryne, a fourth-round draft pick in ‘07, was used as a kickoff and punt return specialist as a rookie but spent all of last season on the injured reserve after spraining two ligaments in his left knee during training camp last year. This offseason, rookie Mike Goodson slid into his spot as the No. 1 kickoff returner and rookie Captain Munnerlyn took Robinson’s job as the team’s top punt returner, leaving little need for Robinson’s expertise, especially as Kenny Moore trumped him to snag the No. 4 receiving job.

Ryne Robinson was the biggie released during yesterday’s cuts, but he’s not the only Panther to lose ties with the team. Defensive tackle Lorenzo Willians and tackle Gerald Cadogan were also released yesterday, and guard C.J. Davis was placed on the injured reserve after suffering an ankle injury during the team’s training camp. These surely aren’t the only cuts Carolina will make over the next two weeks, so stay tuned for more!

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Panthers Defense Struggles to Come Together

If games were determined only by the defense, the Carolina Panthers would be in trouble. The much-injured Carolina defense is still working out the kinks after witnessing injuries from top starters Maake Kemoeatu and Jon Beason earlier this month, and the team fell to the Baltimore Ravens 13-17 in the third preseason game of the year Saturday night. Coach John Fox wasn’t the only one with tough love to give the Panthers after their exhibition game Saturday night, and much of the criticism was coming from Beason himself, who has been sidelined with a sprained knee. Beason delivered bouts of disapproval following the Carolina-Baltimore game over the weekend, saying, “On the sideline you get that coaches’ point of view. The tackling was horrible tonight. I think we’ve got to do a better job in our man-to-man coverage. I think we were good against the run, which we hadn’t been the first two games. But we’re still not where we need to be.”

The Panthers have been struggling defensively over the last couple months, however, and not just in the preseason. New defensive coordinator Ron Meeks has had the team tackling new drills and skills in learning a new defense, and the mounting numbers of injuries only make it harder for the defense to come together, especially as linebackers Beason and Thomas Davis, safety Charles Godfrey and nose tackle Kemoeatu have all been out with injuries. Will the Panthers be able to pull together their defense in time for the opening of the regular season? The countdown is on, so stay tuned for more!

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Panthers vs. Ravens Preview

The Carolina Panthers will take on the Baltimore Ravens Saturday evening in both teams’ third preseason game, and it will be most interesting to watch the Panthers’ second string in action as several of Carolina’s starters including Jonathan Stewart, Steve Smith, Muhsin Muhammad, Jon Beason and Maake Kemoeatu will not see any play time tomorrow. Running back DeAngelo Williams may also spend tomorrow evening sitting the bench, as he sat out of yesterday’s practice with knee soreness. Will the Panthers have enough to overcome the Ravens tomorrow night and tack up their first win of the (pre)season?

The Panthers have plenty more players to step in during the absence of the aforementioned starters and, after all, that’s what the preseason is for. Tomorrow’s game will mark the first of the year to be played at Carolina’s Bank of America Stadium, but the Raven’s won’t be giving up easily. QB Joe Flacco and RB Ray Rice are two Ravens to watch in particular in tomorrow’s matchup, but, like Carolina, Baltimore has a number of ailing players that won’t be representing the team in its third preseason battle, including Terrell Suggs, Mark Clayton, Samari Rolle, Kelly Gregg and L.J. Smith. Is this an even playing field? We’ll soon find out!

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The Fight to Make Carolina’s Roster Continues

The Carolina Panthers still have quite a few players on the cusp of either making the team’s roster or being cut before the start of the regular season, and injuries endured over the last few weeks have shaken things up in Charlotte, where the latest headlines include material about rookie Sherrod Martin, who has recently made the switch from cornerback to safety. Martin’s new role with the team comes after starting safety Charles Godfrey and backup Nate Salley both recently suffered injuries, and now he’ll work alongside Quinton Teal and Kevin Kaesviharn to provide some depth to the position. Of Martin’s switch to safety, strong safety Chris Harris said, “He’s very athletic, so it was a natural for him to move there. He’s still got to learn the defense and learn the ins and outs. But as of now I think he’s picking it up pretty well.”

Other rookies Captain Munnerlyn and Mike Goodson have proven their fit with the Panthers, as well, and will likely make the roster, though young receiver Ryne Robinson has had a shaky preseason so far, most notably making a costly error in the Panthers’ recent exhibition game against the Dolphins when Robinson lost the ball and allowed the Dolphins to recover it. Long snapper J.J. Jansen also made a slip-up with a high snap against the Dolphins and could see his job with the Panthers in jeopardy because of it. Several other players are vying for a spot on the team, so look for it all to pan out soon enough.

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Goodson Acquires His First NFL Fine

Mike Goodson, the Carolina Panthers’ fourth-round draft pick in 2009 (111 overall), is fitting in great with the team, but the rookie running back formerly of Texas A&M got a little ahead of himself last week during the Panthers’ exhibition game against the New York Giants, making headlines when he initiated a throat slash gesture after scoring a touchdown on a 14-yard run in the second half of the game. Called on the spot for unsportsmanlike behavior, Goodson was immediately penalized 15 yards during the game, and he was also fined $7,500 on Monday for his distasteful gesture. While coach John Fox hasn’t issued a statement regarding Goodson’s throat-slash stunt, he did inform the rookie that a fine was likely to follow his behavior during the game.

Goodson, already signed to a four-year deal with the Panthers, has seen extended playtime so far during this year’s preseason thanks to fellow running back Jonathan Stewart sitting the sidelines with an injured Achilles’ tendon, and he’ll likely be able to make up for his faux pas in last week’s game during this upcoming weekend as the Panthers travel to Miami to take on the Dolphins on Saturday at Land Shark Stadium.

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Defensive Curse of the Panthers Strikes Godfrey

Make that three defensive players on Carolina’s roster out with injuries. Charles Godfrey, Carolina’s starting free safety, is also sitting the sidelines this week after breaking his hand in last weekend’s exhibition game against the Miami Dolphins, leaving another gaping hole in the team’s defense. While Godfrey, a third-round pick in the ‘08 draft, has already undergone surgery and could make a return anytime after the start of the regular season, the Panthers have already taken action to cover his position, signing veteran free safety Kevin Kaesviharn in his absence.

Kaesviharn, an eight-year NFL veteran who’s spent his last two years in the league with the New Orleans Saints, joins the Panthers in part because Charles Godfrey’s backup safety Nate Shelly is sidelined with a knee injury, and his new spot on Carolina’s roster led to wide receiver Jason Carter getting the boot to make room for Kaesviharn. Now that Carter is out of the picture, Kenneth Moore and Ryne Robinson will vie for the Panthers’ No. 4 receiver position behind Steve Smith, Muhsin Muhammad and Dwayne Jarrett. As for Godfrey, he’s listed as “day-to-day” right now but could be back for Carolina’s season opener, though he’ll likely have to wear a “club” on his injured hand.

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