First Look at the Panthers' Draft

The Carolina Panthers will make the first selection in April's draft, and while a lot can happen between now and then to change the stocks of certain players, there appear to be four major candidates at the moment:  Clemson DE Da'Quan Bowers, Auburn DT Nick Fairley, LSU CB Patrick Peterson, and WR A.J. Green.

Green might be the most ready-to-play of the four, but in this day and age it's hard to justify drafting a receiver with the top pick, especially when your quarterback position is not settled.  Besides, as long as Steve Smith sticks around, the Panthers should have a pretty good group of receivers.  David Gettis and Brandon LaFell improved dramatically throughout the season as rookies last year, despite awful play from the passers.  Green could still be an option if the Panthers want to trade the pick, or if they get an inkling that Smith will be gone. 

Fairley, at the moment, is the most logical choice.  The man has been labeled as a dirty player, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, especially for a team that needs to re-develop its edge.  He is adept at overpowering blockers and getting into the backfield to cause trouble.  Fairley isn't as good as last year's second pick, Lions DT Ndamukong Suh, however.  This really is a weak draft right at the top - at the moment, no one really stands out.

Bowers reminds people of Julius Peppers - for better and worse.  He is a freak of nature athletically but has a tendency to take plays off, just like Peppers.  I think I'll pass; besides, defensive end is not a position of need on this team, especially if we can retain Charles Johnson (11.5 sacks last year).

If the Panthers do not choose Fairley, LSU's Peterson is the best option.  Yes, it would be unusual and a bit risky to take a corner with the number one spot, but if you think this guy can be as good as Nnamdi Asumogha, Darrelle Revis, Champ Bailey, or Charles Woodson, then you take him with the first or second pick in a draft like this.  Peterson is fast, physical, and intelligent and can be the kind of shut-down corner that really elevates a defense.  With Richard Marshall most likely to leave, cornerback is a big area of need for the Panthers.

While quarterback remains the biggest need, it looks as if the Panthers won't fill it in the first round without trading the pick.

Follow me on Twitter: @JasonBlackwood.

The Panthers Need a QB....Badly.

When I heard that the Carolina Panthers had selected Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen in the second round of the draft last April, I couldn't help but be excited.  I had never really liked Clausen but I felt he could be a decent player in the league.  He had been projected as highly as the top five picks and the Panthers chose him at the 48th spot, so he appeared to be a steal any way you slice it.  At any rate, Matt Moore would be the starter so as long as he played up to par and stayed healthy, Clausen would be able to watch and learn.

Well, Moore neither played up to par nor stayed healthy.  After being benched in Week 3, he did come back and play very well in a win against the 49ers, only to get hurt and knocked out for the rest of the season.  So, back to Clausen it was.  Now, Jimmy did have some moments - he looked particularly calm and collected under pressure in a potential game-winning drive against the Saints at the Superdome, a drive that included some tough throws and ended with a fumble by DeAngelo Williams.  And he played fairly well in a win over the Arizona Cardinals and in a close loss to the Cleveland Browns.  But really, that was about it.

Clausen isn't tiny, but he's not very big, either.  He doesn't appear to have a very strong arm - he underthrew wide-open receivers on deep patterns countless times this season - and often takes too long to make his reads and get rid of the football.  His best asset is his confidence, which has enabled him not to be shaken by ardent booing in the stands or dogged criticism in the press.  On the other hand, I can't help but wonder if Jimmy Clausen really gets it.  During the Panthers bye week, at a time when the team was 0-5 and Clausen was coming off three horrendous starting performances, he made various posts on Twitter relating to a trip to South Bend to see old friends and watch the Irish play.  Call me crazy, but I think the bye weekend could have been better spent staying in Charlotte, watching film, and working to fix what was wrong.  Clausen came back from his weekend getaway to find out that he was no longer the starter; this was the week Moore led the Panthers to a victory over San Francisco before getting hurt.

A veteran like Billy Volek could be a good fit.

The Panthers need to bring in someone to help and to compete with Clausen, and they have said that they will, without giving any hints as to whom that could be.  We have the top pick, but as of now there don't appear to be any passers worthy of being chosen number one.  If the Panthers keep the pick, they would be wise to choose Auburn DT Nick Fairley.  The team would be better served by trading down a bit if they want to take another young quarterback. 

Regardless, the team needs to bring in a veteran, and I nominate San Diego's Billy Volek, a free agent this year.  Of course, a new CBA will have to be in place for the Panthers to sign anyone, but Volek would seem to be a good fit here.  He was most recently Philip Rivers' backup in San Diego, has been in the league a long time, and always played well when forced to start.  More importantly, he knows Ron Rivera and Rob Chudzinski from the Chargers days, so there would immediately be some familiarity with the coaching staff here.  A guy like Volek could truly do wonders for a young quarterback like Clausen or any young gunner we take in the draft, and he's still good enough to lead the team to some wins on the field in the meantime.

