Tag: Carolina Panthers (Page 6 of 34)

      Do the Panthers have eyes for Ryan Mallett?

      March 15, 2011 /
      Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett (15) is chased from the pocket by Ohio State defensive lineman Cameron Hayward (97) during first half action of the 77th Annual Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana January 4, 2011. UPI/A.J. Sisco

      You have to hand it to Ron Rivera. He’s only been a head coach for about two months but he’s already managed to keep everyone guessing when it comes to the No. 1 pick. (I guess some credit goes to GM Marty Hurney for that, too.)

      After the Super Bowl was played, the majority of draft pundits had the Panthers taking Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert with the first overall pick. Then it was Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley. Now it’s Auburn quarterback Cam Newton. Give it another week and it’ll be LSU’s Patrick Peterson, Clemson’s Da’Quan Bowers and MTV’s Lady Gaga.

      Or how about this for a curveball: Arkansas’ Ryan Mallet.

      There are reports that Mallett is scheduled to work out for the Panthers on Tuesday in Fayetteville. While he isn’t viewed as a potential No. 1 overall pick, that doesn’t mean Carolina wouldn’t trade out of the top spot in order to acquire more picks and nab him later in the first round. They currently don’t have a second round pick after the aforementioned Hurney traded it away last year so that he could reach on Armanti Edwards. So it would stand to reason that the Panthers wouldn’t mind trading back in order to gain more picks this year, and the No. 1 pick would fetch quite a haul.

      Of course, trading out of the top 5 isn’t an easy task – especially when teams don’t know what’s going to happen with the CBA. The one thing the NFL and NFLPA reportedly agreed upon was restructuring the ridiculous rookie pay scale. If teams don’t have to invest $67 billion in the No. 1 pick, then the Panthers might have an easier time trading down. But if the rookie pay scale is still an issue, then they might be stuck.

      If that’s the case, then it still seems likely that the Panthers would select Newton or Gabbert at No. 1. Granted, they could always take a defensive player like Peterson and then trade back into the first round to nab Mallett, but how would they do that? They don’t have a second rounder and they have a ton of needs to address, so trading the rest of their draft doesn’t seem smart. Thus, moving out of the No. 1 slot could prove extremely difficult.

      Either way, the Panthers have everyone in a state of mass confusion with their pre-draft antics. And with that in mind, I say well done, Rivera and Co.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Panthers’ GM Hurney the last one to still believe in Clausen?

      March 10, 2011 /
      Carolina Panthers quarterback Jimmy Clausen steps away from Pittsburgh Steelers Lawerence Timmons but Steelers Ziggy Hood delivers the sack and a lost of seven yards in the fourth quarter of the 27-3 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on December 23, 2010. UPI/Archie Carpenter

      SI.com’s Don Banks is reporting that Panthers’ GM Marty Hurney is the only member of the team’s front office or coaching staff who still has faith in Jimmy Clausen as a potential starter.

      Banks writes, “Everyone else in Carolina, and many coaches and personnel men around the league for that matter, thinks the Panthers have to draft a franchise quarterback this year.”

      Ouch.

      For those who watched Clausen play last year, this is hardly surprising news. But even though I’m not a believer myself, for God’s sake he only started 10 games last year and it’s not like he had much around him. He was absolutely horrible, I know. But is it just me or do other young players usually get the benefit of the doubt at this stage in their career?

      That said, I do think the Panthers will draft a quarterback at No. 1. Ron Rivera will want to build around a signal caller that he had a hand selecting, although if Carolina does take a QB at No. 1 then Hurney will basically be admitting that taking Clausen in the second round last year was a mistake. He also foolishly traded this year’s second round pick so that he could reach for Armanti Edwards last April, so Hurney’s head is firmly placed on the chopping block.

      The good news for Clausen is that unless the team releases him this offseason (which is doubtful), he’ll have a chance to prove everyone wrong this summer. Even if the Panthers take a quarterback at No. 1, Clausen will be given the opportunity to beat him out in camp because coaches are always hesitant on handing the job over to a rookie. Clausen will just have to man up and take the position if he wants it.

      External Sports, NFL

      Panthers looking for an impact player at No. 1?

