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Here are a few things worth mentioning about the Panthers upcoming Buffalo Bills opponent. Bills Safety Jaruis Byrd missed the Bills home opener last week due to injury. It looks like he may miss this week as well. Byrd suffers from Plantar Fascitis, an inflammatory foot condition that affects the heel. The bad news for Byrd is that in most chronic cases, this is a degenerative condition that may not heal. Byrd is also not happy about his fanchise tag, and could be jockeying for a trade. _______________________________ ESPN did an article on grading the Bills Cornerbacks Overall, they had very poor grades. Going from Seattle corner backs to Buffalo cornerbacks should be an advantageous one for the Panthers wideouts. Armanti Edwards and Domenik Hixon are both healthy and should see playing time. If there is a game where they can prove their worth, this is it. ________________________________ Buffalo News is concerned about the Bills third down efficiency... If the BIlls struggled on third down against against a weak Patriots defense, expect them to struggle even more against the Panthers. ________________________________ According to Buffalo News, EJ Manuel plans on throwing deep against the Panthers.. Panthers cornerback Josh Thomas had a poor showing against Seattle, but I do not expect that to happen two weeks in a row. Sunday's game is a homecoming for Thomas, who attended university at Buffalo. Thomas will bring his A game, no player wants to perform poorly in his college town. Click here to view the article
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On paper, the Panthers offense against the Seahawks looks almost palatable. Cam Newton threw with good accuracy, no interceptions, and a touchdown. Deangelo Williams averaged 4.75 yards per carry. If you read those statistics without watching the game you might assume the Panthers won the game. The fact that the offense put together only 7 points has many people, myself included, scratching our heads. I can best explain what I believe the Panthers offense was doing in boxing terms. Keep moving and throw lots of short jabs. Protect yourself from a devastating blow. Don't wind up for a knockout punch, it may backfire. Let the match play out and hope you kept it close enough for a judges decision. This is the type of offense that Panthers offensive coordinator is known for. An offense that drives fans crazy, but defensive head coaches enjoy. Tony Dungy liked it in Tampa. Apparently Ron Rivera likes it here. These coaches relish the opportunity for defenses to win games. However, the Panthers in game 1 took it too far in the conservative direction. Here are three simple ways to improve on offense that can easily be implemented. 1. Let Cam be Cam. Cam Newton is a talent that should not be wasted like his name is Dilfer. One of Cam's strengths is the accuracy of his long ball. It makes no sense to acquire Tedd Ginn, who was open for the long ball yesterday, and not throw it to him. Even if incomplete a long pass play helps our offense by forcing the safeties to drop back in coverage and giving the short game more room to work. If you don't threaten deep, you may complete passes, but you won't go anywhere. Cam Newton's career low passing yards against the Seahawks are an indication that this is the case. 2. Keep them guessing. Third downs yesterday were extremely predictable, especially in short yardage situations. Shula has a history of this. I commented in the preseason that fans should get used to seeing a run up the gut on third downs. The Panthers need to add a variety of options on third down. A QB keeper after a play fake, a short slant to Smith, a pitch to the outside, anything but run up the gut. It is a safe bet that defensive coordinators have scouted Shula's Tampa days, if yesterday's game is any indication, they have done so for good reason. His tendencies have not changed. 3. Speed it up. I don't recall one play yesterday where the Seahawk defense was rushed or needed more time to get set up correctly. This happened numerous times to the Panthers defense. Going into a hurry up mode or even a no huddle unexpectedly would be a nice left hook to the chin. 4. Impose your will. This is not a X's and O's type of solution, but more of a mind set. Taking what the defense gives you is safe, but often it is not good enough. Afterall, they are giving it to you for a reason. You are falling into their game plan trap. Instead, attack them where they feel they are safe. In boxing terms, this knocks them back on their heels and makes them question their strategy. Winning offenses attack aggressively, losing offenses settle passively. Click here to view the article