If the Panthers want to give a young player a fresh start, they can also look at guys like Brady Quinn, Trent Edwards, Tarvaris Jackson, and Alex Smith.  Matt Hasselbeck is another veteran that will be available, but he's likely to be overpaid by someone else.  Hopefully the labor process will gain some traction and the Panthers can make some moves to help what is by far the team's most glaring weakness.

Beason Shines; More New Coaches

Panthers linebacker Jon Beason made the most of his appearance in the Pro Bowl, intercepting a pass from Matt Cassel and returning it for a touchdown.  Beason was filling in as an alternate for Chicago's Lance Briggs, who withdrew.  The NFC won the game after leading 42-0 at one point.

The Panthers continued to fill out their coaching staff.  Ron Rivera added Fred Graves, Eric Washington, and Pete Hoener to coach the wide receivers, defensive line, and tight ends.  Last week, twenty-year NFL veteran Ray Brown was hired to assist offensive line coach John Matsko.  Running backs coach Jim Skipper, whose return was lobbied for by Jonathan Stewart and other players on Twitter, was informed by Rivera he would not be retained.  Thus far, Ron Meeks is the only member of last year's staff still with the team after having accepted a demotion from defensive coordinator to secondary coach.  Meeks is an NFL veteran and a respected coach but is not considered head coaching material due mostly to weaknesses in communication, so the demotion is not a huge surprise.

Steve Smith's future as a Panther is uncertain.

The Panthers still need a linebacker coach, and the buzz from beat writers and fans is that Tennessee's Dave McGinnis, who worked under Ron Rivera in Chicago, is the desired candidate.  Of the recent hires, receivers coach Graves makes the most splash because he coached Steve Smith at Utah.  Beat writer Darin Gantt believes the Panthers could be in trouble if Smith feels they are trying to "handle" him - yes, Smith is that temperamental - but it's clear that he respects Graves, and this could be a good move given Smith's uncertain future here.  He was obviously unhappy last season - and who can blame him - but he has not expressed a desire to either stay or go.  The bottom line is he still has value, so even if he wants to come back, the team may have other ideas - if the collective bargaining agreement is extended or restructured.

For now, though, the Panthers seem to be in good position to win just by looking at the coaching staff.  They have put together a group of young but experienced, hungry coaches who have done well in previous spots and seem to be very well-respected.  It's safe to say that getting McGinnis would be quite a treat, especially considering that linebacker is one of the team's strengths.

Panthers in the Pro Bowl

The NFL's all-star game, the Pro Bowl, will take place this weekend in Honolulu, Hawaii.  The Carolina Panthers will have more Pro Bowlers (three) than they did wins (two).

Chicago's Lance Briggs has withdrawn, giving linebacker Jon Beason his spot, and a third consecutive trip to the game.  Beason is a middle linebacker by trade but spent a lot of time playing outside this season because Thomas Davis was hurt. 

Beason joins left tackle Jordan Gross, considered one of the league's best, and center Ryan Kalil.  The Panthers' offensive line looked spotty early in the year but that was partly due to interchanging lineups that injuries had forced on the team.  Their play, and with it the running game, improved greatly later in the year; third-string back Mike Goodson reeled off three consecutive 100-yard rushing efforts at one point.

"Thanks for all the congrats about the pro bowl," Beason wrote via Twitter.  "I appreciate you all. Things always work themselves out when u keep the faith."

In other news, GM Marty Hurney has made it clear that fixing the quarterback position is the Panthers' top priority this offseason.  He did not specify whether that meant drafting another passer or bringing in a veteran to compete with Clausen.  Hurney wouldn't rule out the Panthers drafting a quarterback with their first pick - keep in mind, trading down is a possibility.  The team has also begun looking into the background of Auburn DT Nick Fairley, according to Darin Gantt and Joseph Person, the two main reporters for the team.

Coaching Transition in Carolina

Run.  Run.  Pass on 3rd-and-long.  Punt.

That is not a wholly accurate description of the Panthers offense in the John Fox era, of course, but that's probably how most fans would describe the play pattern of the ultra-conservative coach.  It's Dan Henning's fault.  It's Jake Delhomme's fault.  It's Jeff Davidson's fault.  It's Jake Delhomme's fault, again.  Those three men have one thing in common: Fox, a man who was a great defensive mind and motivator but who wasn't exactly known for letting his assistants do their jobs.  The implementation of a new coaching staff will hopefully breathe new life into our young players - and also to the fans.