      March 6, 2011 /

      The Charlotte Observer is reporting that the Panthers are not sold on drafting a defensive lineman with the No. 1 pick and are thought to be seeking an impact player.

      Missouri Tigers quarterback Blaine Gabbert throws the football in the first quarter against the Illinois Illini at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis on September 4, 2010. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

      If the paper’s sources are right, that means Auburn’s Nick Fairley, Clemson’s Da’Quan Bowers and Alabama’s Marcell Dareus may be further down Carolina’s draft board than quarterbacks Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton, and possibly even LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson (regarded as the best defensive player in the draft).

      At least according to the Observer’s sources, the Panthers are concerned about the health of many of the draft’s top defensive lineman. Bowers had his knee scoped and therefore didn’t work out at the combine because he wasn’t in shape following rehab, while Fairley says he’s fine now but revealed that he suffered a small shoulder separation that occurred in a November game against Georgia.

      Heading into the combine, Fairley’s name was being thrown around as a possibility at No. 1, but that talk has died down considerably. I haven’t put together my third mock draft yet but if I were today, I would have either Gabbert or Newton going No. 1. I had the Panthers taking Gabbert in my first mock, but then I bought into the hype surrounding Fairley and had him going No. 1 in my second mock. Now I’m back to believing that Carolina won’t take anything but a quarterback with the first overall pick. (Of course, just because the Charlotte Observer says that the Panthers may not take a defensive lineman, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true. How exhausting…)

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Jeremy Shockey chooses Panthers over Dolphins

      March 3, 2011 /

      When he was hired in January, new Panthers coach Ron Rivera said that he would target a “do-it-all” tight end this offseason.

      He can now call off the search.

      Rivera found his tight end in former Saint Jeremy Shockey, who has decided to sign a one-year deal with the Panthers instead of the Dolphins, who were also interested in his services.

      “Looks like I’m signing with Carolina,” Shockey wrote via his Twitter page.

      Whether he wound up with the Panthers or Dolphins, Shockey presumably was going to have an opportunity to make plays next year. Carolina offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski has a history of utilizing tight ends, as does new Miami OC Brian Daboll (almost to a fault in Daboll’s case). But in the end, it’s not surprising that Shockey chose the Panthers seeing as how Chudzinksi was his former tight end coach at the University of Miami nearly a decade ago.

      It’ll be interesting to see if Shockey winds up catching passes next season from Jimmy Clausen or if the Panthers will select a quarterback with the top overall pick in April’s draft.

      External Sports, News, NFL

      Mel Kiper releases first 2011 NFL Mock Draft, has Fairley going No. 1

      January 19, 2011 /

      For Steeler, Jet, Bear and Packer fans, the 2011 NFL Draft doesn’t exist.

      For the rest of us, it’s the only thing that exists.

      ESPN’s Mel Kiper has released his first mock draft for 2011 and at least for the time being, he sees Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley coming off the board to the Panthers at No. 1.

      The No. 1 overall player on the Big Board, and one who can pay immediate dividends. Fairley isn’t just a safe pick because of his excellent burst, violent hand action and ability to effectively penetrate and be a constant nuisance against both the run and pass; he also has the chance to be a dominant player regardless of system. Detroit and Tampa Bay drafted the top defensive tackles at Nos. 2 and 3 last year. Carolina should start earlier in 2011. A slight mean streak in a DT isn’t the worst trait. Even Ndamukong Suh showed a bit of one this season.

      Kiper has LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson going to the Broncos at No. 2, Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus going to the Bills at No. 3, Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers going to the Bengals at No. 4 and Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert going to the Cardinals at No. 5.

      Regular readers know that I’m a draft nut and I will surely release several mock drafts before April 28 rolls around. I need to compile my notes from the bowl season, however, so I’m not ready to break out my mock 1.0 at this time.

      That said, with the way Fairley dominated the BCS title game this year, I can definitely see the Panthers taking him at No. 1. (Don’t forget that new head coach Ron Rivera has a background in defense, so if he’s given his say on draft day, he may want to go with the best defender on the board.)

      If you believe the reports, Carolina was set to take Stanford’s Andrew Luck with the top overall pick but now that he’s decided to return to school, who goes No. 1 will be discussed ad nauseum for the next three and a half months.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

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