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As much concern there is about the Panthers offense after playing Seattle, there is an equal amount of excitement about the Panthers defense. A key component of the excellent defensive showing against Seattle was the healthy starting combination of Jon Beason, Luke Kuechly, and Thomas Davis. Going in to Sunday's game against Seattle, containing Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch was a top priority. Allowing Lynch to run the ball would have extended the Seahawks time of possession and worn the defense out further. Thanks to the linebackers, the Panthers were able to hold Lynch to 43 yards on 17 attempts, or just 2.5 yards per carry. This is an amazing accomplishment as Lynch averaged 5 yards per carry in 2012. The Panthers were able to cut his effectiveness in half. Good stuff. Luke Kuechly remains the leader of the linebackers, and the defense as a whole. Kuechly is relied on to make the defensive play calls and adjustments as needed. Veterans Jon Beason and Thomas Davis, two excellent leaders in their own right, seemed content to play support roles. After a Kuechly tackle I noticed Jon Beason was the first player to slap him on the helmet and encourage him even more. Beason has been a mentor for Luke, and that hasn't changed. Last season Beason was limited to counseling Kuechly from the sidelines while the defense rested. This season that veteran advice is available at any time. I expect this will help Luke continue to develop at an even faster rate. It is a scary thought for the opposition that Kuechly is only a second year player with room for growth. Seeing Beason and Davis play as tandem outside linebackers was a real treat for any fan of hard nosed defensive football. With Star Lotulelei clogging the middle, opposing offenses this season will be forced to try to run the edges. As Marshawn Lynch found out, it won't be easy. The backers of the line will be waiting. Click here to view the article
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What could have been a glorious return to winning ended up feeling like the same old routine. On with the grades. Offense: Scoring seven points will not win you any games in the NFL. That said, it is hard to figure how the Panthers only managed to score only seven points. Cam played reasonably well. The offensive line and the running backs looked good. The weakest link of the offense appeared to be options in the passing game not named Steve Smith. Brandon Lafell had the best camp and preseason of his career, yet disappeared when it counted. Tedd Ginn was open from time to time down the field but wasn't seen by Cam. If I had to put it down to one thing, it would be an overall lack of aggressiveness. The offense appeared happy to slowly move up and down the field with no sense of urgency. The offense did not impose it's will at any time in the second have, merely took what the defense was giving them. Winning offenses attack, they don't settle. Offensive Grade - D Defense: This defense has me excited. Already, it is easy to see great improvement over last season. Star Lotulelei provided more push up the middle since a guy named Kris Jenkins played for the Panthers. The linebacking trio of Beason, Kuechly, and Davis looked to be the best in the NFC, Charles Godfrey looked great in the safety blitz packages. A few miscues in the secondary cost the Panthers some yardage, but all in all you cannot ask for more. Holding a team who scored 30+ points a game last season to 12 points is a solid performance and a reason for hope. Defensive Grade - A Special Teams: Aside from a couple of bone headed penalties from Armond Smith, the Special Teams unit was good. They didn't allow Tate to make any great returns. Nortman's booming punts were a thing of beauty and Gano's kickoffs gave the Panthers great field position. Josh Thomas had a terrible touch on a live ball that kept the Seahawks drive alive. I am going to break this down into three grades. Armond Smith - F Josh Thomas - F Everyone not named Armond Smith or Josh Thomas- A Coaching: Like last season, the Panthers at times looked unprepared and undisciplined. This falls directly on the shoulders of Head Coach Ron Rivera. While his defensive unit looked fantastic, his offensive unit simply did not get it done. The Panthers must have an aggressive attacking mentality on offense if they have any post season hopes this year. Coaching Grade - C- Click here to view the article
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Who: Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers Where: Bank of America Stadium Kickoff: 1:00pm Kickoff Weather: Mostly Sunny and 84 Degrees. Increased risk of burnt feathers. Tailgating info: TV: FOX Radio: 1110AM WBT Radio I will be tweeting amazing observations from the sidelines, follow @CarolinaHuddle on Twitter! Huddle Chat Room is Open! 50 person limit, first come first serve. This is it folks, the first Carolina Huddle Gameday Thread of 2013. The Panthers have a chance to win back the Charlotte fan base today with a win over the playoff caliber Seattle Seahawks. Panthers Keys to Victory: Limit Marshawn Lynch to under 100 yards.Eliminate offensive 3 and outs.Ginn and/or Edwards must make a big playLets Get It On! Click here to view the article
