Tag: Carolina Panthers (Page 34 of 34)

      Fantasy Fallout, Week 1: Sunday’s Day Games

      September 7, 2008 /

      Here are some fantasy observations from Sunday’s games. I indicated the games I actually watched with an asterisk.

      Lions 21 @ Falcons 34
      Holy Michael Turner, Batman! The Falcons’ prized free agent rushed for 220 yards on 22 carries and scored twice. Turner owners should be pleased, but keep your expectations in check – he was playing against the Lions…Matt Ryan had a decent day, but only threw 13 passes since Atlanta was so far ahead. He did connect with Michael Jenkins for a long TD early in the game…Roddy White had only two catches, but made them count for 54 yards. This was kind of a disappointing day considering the opponent…Jerious Norwood turned 16 touches into 99 yards and a score…Jon Kitna got off to a slow start but finished with 262 yards, two TD and a pick. Expect Kitna’s second half numbers to outweigh his first half numbers as the Lions will be throwing more late in games as they try to catch up…Calvin Johnson (7-107) had a nice day and Roy Williams (3-47-1) got off to a slow start but finally scored in the second half…Kevin Smith turned 20 touches into 80 yards and a TD. Not a bad day for the rookie…Rudi Johnson only had three carries, so it looks like Smith is the main guy for now.

      Bengals 10 @ Ravens 17
      Willis McGahee was active, but didn’t have a carry in the game. Ray Rice turned 22 touches into 83 yards, which included three catches for 19 yards…Joe Flacco finished with decent numbers (129 passing yards, 1 rush TD) and Mark Clayton (3-21) had a 42-yard rush TD on a reverse…The Bengals offense was brutal. Carson Palmer threw for only 99 yards and a pick…T.J. Houshmandzadeh (3-44) and Chad Ocho Cinco (1-22) were both quiet, and Chris Perry turned 19 touches into just 42 yards…With all the firepower they have on that offense, there’s no reason they should be putting up such poor numbers.

      Seahawks 10 @ Bills 34
      Well, the first part of my DTBC picks turned out pretty well. Week 1 belonged to the BUF DT, and they didn’t disappoint, posting a return TD, five sacks, a pick and a forced fumble…Marshawn Lynch had 21 touches for 91 yards and a score and Lee Evans (4-102) had a nice game as well…Trent Edwards (215 yards, 1 TD) was solid if unspectacular…Matt Hasselbeck struggled to 17 of 41 from the field for 190 yards, one TD and one INT…Nate Burleson (5-60-1) and rookie TE John Carlson (4-52) were the only receivers of note. Carlson is worth a look in deep PPR leagues, and Burleson left with a knee injury…Seattle’s running game was kind of a mess Julius Jones got 13 carries compared to Maurice Morris’ six. Neither player scored…Seattle’s defense registered only one sack and failed to force a turnover.

      Jets 20 @ Dolphins 14*
      Brett Favre’s debut (194 passing yards, 2 TD) was a good one…I thought Jericho Cotchery would have a few more catches, but he posted 3-80-1 in a solid day’s work…Laveranues Coles (1-5) was a non-factor coming off an injury…Thanks to Jets beat writer Rich Cimini (who said that Thomas Jones looks “a half step slower” this year) for scaring everyone off of TJ. Jones looked great, turning 25 touches into 105 yards and a score. It looks like the improved offensive line and the arrival of Favre will give him a boost…Chad Pennignton (251 passing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) was good in his debut…Anthony Fasano (8-84-1) was the star in the Miami passing game and will be a hot pickup this week in most leagues…Ricky Williams turned 14 touches into 39 yards while Ronnie Brown had nine touches for 51 yards. This looks like a RBBC until further notice. Both backs are good, so there’s no reason why the Dolphins shouldn’t split the work…Ted Ginn (2-17) was a disappointment.

