Spartanburg stay a bit shorter for Panthers

[Rod Butsecks]

SPARTANBURG - The shortest training camp in Carolina Panthers' history - 21 practices in 2 1/2 weeks - came to a close Thursday afternoon as the team set its sight on its second exhibition. p/ The Panthers drove home to Charlotte to spend one night at their homes before flying to Miami for Saturday night's 7:30 exhibition against the Miami Dolphins in Land Shark Stadium.p/ With camp abbreviated a week or more from previous years, coach John Fox put the players through a one-hour, 50-minute practice Thursday, significantly longer than the brief morning workouts which customarily close camp.p/ The Panthers are following an NFL less is more trend regarding the duration of training camp practices, which include two-a-day workouts.p/ I think the league is getting bigger, stronger, faster, said Fox. There are more injuries. It's hard to replace front-line guys. It's a fine line that more and more people have kind of erred on the side of caution, in particular (about) padded, hard practices.p/ The Panthers' lone season-ending injury in Spartanburg happened Aug. 3 on the opening day of practice when defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu suffered a torn Achilles tendon. As is customary following the final camp practice, rookies were taped to a goal-post and doused with buckets of ice-cold Gatorade.p/ The Panthers' 15-year contract to hold training camp at Wofford has expired, but team president Mark Richardson recently told the Observer he expected the deal to be extended.p/ Left tackle Jordan Gross suggested new Monday Night Football announcer Jon Gruden might be biased in his assessment of the NFL's top running backs.p/ Gruden, who coached against the Panthers twice a year in the NFC South with Tampa Bay, said Carolina's DeAngelo Williams was the best running back in the league during the Panthers-Giants exhibition Monday night. Gruden held firm on that claim even after fellow announcers reminded him of Minnesota's Adrian Petersron.p/ Well, he was coaching the Bucs last year when we had a great game against him on Monday night, so he might be a little partial, Gross said of Gruden.p/ The Panthers rushed for a team-record 299 yards, including 186 yards and two touchdowns by Williams, in a 38-23 win over Gruden and the Bucs on Dec. 8.p/ Gross didn't say whether he considers Williams the league's best, but heaped praise on Williams nonetheless.p/ I think DeAngelo has improved immensely every year, said Gross. He looks great now.p/ I love blocking for that guy. I tell him we don't have to do that much to look really good when he's back there. If he can stay healthy and keep his attitude the way it needs to be, I think he can be as good as anybody.p/ Defensive end Tyler Brayton loves cars and especially drag-racing.p/ He did some competitive racing when he was with the Oakland Raiders and was particularly successful in 2007.p/ Last month, he attended a training school in Gainesville, Fla., which included track work and classroom study.p/ Brayton said he hit top speeds of 153 mph during the training.p/ It was a lot of fun, he said. It was definitely faster than I've ever gone.p/ Brayton said he doesn't plan to be a professional driver.p/ It's more of a hobby to do outside the game during the offseason, he said. It's just another way to compete, whether it be bowling or racing. Whatever you're doing, I love to compete.p/ Brayton said he didn't ask the Panthers' permission to take the class and said it was kind of a one-time thing.p/ He didn't respond when asked whether it's forbidden in his contract.p/ The standard NFL player contract prohibits players from engaging in activities other than football which may involve a significant risk of personal injury without their team's prior written consent.p/ General manager Marty Hurney wasn't available for comment.p/ Running back Jonathan Stewart continued to rest his sore Achilles, sitting out practice for the seventh straight day. He's not expected to play against Miami, but could get some playing time Aug. 29 against Baltimore, when starters and other top players get their most extensive work of the preseason.p/ I don't really care if he does anything in the preseason as long as we can get some work out of him in the regular season, said Gross. I love that 1-2 combo (of Williams and Stewart) and (rookie Mike) Goodson looks like he might be somebody we can rely on as well.p/ Goodson sat out Thursday's practice with a leg bruise, which Fox said has greatly improved since the injury occurred Wednesday.p/ Quarterback Jake Delhomme and wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad got the day off to rest. Others out with minor or recovering injuries: guard C.J. Davis (ankle), linebacker Thomas Davis (knee), linebacker Landon Johnson (groin), safety Nate Salley (knee), and guard Keydrick Vincent (bruised knee).p/ Charles Chandler: (704) 358-5123 or @CharlesChandler on Twitter.