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Listen up Seattle! You are now ON NOTICE! Friends, Huddlers, Carolinians, lend me your beers. This week begins anew the NFL Season. A time in which our hearts and minds turn from beaches and bikinis to large sweaty men hitting one another on a field of plastic grass. A time when Sundays no longer mean mowing the lawn just to escape the horrors of our pathetic domesticated existence, if only for a moment. I submit to you on this day that football is our liberation. This week, we take back our balls. First up on our schedule and inevitable road to glory is the provincial town of Seattle. This suburb of Vancouver is best known for its god awful weather, foul coffee, and a music genre named after the stuff you clean out from betwixt your toes. While not discussing the intricacies of Twilight, Seattle residents are known to try their best to acclimate to American culture by watching our national past time, football. This Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks fall victim to the Carolina Panthers and serve as a sacrifice to the gods of football. Their inferior cast of players, while heralded in the media, are nothing more than paper puppets pathetically perpetuating the practice of pomposity. Men, look at their shiny unblemished exterior. I say beneath that vomit green veneer is weakness. Weakness is meant to be exploited. And exploit it... we shall. This season the Panthers have put together a group of individuals whose skills mesh into what will be known as the greatest team of all time. The leader is a wise statesman who formulated the plan. Once a great player himself, he now provides the wisdom necessary to guide his team to victory. On offense is a smooth talking snappy dresser whose grace on the field makes winning seem effortless. A man the ladies want and the men want to be. One might say he is the face of the franchise On defense a leader has emerged whose gameplay seems both amazing and insane all at once. The way he throws himself at defenders forces some to wonder if he may be a slight bit crazy. The muscle is provided by a man so angry and feared that he has become legend. Cross him, and your foolishness will be pitied. Ladies and gentleman, while the Seahawks can be considered a B team, the Panthers are the A-Team. I love it when a plan comes together. Panthers 24 - Seahawks 17 Click here to view the article
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Every season it is interesting to see extreme fan reactions to preseason games. After the game, twitter is ablaze with angry fits of criticism and outrage. The Panthers reaction to this outrage usually looks something like this.... Greg Hardy - Carolina Panthers It occurred to me that some fans need a preseason football viewing tutorial. Here are a few key points to help you understand and enjoy the preseason a bit more and save yourself some embarrassment on twitter. 1. The main objective is not winning. I know, this seems like football blasphemy, but if the coaches are being honest they would tell you the same. The main objective in preseason play is talent evaluation. In many cases, players earn or lose a roster spot in the preseason. Seeing a player's reaction to a real opponent in a real game with real hitting is the ultimate evaluation tool. 2. Another objective is play evaluation. The Panthers will start each game with a series of scripted plays they want to take a close look at. These are typically base plays to which variations can be added. Often times they will stick to the predetermined script despite a disadvantage in field position. Again, the goal is not scoring touchdowns, the goal is evaluation. 3. Coaching decisions or effectiveness are impossible to judge. With possibly slight exception in the third preseason game where light game planning is performed, we won't see the effectiveness of the offensive or defensive play calling until the regular season. 4. Individual player performance is open to praise or criticism. There are very valid things to get excited or upset about in preseason, and individual player performance is one of them. This is especially true for the second and third string. These guys are playing for a roster spot, you are seeing them at their very best. 5. Special Teams can be fully evaluated. In the preseason the Special Teams unit are pretty much what you see is what you get. Feel free to fully judge. Click here to view the article
