Tag: Carolina Panthers (Page 13 of 34)

      Jimmy Clausen finally finds a home in Carolina

      April 23, 2010 /

      Jimmy Clausen’s wait is finally over.

      Many pundits thought that Clausen would be long gone by the 48th overall pick, yet there he was, prime for the taking when the Carolina Panthers were on the clock in the second round. Despite the need for a wide receiver, the Panthers saw value in Clausen, who might be the most NFL-ready quarterback in this draft.

      Rumor has it that Clausen’s toe injury scared teams away. There’s also concern over his attitude and leadership abilities, but no matter how you slice it, he shouldn’t have fallen as far as he did. He has decent arm strength, good decision-making and is a fairly accurate signal caller. The Panthers got great value for a player that might turn out to be their franchise quarterback.

      While Matt Moore is still expected to be Carolina’s Week 1 starter, Clausen will likely push for the job in preseason. Even if Moore wins the job, Clausen could see time if Moore struggles.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Panthers’ decision to extend Delhomme last year will cost them

      March 5, 2010 /

      Last April, the Carolina Panthers decided to be loyal to the quarterback that brought them their lone Super Bowl appearance by signing Jake Dehomme to a five-year, $42.5 million contract extension.

      The move was a bit strange seeing as how Delhomme was coming off a horrid performance in a home playoff loss against the Cardinals in which he threw six interceptions. Usually a team locks a player up that is on the rise, not the decline, and Delhomme was definitely on the decline.

      Things didn’t get any better for Delhomme in 2009. He played in just 11 games, throwing eight touchdown passes and 18 interceptions. He struggled reading defenses, displayed poor decision making and routinely forced passes into covered receivers. Eventually, Matt Moore took over under center and played well, raising speculation that Delhomme would have to compete for his job in 2010.

      Now he won’t even have the opportunity to do that.

      The Panthers released Delhomme on Thursday, ending his seven-year tenure in Carolina. The team is obviously committed to Moore and wanted to create a clear path to the starting job for the youngster next season.

      Thanks to their horrendous decision to sign him to an extension, the Panthers still owe Delhomme $12.5 million in guaranteed money. With this being an uncapped offseason, $12.5 million could have gone a long way for a team that will needs a solid No. 2 receiver opposite Steve Smith and a pass rusher to replace Julius Peppers for when he signs elsewhere this month.

      Why the Panthers signed Delhomme for that much money is anyone’s guess. One would have thought that John Fox and his coaching staff would have seen that Delhomme’s skills were deteriorating and convinced the front office not to offer him such a lucrative extension. The Panthers’ inability to see what others saw will cost them financially this offseason.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      Vick wants to play for the Panthers…because he likes their uniforms.

      March 2, 2010 /

      Good to see Michael Vick still has his priorities in order. (Fast forward to about the 7:40 mark.)

      Let’s review:

      “If I could play for any team in the league, it would probably be two teams, but if I had to pick one, it would probably be the Carolina Panthers.”

      Why, Mike?

      “Well, you know, it’s close to home. I like the uniforms. You get to play against Atlanta twice a year. Ain’t nothing better than playing against your former team, right? So, yeah, that would be a good look, it would be a good look.”

      Oh, you mean the same team that was loyal to you and you screwed over by operating an illegal dog-fighting operation in your spare time? The same Falcons team that you admitted to not giving it your all for and overall being lazy? Stay classy, Mike.

      And I don’t care if he was joking or only half serious, but him saying that he wants to play for the Panthers because he likes their uniforms is painstakingly stupid. I’m well aware that I might be going overboard with this and I’ll admit that I’m bitter towards this pile, but may he go to Carolina and may Curtis Lofton give him the beating of a lifetime for 120 minutes twice a year.

      NFL, Video

      Panthers won’t use franchise tag on Peppers

      February 23, 2010 /

      The Panthers have conceded the inevitable: Julius Peppers will become a free agent this offseason.

      According to ESPN.com, Carolina won’t use its franchise tag on Peppers unlike it did last offseason.

      If the Panthers had opted to tag Peppers, it would have cost them $21.4 million — about $1.3 million per game — which the team deemed too pricey. Peppers will be one of the highest-profile free agents since Reggie White.

      Teams have until 4 p.m. ET on Thursday to use their franchise tags.

      Let the bidding war begin. Any number of teams ranging from the Patriots to the Eagles to the Saints could make a play for Peppers, who will be the biggest name on the free agent market this offseason. Perhaps the most interesting decision Peppers faces is whether or not he wants to stand up and play outside linebacker in a 3-4 like he suggested last year, or if he wants to stay at his traditional 4-3 end position.

      We’ll find out soon.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      Patriots to stay away from Peppers?

      February 2, 2010 /

      One of the biggest rumors that made its rounds during the NFL offseason last year was the Patriots potentially acquiring defensive end Julius Peppers from the Panthers. Now that he’s an unrestricted free agent, those same Peppers-to-New England rumors are starting to pop up again.

      It’s highly unlikely that the Panthers will pay the absurd $20.1 million in order to place the franchise tag on Peppers and keep him in Carolina for 2010. And if they don’t, Peppers is free to sign with any team of his choosing – including the Patriots.

      But as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com notes, New England was burned in March of 2007 when they signed free agent Adalius Thomas to a hefty five-year, $35 million contract, which also included $20 million in guaranteed money. At the time, Thomas was coming off an 11-sack, 83-tackle season in Baltimore and he was supposed to team up with Richard Seymour to give New England a fierce pass rush.

      But in three seasons with the Patriots, Thomas has just 14.5 sacks and even managed to get into Bill Belichick’s doghouse last year by showing up late to a team meeting. Considering that Peppers is 30 and would break the bank as the biggest free agent name available this year, New England might be gun shy to acquire another Thomas in the making.

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      NFL

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