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[Kettle]

summer school ended early. now training camp does too???? please don't let this be an indication of the team not being able to finish.

[Kurb]

This upsets me GREATLY

[Johnny Rockets]

Don't they do this every year? Maybe they don't end early each year and they just have always had their end date wrong?

[Kyle82]

I think losing a key player for the year so early in camp (and almost losing another) has everyone kind of spooked.

[thefuzz]

Not really sure what to think of this just yet.

[SMACKDAB]

Typical.........go out and look like poo, and we'll let you break camp early. :thumbsup:

WTF else needs to be said ? Being mediocre is totally acceptable to this whole organization.

Our TC started later than most other teams, yet the others are still practicing.

NUFF SAID.

[kungfoodude]

It's probably more a case of them being injury-scared. Plus, it really is a veteran team for the most part. I imagine that has a lot to do with it.

[SMACKDAB]

It's probably more a case of them being injury-scared. Plus, it really is a veteran team for the most part. I imagine that has a lot to do with it.

Off the top of my head.....Eagles have had more injuries than any team thus far.

Also....what about all the other years they do the same sh1t?

:eek:

[pnthrs]

Remember we were also one of the last teams in the NFL to start training camp. I dont see this as a good idea. Plays like the Gamble lateral to Minn, W/R off on routes, Jake off on passes, Defense not tackling in the 2ndary, a major transition on D line etc... better not be an issue due to lack of camp training.

Also we are one of the most mental teams on the planet. I can literally tell how jake is going to play by his expressions - camp helps these things!

[Fireball77]

I would love to see how many two a days/total practices they have had compared to other teams. I've always thought in my completely non-expert MMQB opinion that they went a bit too easy for TC.

I don't mind vet days off either, I agree with that completely as long as it isn't excessive.

I agree that to an extent TC needs to be tailored to the team you have, but it seems sort of light every year. Maybe that's my own issue because I don't know too much about most other TCs and how many two a days etc. I know Belichick broke his foot off in the Pats butts this past TC though. Last count I saw, something like 17/22 days were two a days.

[SMACKDAB]

I would love to see how many two a days/total practices they have had compared to other teams. I've always thought in my completely non-expert MMQB opinion that they went a bit too easy for TC.

I don't mind vet days off either, I agree with that completely as long as it isn't excessive.

I agree that to an extent TC needs to be tailored to the team you have, but it seems sort of light every year. Maybe that's my own issue because I don't know too much about most other TCs and how many two a days etc. I know Belichick broke his foot off in the Pats butts this past TC though. Last count I saw, something like 17/22 days were two a days.

Not here. It alternates, 2 today, 1 tomorrow, etc. In fact on the 15th, 16th, , they had 1 a day, then played the Giants on the 17th, and no practice on the 18th. 2 on the 19th, the rest were as I described above, and that's it. They obviously had some sort of something going on yesterday......call it practice or not. We had 20 practices TOTAL from my count, in 18 days.

Also, on the 8th was fan fest, and no practice at all on the 9th.

So the math from there doesn't lie FB, and we didn't start untill the 3rd of August.

:cheers2:

[rayzor]

they always end a bit early but they had this schedule planned for quite a while. it wasn't going to be a long camp by design.

it isn't like they said "hey! we've done enough. lets all go home early."

it was planned short. just because they aren't at wofford doesn't mean that they are done practicing. it's just that they aren't going to be having the 2 a days. they still have a lot of time to work those kinks out.

quit hitting the panic button. it was a short camp, just like it was intended to be this year.

[SMACKDAB]

it's just that they aren't going to be having the 2 a days. they still have a lot of time to work those kinks out.

quit hitting the panic button. it was a short camp, just like it was intended to be this year.

Once again......20 practices, in 18 days, doesn't constitute very many 2 a days.

Do the math.

(excluding fan fest

and the Giants game).