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When the Carolina Panthers drafted RB Kenjon Barner in the 2013 NFL draft, there was a collective groan across the internet from Panthers fans. Another running back? What about our offensive line? The fans were upset, and some would say rightfully so. However, it appears that this draft day gamble is paying off. Kenjon Barner is quickly rising in the ranks of the Panthers crowded offensive backfield. A crowded backfield is nothing new to him... On the first day of training camp, Barner saw time mainly with the 3rd and 4th string units. More recently he has been running with the second string unit led by Derrick Anderson. It appears Barner's stock is rising. Kenjon Barner The transition from college to pros may not be as difficult for Barner than players from other systems. Having played under Chip Kelly in Oregon, Barner is accustomed to a higher paced pro style offense. Barner has also shown to be a highly coachable player. Kenjon's biggest concern coming out of college was his propensity to run upright, not staying low to the ground. Unlike Eric Shelton (who never corrected this problem), Barner has changed and now runs as low as any player on the roster. Running low gives defensive players less to wrap up and keeps the runner's center of gravity low, allowing for better balance. The next concern about Barner was his pass protection ability. Again, Kenjon has shown great improvement in less than a week of camp. While pass protection is not his strength, he has shown the ability to at least hold off a defender should Cam Newton audible to a passing play from a run formation. Kenjon Barner So what does all of this mean? First, it means if Kenjon can continue to improve and prove himself throughout training camp and preseason, he may see real time this year. If that happens, the heavy financial load of a Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart backfield becomes a tempting target for GM David Gettleman. If Barner does have a solid year on a sixth round rookie salary, this will be the last year for either Williams or Stewart as a Panther. Secondly, it could be the spark the Panthers running game has been missing. Barner has a quicker first step than any back on the roster. Behind an average offensive line, he may have more ability to hit a quickly closing hole where the other backs do not. I have not been this excited about a rookie running back since the drafting of Jonathan Stewart. Is Barner a definite contributor? Not yet, but if he keeps rising he soon will be. Click here to view the article
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Really good practice today at Wofford. The weather wasn't to hot, and the mosquitoes were manageable. When I arrived Star Lotulelei was getting some one on one mentoring from a defensive coach. He was fine tuning his hand placement and shedding blocks. Star appears to be self motivated and a student of the game. These two things are as important as his physical traits, if not more so. Luke Kuechly stopped on the way in to sign a few autographs. The fans love this guy. Luke appears to go to the kids first for autographs, as he should. Rivera lit a fire under the team today. He apparently wanted a more uptempo practice. Very little time was taken between snaps, sometimes not even allowing players to leave the field after their rotation. The offensive line remains my biggest concern. I have to think Gettleman is on the phone and the wire daily. Cam continues to have his best camp yet. He is clowning around less, and showing more leadership. I think he may be maturing a bit. Barner is a shifty guy. He is 5'9 which isn't very short, but he runs much lower than that. He disappears easily behind the offensive line and gives the defensive players only shoulder pads and legs to grab on to. Good stuff. Greg Olsen is far and away our best Tight End. I am struggling to find something about the other guys worth mentioning. Gettis had an up and down day. While he did ok in individual drills, he had some drops when being defended. He is also very slow to get up after hitting the ground. I just don't know if this guy has the grit needed for the NFL. The good news is Brandon Lafell is having his best camp so far. He is catching everything near him and following it through with YACs. You just can't help but pull for Pilares. That guy gives it everything he has on every play. He just needs to improve his consistency with positive results. For some reason Armond Smith did a TD "point to the sky" move during a typical routine drill. Made me laugh, don't know why. There is some good news regarding the offensive line. They were able to open up some pretty big holes today for the running backs. The offensive line a few times had a hard time containing Star. Jeff Byers here isn't showing effective technique I don't think. I like Lafell's LSU shoes and gloves. I don't like our secondary being abused by them. Jerry RIchardson and Jerry West. I am pretty pumped up that I got to meet West. My dad, who is from WV, will be more pumped up. Blackburn saw time today with the starting LB's. He is listed at 6'3 but seems much taller than that. He also has a great motor and is vocal on the field. Ginn and HIxon's stock was on the rise today. Both made some really nice grabs under tight coverage. They may be pulling away from the pack. Armanti had a nice touchdown catch, but I notified him that he only had one foot in bounds. He laughed a bit. There is your camp update for 7-29-13. Click here to view the article