      Chiefs 10 @ Patriots 17
      Uh-oh, Tom Brady left the game with a knee injury and didn’t return. Depending on its severity, Matt Cassel (152 passing yards, 1 TD), will be a hot pickup this week…Laurence Maroney owners have to be frustrated. After a solid second half of 2007, he garnered just 10 carries and 51 yards. What’s worse, Sammy Morris played more snaps and had more touches (15), yards (87) and also scored a TD…Randy Moss (6-116-1) and Wes Welker (6-51) picked up where they left off…Brodie Croyle got knocked out of the game with a shoulder contusion. Damon Huard went 8/12 for 118 yards, one TD and one INT in relief…It looks like Dwayne Bowe (5-49-1) will avoid a sophomore slump…Tony Gonzalez (6-55) does what he does…Larry Johnson turned 23 carries into 86 yards, but failed to score.

      Bucs 20 @ Saints 24*
      If Jessica Simpson is bad news for Tony Romo, Kim Kardashian is the opposite for Reggie Bush. With Big Booty in attendance, Bush posted 163 total yards, caught eight passes and scored a TD…Drew Brees (343 passing yards, 3 TD, 1 INT) had a huge day, but Marques Colston (3-26) was quiet…In addition to Bush and Colston, Brees spread the ball around to Jeremy Shockey (6-54), David Patten (1-39-1) and Devery Henderson (1-84-1)…Pierre Thomas has taken over Deuce McAllister’s role as the change-of-pace back to Bush. Thomas had 12 touches for 63 yards…Earnest Graham got just 13 touches, but turned them into 118 yards…Warrick Dunn had 10 touches for 65 yards…Joey Galloway (6-56) looked okay after not playing in the preseason, while Ike Hilliard (6-45-1) seemed to be the second option for Jeff Garcia (221 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) in the passing game…The Bucs defense scored on an interception return TD, while the Saints defense looked better than it did in 2007.

      Rams 3 @ Eagles 38
      If he plays a full season, Donovan McNabb is a virtual lock to finish as a top five QB, and he got off to a great start today, throwing for 361 yards and three TD…Brian Westbrook picked up where he left off in 2007, turning 21 touches into 92 yards and two scores…The Eagles had three wideouts go over the century mark: rookie DeSean Jackson (6-106), Greg Lewis (5-104) and Hank Baskett (2-102-1). With Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis out with injuries, the Eagles’ WR corps will be fluid week-to-week…The Rams didn’t come to play. Marc Bulger (158 passing yards, 0 TD), Steven Jackson (17 touches, 74 yards) and Torry Holt (1-9) all had subpar games.

      Texans 17, Steelers 38
      I wasn’t high on Willie Parker heading into the season, and after his 25-carry, 138-yard, three-TD performance, I have some egg on my face…Rashard Mendenhall carried the ball just 10 times for 28 yards, so Parker is still “The Man” until further notice…Ben Roethlisberger (137 passing yards, 2 TD) had a solid if unspectacular game, and Hines Ward (6-76-2) had a better game than Santonio Holmes (2-19), who was drafted two or three rounds earlier…Matt Schaub got off to slow start, but finished with 202 passing yards, one pass TD and one rush TD. The TD pass was to Kevin Walter (3-41-1), but Andre Johnson (10-112) was the Texans’ best passing threat…Heath Miller (3-26) and Owen Daniels (3-33) weren’t much of a factor…It looks like Steve Slaton (16 touches, 49 yards) is going to get most of the work in Houston’s running game. Ahman Green carried the ball five times for 28 yards and had four catches for three yards.

      Jaguars 10 @ Tennessee 17
      Chris Johnson said that his goal is to be Rookie of the Year, and he’s off to a great start after turning 18 touches into 127 yards and a TD against a pretty good Jacksonville defense…LenDale White pitched in with 40 yards and a score on 15 carries…Vince Young had 110 yards passing, one TD and two picks, and rushed just one time for four yards. The Titans need to free him up for some scrambles because he isn’t a pure pocket passer…Bo Scaife (6-105), not Alge Crumpler, was Young’s weapon of choice in the passing game…David Garrard had 215 passing yards and a TD, but threw two interceptions…The Jacksonville running game never got going – Fred Taylor (10 touches, 27 yards) and Maurice Jones-Drew (9 touches, 50 yards) both struggled, which means that the Titans’ defense is probably the real deal…Believe it or not, Matt Jones (6-80) was the only Jacksonville wideout of note.