This is not Minnesota, Detroit, or Buffalo.  70-plus degree temperatures and sunny skies are common in the Carolinas through October and sometimes into early November.  People are not going to pay to support a boring, losing football team when they can engage in a myriad of other outdoor activities.  A losing football team simply won't last here.  John Fox had some success here - he won two NFC South titles (2003 and '08), went to two NFC Championship games ('03 and '05) and came within a field goal of winning the whole thing (after the '03 season).  This was not, however, a winning program.  The team never had back-to-back winning seasons under Fox, and that's what owner Jerry Richardson wants - not occasional success, but a winning program.

Richardson isn't exactly a people person, but he is one of the most respected owners in the league - easily in the top five, at least when viewed by other owners.  He is the only owner to have played in the league (at wide receiver) and loves to bring that up any time someone questions his desire to win. Therefore, it was quite a relief when Richardson declared to the local press that yes, he is going to go the experienced assistant route with the head coaching move, but would also take care to hire young, up-and-coming offensive assistants to literally get the ball rolling in that phase of the game.  The Big Cat stated that winning was the first priority, but if the Panthers couldn't win they would at least score points, because an exciting offense kept fans in the seats.  Welcome to the 21st century, Mr. Richardson.  A little late to the party is better than never.

Longtime assistant Ron Rivera, most recently the San Diego Chargers defensive coordinator, takes over as head coach.  He was announced little more than a week after the regular season ended; the Panthers spent a month replacing George Seifert (with Fox) after the 2002 season.  Rivera and general manager Marty Hurney hired Rob Chudzkinski, who worked with Rivera (and quarterback Philip Rivers) in San Diego, as offensive coordinator.  The big splash came this past weekend, however, when Mike Shula was named quarterback coach.  Clearly, Jimmy Clausen could use a lot of help and Shula did wonders for David Garrard in Jacksonville - at least his first year.  Clausen endorsed that hire with this comment via Twitter: "Can't wait to work with Coach Shula!!!  Met him a few times and thrilled to have him as our new QB coach." 

So there is hope for the Panthers.  This team was way too talented to go 2-14 last year, and some refreshing winds of change are blowing in the air.  Richardson's comments about offense and understanding the fans' complaints are encouraging, as are the new coaching hires. 

It Was What It Was: The End of the John Fox Era

For my first contribution to this blog, I figured I'd come up with a brief review of the Panthers season, and from there design a road map for where I'd like to see them go in the immediate future.  However, so much changed from '09 to '10, and so much more has changed since the end of the season, that this could be more difficult than it seems.  I'll give it a shot.

As a diehard Panthers fan, I must admit I was more optimistic than most that we could contend for a playoff spot in 2010.  The running game was expected to be stout once again, and the defense looked talented and had always played well under then-coach John Fox.  The x-factor was quarterback Matt Moore, who was handed the keys after playing superbly in relief duty at the tail end of the previous season.  Moore would need to prove 2009 was not a fluke.

Well, 2009 was a fluke.  With more time to game-plan for him, opposing defenses quickly capitalized on Moore's tendencies to lock onto Steve Smith and spend too much time holding on to the football instead of throwing it away (or, you know, to a Panthers receiver).  Fox foolishly benched Moore after two games in favor of rookie Jimmy Clausen, who quickly proved that he was nowhere near ready to play.  An inability to produce anything remotely resembling a passing game effectively killed the running game, and it quickly became apparent that the Panthers were, well, not good.

Yeah, this about sums it up.

No amount of horrible, canned cliches from Fox could save this season, although it's worth mentioning that the players admirably continued to work their butts off for him.  I think that speaks volumes for the coach, especially since everyone knew halfway through the season that this would be the end of his reign here.  The Panthers finished 2-14 and may have been 0-16 if they hadn't played the woeful NFC West, with the wins coming against Arizona and San Francisco, and the team publicly announced that Fox's contract would not be renewed.

Then, on Sunday, December 26, something happened: the Cincinnati Bengals and the Denver Broncos both won in dramatic fashion, ensuring the Panthers the number one pick in this April's draft.  Hope was renewed.  A superstar named Andrew Luck, the Stanford quarterback, had been hyped as the surest prospect at the position since Peyton Manning.  I immediately developed a ridiculous man crush on Luck, and the rest of the city seemed to follow suit.

Luck, however, decided to stay in school.  The qualities that made the kid so desirable are the same qualities that made him want to fulfill his commitment to get a degree from Stanford.  The Panthers still have the number one pick, of course, and what they now do with it at least makes for more of an interesting - if not depressing - argument amongst fans.  The franchise also had an entire coaching staff to replace, and has since moved on that task impressively.  Look for an analysis of those decisions, as well as possible moves in the draft, in future postings.