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Jon Beason gave an interview on the Mac Attack on 5/10/13. Searched for a previous thread on it but couldn't find it and somehow I don't believe it has been posted. Great interview and worth a listen. About 20 minutes long in total. Summary below. Beason about his charity event that took place on Monday night. Gave out prizes and some vacations and a Panther's fan package for a great cause and a charitable donation (MLB Foundation). Involved people buying tickets and going to The Palm restaurant in Charlotte and Beason and some other Panther's players including Gross, Kalil, Luke, Olsen, CJ, Hardy, Godfrey, Stewart, Steve Smith, and Thomas Davis would serve as waiters for the evening. Beason said its tough asking people for money and the event was nearly sold out but he was happy the roll out the red carpet for people. Beason thought that himself, Gross, and Kalil would make the best waiters because they have previous experience. Said DeAngelo would be the worst tipper and that DeAngelo would appreciated being nominated by Beason as the "worst tipper." Asked how pumped he was about the Panthers drafting two defensive tackles in Star and Short. Beason was excited about the picks and said it directly benefits him and the rest of linebacking corps. Loves the rotation and potential of the defensive line unit. Says he will be in there hiding behind that front four and ready to make plays. Believes the defensive line didn't get enough credit for what they did last year by the national media. Says we are extremely excited on the second level of the defense. Beason said he realized and had total respect for Luke Kuechly when he was in college. Watched him play at BC as a fellow ACC alumni and talked about him prior to the draft. He said he knew he was special right away with the way he studied, prepared, and worked hard. Said he knew he was an immense talent right away at the Mike position and that Luke was glad to be back in the middle and he was totally comfortable there from the first snap. Said he has the "it" factor and is grounded enough to be as good as he wants to be and that he still wants to get much better. Beason said its tough as an athlete trying to recover from injury because you have to live in the moment and realize your time in this league is limited. He said he now wants to make the most of this opportunity and win championships. When the game was taken away from him, he found a new appreciation for the game and it isn't about the personal accolades but about wining championships. Beason said football is about right now. Said it hurt hearing people say that we should trade him and that he doesn't have it anymore and when he lays that first big hit on someone next season he will just be thinking "I told you so, I told you so." Says he pities the guy who will be on the receiving end of that hit and will try to take his head off. Says its nothing personal, but someone has to pay for him missing time due to injury. Asked about his various injuries in different places and if he ever had a doubt that he could get back to form and come back stronger. Beason said the achilles and shoulder injuries are soft tissue related and it is all about what he put into it and putting the effort into rehabbing as quickly as possible. However, the micro fracture on his knee is bone related and just needs to be healed in time. Mentioned it was frustrating just waiting around for the pain to cease and lately he has been able to run around and says the injury is out of his hands and he is basically just waiting to wake up and have the pain gone. Says he feels good and hasn't lost anything in terms of strength and stamina. Asked by the interviewer "what Jon Beason will be lined up against Seattle week 1?" Beason says he appreciates the doubters and they mean the world to him. Doubters have helped him turn into a man and the doubters have gotten him to where he is today. He always overcomes and always wins because of the doubters. He says he will be slightly upset, highly motivated, and eager to prove to the world who he is and who he can become. Believes he can still be the best player at his position. 