      Cowboys 28 @ Browns 10*
      The Dallas offense looked terrific. Tony Romo (320 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT), Marion Barber (19 touches, 101 yards, 2 TD), Terrell Owens (5-87-1), Jason Witten (6-96) and Patrick Crayton (6-82) all looked great…Barber left the game with “bad ribs” and Felix Jones came in to carry the ball nine times for 62 yards and a score…The Browns struggled, but it wasn’t Derek Anderson’s fault. He only had 114 yards and a TD, but Braylon Edwards (2-14) dropped at least four passes including a potential score…Kellen Winslow (5-47-1) was his normal solid self…Jamal Lewis turned 14 touches into 76 yards, but the Browns fell behind so he wasn’t that involved late in the game.

      Panthers 26 @ Chargers 24
      In his first game in a long time, Jake Delhomme looked pretty sharp, posting 247 yards and a score in the best finish of the day…Donte Rosario (who is listed as a TE, but looks more like a WR) led the Panthers with seven catches for 96 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown in the back of the endzone. If he’s a TE in your league, he’s worth a pickup…Muhsin Muhammad (6-56) and D.J. Hackett (5-48) had decent games…DeAngelo Williams (19 touches, 90 yards) led the way in the backfield, while rookie Jonathan Stewart (10 carries, 53 yards, no catches) played second fiddle…Phillip Rivers (217 passing yards, 3 TD) had a huge game connecting with Antonio Gates (4-61-1), Chris Chambers (1-44-1) and Vincent Jackson (3-47-1) for his three scores…LaDainian Tomlinson had a relatively quiet game, turning 25 touches into 112 yards without a score.

      Cardinals 23 @ 49ers 13
      Kurt Warner had a nice game (197 passing yards, 1 TD) throwing to Anquan Boldin (8-82) and Larry Fitzgerald (3-31-1)…Edgerrin James had 100 yards rushing, but Tim Hightower vultured a TD…The 49ers wisely featured Frank Gore, who turned 18 touches into 151 yards and a score. It looks like those fears that Martz would ignore his best player were unfounded, at least for the first week…The Cards were able to contain Mike Martz’s high-octane passing attack as Vernon Davis (3-51) and Bryant Johnson (3-48) were the only San Francisco receivers to join Gore with at least three catches…The J.T. O’Sullivan era got off to a rough start (195 passing yards, 1 INT).

      That’s it for now. Check back later tonight for observations about the Colts/Bears game. I’ll also post an update Monday night for the Packers/Vikings and Broncos/Raiders games.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Panthers beat Chargers on last play of game

      September 7, 2008 /

      Carolina PanthersJake Delhomme found Dante Rosario on a 14-yard touchdown pass as time expired in the Carolina Panthers’ 26-24 win over the San Diego Chargers.

      The Panthers gave the Chargers hell all game and even when San Diego scored a go-ahead touchdown with only 2:27 left to go in the game, you got the sense Carolina was finished. With Delhomme (23 for 41, 247 yards, 1 TD), the Panthers are a completely different team offensively. It helps when DeAngelo Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewart combine for 139 total yards on the ground, too.

      Many expected the Panthers to be improved this year, but the Chargers are supposed to be a Super Bowl contender. How did San Diego allow Rosario to catch that ball? It was a remarkable play, but two defenders were there and neither could get a hand on the ball to knock it down. One game isn’t going to make or break a season, but it’s not a good sign when a team drops their home opener to a team without their best offensive weapon (Steve Smith). LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 97 yards on 22 carries, but Carolina kept him out of the end zone.

      Impressive win for the Panthers. It’s hard to go into San Diego and pull off a win, but they did and this was by far the game of the day.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Player Profile: Eli Manning

      September 4, 2008 /

      Eli ManningGrowing up in the shadow of a famous father can be overwhelming for a child, and the challenge of following the footsteps of an older sibling can also be harmful for a kid’s ego. Then, there is Eli Manning’s childhood; his father (Archie Manning) was a football hero in the Deep South and his brother (Peyton Manning) is the advertising face of the NFL with countless commercials. And all he does is become the MVP of Super Bowl XLII, in which he led the New York Giants to an upset victory over the previous undefeated New England Patriots.