52 will give everything he has got. Interviewer says he doubted Thomas Davis getting back to form after three injuries. Beason is highly motivated by Davis and they went through rehab together and that they competed against each other in rehabbing and getting back to where they were. Wanted to win each day. Thomas Davis set a benchmark by coming back from three ACL injuries on the same knee. Beason said Thomas Davis has just scratched the service of his potential and that he is driven by Thomas. Asked how good this 2013 Panthers can be. Said first and foremost we are healthy. Said offseason moves have helped both sides of the ball and we got deep at some positions where we were previously pretty shallow. Really loved our draft and said it undoubtedly made us better across the board. Ripped on Adam Schein and wants to buy him lunch because he woke up everybody in the locker room and motivated everyone in the building and Beason thanked him for doing so. Guys know what is being said about them and it is just fuel for the fire. No one will speak of it but it is in the back of everyone's mind and the team and staff know what was said. Mentions the last two years and setting team highs/records for the number of guys that went on IR. Jon and Thomas Davis have always competed and they sit around with Luke and joke about how no one can break tackling records this year because there aren't enough tackles to go around and they don't care about individual stat lines. They just want to be dominant as a unit. They want to be the best unit every Sunday and thats the level they plan to play at consistently and he is confident they will do so. Interviewer brings up how Beason has been on NFL.com talking about 89 and Luke on the top 100. Says Beason is a really classy guy and deserves a tip of the hat. Beason said he wouldn't say things about Steve Smith and Luke if he didn't mean it. It isn't just because they are teammates and he says he is very very critical of other guys in this league. Said its a shame that Luke didn't get voted into the Pro-Bowl because its clear people didn't watch this defense and Luke go to work. Aside from believing Luke is already the best MLB in the game, that there is nobody close to Luke right now in terms of the potential he has and what he can be as a player. Listen here! http://charlotte.cbslocal.com/2013/05/10/jon-beason-adam-schein-provided-motivation-for-the-entire-building/ Click here to view the article
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Rookie camp is basically an introduction for the rookies and undrafted free agents of note and a chance for scores of other players to try to get an invite to the regular camp. In all honesty there is not much going on except the extreme fundamentals of the game. They break down the rookies with the basics and keep an eye out for others that show them something. There is no real contact allowed, so we can only watch and notice the footwork and strength of the lineman in dummy drills and such. So anyways on with some pics and general observations.... 1- Gettleman is awesome. He has a much different personality than Hurney. Very outgoing. Just seems like a great guy. He reminds me of a highschool football coach from his demeanor to how he wears his shorts. He also chews tobacco, not redman, its out of a tin. A Copenhagen man. Here David Gettleman takes time to sign an autograph. 2. A couple guys you may not have heard on but possibly keep an eye on.... Tori Mobley - Guard from Jacksonville State - 6'3 290. Undrafted Free Agent Casey Walker - Defensive Tackle from Oklahoma. 6-1 335. This guy is HUGE. 3. Star Lotulelei is as advertised. He instantly makes you aware of what has been missing. He just has a presence about him. I was watching him in drills. Nimble feet, tons of power, and it all just seems to come to him naturally and effortlessly. 4. Kawaan Short - Looked fine in drills. The biggest thing was he was not corrected on anything. This was a day you really did not want your name called. 5. Matt McGloin our new QB prospect. He actually looked pretty sharp. The receivers were extremely sub par, but he seemed to hit most of them in stride. Not a big guy and doesn't seem to have a huge arm, but is very fluid. Maybe our own Andy Dalton (ginger reference). Gettleman was keeping a close eye on him (pictured below) 6. Ron Rivera seemed to be in really good spirits. If he is a man with his job on the line you couldn't tell by looking at him. 7. AJ Klein - Good guy. Took the time to sign autographs on the way in. Again, didn't hear his name all day which was a good thing. Bigger than I thought he would be (twss). Click here to view the article
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According to their Twitter, the Carolina Panthers have signed 8 players from their Rookie Camp. Carolina Panthers @Panthers2m The #Panthers have signed eight players following their participation at the team’s minicamp this past weekend: http://pnth.rs/11zbQFF Carolina Panthers @Panthers1m The #Panthers have signed WR Brenton Bersin (Wofford), TE Logan Brock (TCU), C Brian Folkerts (Washburn) and DT Linden Gaydosh. Carolina Panthers @Panthers1m We have also signed WR Taulib Ikharo (Louisiana Tech), LB Ben Jacobs (Fresno State), DE Louis Nzegwu (Wisconsin) & WR R.J. Webb (Furman). Carolina Panthers @Panthers1m The #Panthers have waived WR Trey Diller, LB Damario Jeffery, DE Thomas Keiser and OL Zack Williams. These players will have a chance to compete for a Carolina Panthers roster spot. Click here to view the article