      While having a successful senior year as a high school football player, Manning was still undecided on which university to attend in the fall. That changed after receiving a call from David Cutcliffe. The Manning family was familiar with him, as Cutcliffe was offensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee, and helped older brother Peyton elevate his overall game. He was named Head Coach of the University of Mississippi football team, and was hoping Eli Manning would become his first prize recruit in rebuilding the Rebel program. Upon hearing Cutcliffe’s recruiting pitch; Manning followed his father’s footstep, and became starting QB at Ole Miss.

      Manning’s collegiate career was a lot like his personality: quiet but successful. He set or tied 45 single-game, season, and career records at Ole Miss. In his senior year, Manning won the Maxwell Award as the nation’s best all-around collegiate player, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, and finished in third-place for the 2003 Heisman Trophy Award behind eventual winner Jason White, quarterback of Oklahoma, and University of Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

      All the draft experts projected him to be the first overall pick of the 2004 NFL Draft but there was one hitch – Manning did not want to play football in San Diego, and formally sent a letter to the Chargers requesting them not to choose him in the draft. Despite his request, the Chargers drafted Manning with the first overall selection. Subsequently, he was traded on draft-day to the Giants in return for fourth overall pick quarterback Philip Rivers, a third-round selection (kicker Nate Kaeding) in the 2004 Draft, as well as the Giants’ first (linebacker Shawne Merriman) and fifth-round choices in the 2005 NFL Draft.

      Manning sat for the first half of his rookie season, as veteran quarterback Kurt Warner tutored him. Then, Head Coach Tom Coughlin decided to start Manning for the second half of the season, as he wanted him to gain NFL experience. Manning’s lone bright spot in his rookie season was a last-minute touchdown drive to defeat arch-rival Dallas Cowboys, which ended the Giants’ eight-game losing streak.

      He started off the 2005 season undefeated, but Manning’s big test would come in Week 3 – a road date with San Diego. Charger fans did not forget the snub from Manning, and they repeatedly booed him throughout the contest. The Chargers won the game, 45-23, but Manning played his most impressive game to that point of his career, going 24 of 41 for 352 yards and two touchdown passes. He went on to lead an offense that ranked third in the NFL in scoring with a total of 442 points (the most points scored by a Giant team since 1963). But passing efficiency was Manning’s lone drawback, as he completed only 53 percent of his passes and his QB efficiency rating suffered as well, with an unimpressive 75.9 rating that ranked 23rd in the league. Manning also seemed to wear down as the season progressed, culminating with a poor post-season performance against the Carolina Panthers.

      His second full season as a starting quarterback was reminiscent of his prior campaign, starting off strong but declining in production toward the end of the season. His overall numbers were an improvement, as Manning had a five point improvement in his completion rate, but still ranked 18th in the league in QB efficiency. Many perceived him to be a solid QB, but not in the class of other young quarterbacks from his draft class like Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

      Determined to rebound in 2007, Manning trained in the off-season to perfect his timing and chemistry with the Giants’ leading receivers, wide receiver Plaxico Burress and tight end Jeremy Shockey. He opened the season with an outstanding performance against the Cowboys, throwing for over 300 yards and two touchdown passes in the game. But once again his production diminished toward the end of the regular season. Giants’ co-owner John Mara challenged him to rebound and lead the team on a successful playoff run, which he did, bouncing back with an exceptional performance in a lost to the Patriots in the final regular season game.

      Then came a playoff run to dwarf all other playoff runs in modern sports history. It began with a convincing victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, followed by an upset victory over the heavily-favored Cowboys, and a Super Bowl berth was secured by an improberable overtime victory in Green Bay.

      Then in front of a record-setting television audience, Manning directed a late fourth quarter touchdown drive to defeat the Patriots. He became the second QB to throw two go-ahead TD passes in the fourth quarter of a Super Bowl (Joe Montana being the first). The Giants became the first team in league history to win eleven road games in one season. And the Manning’s became the first set of brothers to win successive post-season MVP honors in all of professional sports.

      Manning on the Web

      New York Giants Player Bio: Eli Manning
      Team’s official page; contains short bio, stats, and link to recent video highlights

      Eli Manning Wikipedia Page
      Wikipedia page; contains short bio, career stats, and external links

      Manning’s News and Commentary

      Unflappable Manning lets instincts take over
      Complete overview of Manning’s Super Bowl performance

      Book by News writer looks at Eli Manning & David Tyree’s Super play
      Manning gives his view on the 2007 season

      Manning Says

      Manning reacts to his part of “the Catch” to WR David Tyree:

      “Just trying to avoid the sack,” Manning explained. “I felt people grabbing me. You try to get small sometimes and keep the play alive.”