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In crafting his roster and molding it to his preferences, General Manager Dave Gettleman brought in players via free agency and the draft that are able to compete for playing time right now. In years past, under John Fox, training camp seemed to be a time where the usual suspects in the starting roles got into playing shape knowing their jobs were secured while the bottom half of the roster and depth guys tried to splash an earn a roster spot. These days are long gone. Head Coach Ron Rivera has shown a tendency to make players earn their playing time. Unlike Fox whom often seemed loyal to certain players almost to a fault, Rivera has experimented with different lineups...particularly in the secondary. The days of struggling players getting the nod week in and week out are over and I believe this will be more noticeable this season as we have brought in experienced veterans at positions of need and greatly improved the bottom half our roster. Dave Gettleman, in one of his earliest press conferences with the Panthers, said this was one of his primary goals. I believe he has succeeded and am cautiously optimistic going forward. The free agents brought in coupled with the five players selected in the 2013 NFL Draft have greatly improved the roster overall even if a select few are starting week 1. Here is an inside look at some of the great camp battles that will be heating up in the following months and especially on the fields of Spartanburg: The wide receiver position will likely be the biggest battle of camp. I suspect we place six guys on the active 53 man roster. Excluding the any UDFAs, there are currently ten receivers on the roster. I'd say only four of them are locks going forward. Joe Adams Lamont Bryant Armanti Edwards David Gettis Ted Ginn Domenik Hixon Brandon LaFell Kealoha Pilares James Shaw Steve Smith Next up, the secondary. Between safety and cornerback excluding UDFAs, there are currently thirteen players on the roster. Corners are listed first. I could see another safety added in free agency, potentially. James Dockery Drayton Florence Nick Hixson DJ Moore Captain Munnerlyn Josh Norman Josh Thomas ___________________ DJ Campbell Charles Godfrey Colin Jones Mike Mitchell Haruki Nakamura Anderson Russell In Spartanburg I will have my eye on possibly the most important camp-competition that is essential to this team's success: Guard. I suspect we may bring in another veteran with some of our remaining salary cap. A name to keep in mind is Brandon Moore. Geoff Hangartner Hayworth Hicks Edmund Kugbila Amini Silatolu Justin Wells Zack Williams After our first two selections in this year's draft, the competition to get in on our defensive tackle will be worth a watch. We know several of these guys are locks to make the roster: Nate Chandler Colin Cole Dwan Edwards Sione Fua Frank Kearse Star Lotulelei Kawann Short It is no secret the linebacker position has several locks as well heading into the season. It is a strength of this roster but we cannot keep them all. Jon Beason Chase Blackburn Thomas Davis Doug Hogue AJ Klein Luke Kuechly Jordan Senn Jason Williams Carolina surprised everyone by selecting Oregon running back Kenjon Barner in the sixth round of the draft. Running back has long been a strength on this roster and this year it will be no different. Mike Tolbert is a lock at fullback. I see us keeping four going into the season and we all know the locks to make the final roster: Kenjon Barner Tauren Poole Armond Smith Jonathan Stewart DeAngelo Williams Final Word/TLDR: Gettleman is looking to improve the depth and bottom half of this roster. I believe with the pieces in place he will be successful in just that. Camp competitions should be exciting and the best man will win out and earn a spot. All season long players will be battling in practices to take one another's job and that will improve this team on its own. I really believe our special teams will see great improvements this season if Adams makes the roster along with Barner, and they both are taken under the wing of Ginn. Senn will lead the special teams unit and I am anxious to see Klein out there with him laying the boom. When this team is trimmed down to the final roster of 53, I am confident the 53 will be much better at the top...and throughout the roster to the very bottom. This team can compete right now and competition at some key positions will bring out the best in the 2013 Carolina Panthers. We are due for a healthy, and winning season and if the coaching staff has grown and bettered themselves...we are destined to do some damage. Click here to view the article
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