      Manning discusses his philosophy on playing in the third pre-season game on the schedule:

      “This is the one that is most game-like,” Manning said. “You’re going to play a whole half and you usually come out in the second half and play that first series, where you really try to go out there and be sharp and make sure everybody’s on the same page. You’re making plays. You’re not having the mental mistakes. And you’ve put all that behind you and you’re out there executing the game plan well.”

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, General Sports, NFL, Super Bowl

      Breaking down the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates

      August 28, 2008 /

      Adrian PetersonAdrian Peterson certainly made it easy on voters last year. After rushing for 1,341 yards, 12 touchdowns and a 5.6-yard per carry average, Peterson was an easy choice for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

      So who is this year’s Adrian Peterson? Despite popular belief, the OROY doesn’t have to lead his team to the playoffs, as Peterson proved last year. He just has to stand out from the rest of the pack – easy, right?

      Below is a look at the OROY candidates for the 2008 NFL Season. I’ve ranked the top 10 candidates based on their chances along with reasons why (and why they won’t) win the award.

      1. Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons
      Ryan earned the starting quarterback job after a solid preseason, including completing 15 of 21 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons’ 17-3 win over Tennessee. Forget the huge contract and the fact that Atlanta wants to erase the thought of Michael Vick – Ryan can play. He looked comfortable, poised and completely in control running the Falcons’ offense and has enough weapons in Michael Turner, Jerious Norwood and Roddy White to be effective. As long as the offensive line gives him protection like it did this preseason, Ryan might be the best bet to win OROY honors. It also doesn’t hurt that he plays the quarterback position and will likely receive a ton of media attention.

      2. Jonathan Stewart, RB, Carolina Panthers
      Stewart has run very well so far in preseason. He rushed 10 times for 100 yards in the Panthers’ third exhibition game and even had a fantastic 50-yard touchdown run that highlighted both his power and breakaway speed. Defenses contained Carolina’s ground attack last year, but that was largely due to ineffective quarterback play. Teams knew that the Panthers were going to try and run the football and often played with eight men in the box. But now that QB Jake Delhomme is healthy again, the Panthers’ offense should be more balanced and thus defenses will have to respect both the run and the pass. He’ll split time with DeAngelo Williams, but Stewart is going to get plenty of opportunities to make plays this season. Not only that, but he looks like a solid overall player.

      3. Matt Forte, RB, Chicago Bears
      The Bears parted with twinkle-toes Cedric Benson this offseason after multiple off-field incidents. The team drafted Forte in the second round and after Benson was released, and the rookie immediately became the starter. Forte has good size, runs hard between the tackles and shows some decent burst when he gets into the open field. But Chicago’s line has to hold up. Center Olin Kreutz, right guard Roberto Garza and right tackle John St. Clair are all decent run blockers, but there are major question marks on the left side of the line. Even so, Forte is going to have plenty of opportunities to make plays this season, especially if backup Kevin Jones can’t stay healthy.

      Darren McFadden4. Darren McFadden, RB, Oakland Raiders
      McFadden has loads of playmaking ability, but it seems that people are getting too caught up with his potential and not looking at the facts. The Raiders don’t have a great offensive line and Justin Fargas is still expected to get most of the carries in the run game. McFadden will get his opportunities to make plays (especially in the passing game), but despite many considering him the favorite to win OROY, it looks like there will be a ceiling on his production this year. Still, there is a lot to like about McFadden’s potential.

      5. Kevin Smith, RB, Detroit Lions
      Tatum Bell has been a massive dud since arriving in Detroit last year as part of the Dre’ Bly trade, so Smith will get the starting nod this season in the Lions’ backfield. The rookie has shown potential in preseason, but the offensive line is brutal so Smith might not see a ton of running room. Still, he flashed incredible potential and with nobody behind him to steal carries, Smith is going to be the focus of the Lions’ offense this season.

      6. Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
      It didn’t help Mendenhall that he fumbled twice in the Steelers’ last preseason game, but he’s still expected to see plenty of carries this season as a rookie. He’ll split time with Willie Parker and will probably be used in short yardage situations and around the goal line. Pittsburgh’s line isn’t what it used to be, so expecting Mendenhall to put up huge numbers is probably unrealistic. But if Parker suffers a setback, the rookie will become the Steelers’ main back and thus his opportunities will skyrocket.

      Chris Johnson7. Chris Johnson, RB, Titans
      If the preseason was any indication, the Titans are going to find ways to use the explosive running back. Johnson has looked good running between the tackles (not usually his forte) in preseason and flashed the type of game-breaking speed that made him a first round pick. The Titans have a crowded backfield, but expect Johnson to get opportunities to make plays this year, especially in the passing game. He’s likely to split carries with LenDale White, which doesn’t hurt his chances because White often likes to fix himself a bed in Jeff Fisher’s doghouse.

      8. Ray Rice, RB, Baltimore Ravens
      With Willis McGahee still unable to jog after having a “clean out” procedure done to his knee this offseason, Rice is the current starting running back for the Ravens. Rice isn’t the biggest guy in the league at 5’8” and 205 pounds, but that didn’t slow him down in college. Despite his size, he’s proven he can run between the tackles and has often demonstrated explosiveness when he reaches open field. Once McGahee returns, Rice will be bumped to No. 2 so his chances of winning OROY are slim. But if he proves himself while McGahee is out, the Ravens will no doubt find a role for him in their offense.

      9. DeSean Jackson, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
      Anyone who watched the Eagles’ third preseason game against the Patriots saw what Jackson can bring to the field. The rookie was Philly’s leading receiving with four catches for 67 yards, but he did most of his damage on special teams, returning a punt 76 yards for a touchdown as time expired in the second quarter. With the Eagles starving for playmakers at receiver, Jackson could wind up being the sleeper for OROY, even though he’s currently not listed as a starter. Another thing to note is that Donovan McNabb likes to spread the ball around and Brian Westbrook is still going to get a ton of passes out of the backfield.

      10. Felix Jones, RB, Dallas Cowboys
      One would assume that Jones will step into the role once held by Julius Jones and complement Marion Barber in the Cowboys’ offense. But the rookie doesn’t appear to have a significant role in the offense yet. He’s expected to return kicks, so he might not see a ton of opportunities in Dallas’s backfield, at least not initially. Eventually he’ll probably see a 60-40 split in carries with Barber, but as of right now Jones looks like one of the long shots to win OROY.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Linebackers core of Panthers’ defense

      August 22, 2008 /

      In the weeks leading up to the kickoff the 2008 NFL Season, I’ll take a look at position groups that could potentially lift teams to new heights, or bury them and their postseason hopes. Today I take a look at how the Panthers have built a young, athletic linebacker corps through the draft.

      Julius Peppers is the face of the Carolina Panthers’ defense – and deservedly so with his 56 quarterback takedowns in his six seasons at defensive end. But while Peppers often steals the spotlight, the strength of Carolina’s defense resides in its young linebacker corps.

      Anchoring the middle of the Panthers’ defense is second-year player Jon Beason, the team’s first round pick in 2007. As a rookie last year, Beason recorded 140 tackles, one interception, and one fumble recovery. He was held out of the Panthers’ minicamps in May because of a wrist injury, but Beason is completely healed and expected to record another 100-plus tackles in 2008.

      Playing alongside Beason will be another former first round pick in Thomas Davis, a converted safety from the University of Georgia. After playing at the strong-side position for his first three years in the league, Davis will move to the weak-side where he’ll line up behind Peppers on the right side of Carolina’s defense. With Peppers often commanding double teams, the athletic Davis will be free to roam sideline-to-sideline and thus make him a more dangerous playmaker.

      Finally, veteran Na’il Diggs is battling former Bengals’ linebacker Landon Johnson for the strong-side spot. Diggs is expected to start, but Johnson could see the field in a rotation. Neither player is as athletic or versatile as Beason or Davis, but both are solid against the run and certainly won’t be a weakness.

      Expect defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac to use all his linebackers in a variety of ways and even if opposing offenses try to spread the field, Beason and Davis have the closing speed necessary to excel in coverage. With both Beason and Davis, the Panthers should have one of the best linebacker corps for years to come.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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