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2007 Team Report: Carolina Panthers

Quarterbacks

Starter: Jake Delhomme
Backup(s): David Carr, Brett Basanez (IR)

Starting QB: In 2006, for the first time in four years, Jake Delhomme did not play a full 16 games. He suffered ligament damage in his right thumb and it cost him three games. He came back strong in the season finale against New Orleans, but he seemed to be out of sync more often than not last season. An uninspired running game allowed defenses to key on Steve Smith and forced Delhomme to look to other receivers. Those receivers couldn't make enough of a difference, so the Panthers' offense went three and out with great frequency. This season, Delhomme must return to the form that helped him win five playoff games in 2003 and 2005.

Backup QB: David Carr comes over from Houston looking for a fresh start. He gives the Panthers great veteran insurance in case Jake Delhomme is injured or struggles. It remains to be seen if Carr can live up to his potential, but his natural abilities are evident and he could flourish behind a solid offensive line. Brett Basanez showed solid growth in camp, but was placed on IR after a preseason injury. Matt Moore was claimed off waivers in hopes he can stick as the emergency QB.

Running Backs

Starter: DeShaun Foster
Backup(s): DeAngelo Williams, Alex Haynes
Fullback(s): Brad Hoover, Nick Goings

Starting RB: New offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson is implementing a zone-blocking scheme, which favors both DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams in his estimation. The starting position continues to be DeShaun Foster's, although that could change with another injury or uneven play early in the season. Either way, both Foster and Williams will see a big workload this year if the Panthers have their way. Foster has looked better than expected in training camp, and his on-again, off-again place atop the Panthers depth chart appears solidly on again. When healthy, Foster has always had a good second gear and above average cutback ability. He had three 100-yard games in 2006, and could be a major fantasy value if he keeps the job and stays healthy.

Backup RBs: Williams didn't have quite the rookie season that he envisioned when he came out of Memphis. Still, he averaged a respectable 4.1 yards per carry and proved that he can be a great receiver out of the backfield. He had over 100 yards in a game both rushing (Week 11 vs. St. Louis) and receiving (Week 13 vs. Philadelphia). Williams again proved his versatility when he lined up at QB in the single wing offense. The 2007 season looks to be a bounce-back year for this entire offense and it will all start with Foster and Williams. Alex Haynes was one of the best players in camp and displaced former 2nd rounder Eric Shelton for the 3rd RB slot.

Fullback: Brad Hoover is a multipurpose back that can fill in at RB if necessary. He is a sound lead-blocker and proved to be a solid target coming out of the backfield with 20 receptions in 2006. Nick Goings keeps plugging away and contributes in any way the coaches ask. He's not an elite talent, but there is no harder worker on the Panthers roster.

Wide Receivers

Starters: Steve Smith, Keary Colbert
Backups: Dwayne Jarrett [R], Drew Carter, Ryne Robinson [R], Chris Horn

Starting WRs: Despite missing three games with a tweaked hamstring, Steve Smith still finished the 2006 season with 140 targets, only 10 fewer than he had in his career-year of 2005. The offense has more weapons in the passing game, which should open things up for Smith. He is a bona fide star and worthy of consideration as the top fantasy WR. The coaches haven't officially named the other starter, but it likely comes down to Keary Colbert or Drew Carter. The team would like Dwayne Jarrett to step into that role eventually, but his game is going to take some time to develop in the pros. Keary Colbert caught 47 passes for 754 yards and five TDs his rookie season, but has done little since. After seeming like the odd man out heading into training camp, he's been the most consistent WR on the roster outside of Smith.

Backup WRs: Dwayne Jarrett could eventually develop into a Herman Moore-type receiver. He is a big receiver, and has excellent leaping ability. But not every target is going to be a red-zone target so Jarrett needs to learn to run better routes. He's not quick or overly fast, so his route running will need to be honed to perfection. Drew Carter is a speed demon from Ohio State. His forte is stretching the field and making big plays down the field, but he must show more consistency and remain healthy in order to seize a bigger role. Chris Horn rounds out the receiving corps.

Tight Ends

Starters: Jeff King
Backups: Marcus Freeman, Dante Rosario, Michael Gaines [IR]

The Panthers have been looking for a consistent threat at the tight end position for a long time, and it looks like 2007 won't be the year to change that expectation. Jeff King, a bit TE from Virginia Tech, has been given the starting job but his size and limited impact as a run blocker may keep him from holding onto the job.

Place Kicker

John Kasay : After a 2005 season in which Kasay's field goal percentage dipped to 76.5% due to a high number of long misses, he rebounded last year with 88.9%, the highest percentage of his career. Overall kicker scoring production followed the up and down pattern of recent years, as Kasay scored 100 points in 2006. The Panthers' kicker scoring in preceding years was 121, 99, 125, and 74 points. Kasay has a tendency to miss one extra point in most years, although he made them all last year. After a stretch of injury plagued years, he has played in all 16 games the last two years. CAMP UPDATE: Kicker John Kasay once gain handled all the kicking, as camp leg Andrew Wellock was released the other week. In the game at Philadelphia, Kasay connected on a field goal from 28 yards, but was wide left on a 52 yard attempt.

Kick and Punt Returners

Kick Returners: Ryne Robinson; Chris Horn

Fourth round draft pick WR Ryne Robinson returned only eight kickoffs during his career at Miami of Ohio, all during his sophomore year. Nonetheless, the Panthers will try him on kickoffs given his success on punt returns.

Punt Returners: Ryne Robinson; Nick Goings

Ryne Robinson's success on punt returns during his college career included 1,677 yards (second all-time in NCAA 1-A) and seven TDs. The Panthers are hoping he succeeds quickly in the NFL, so that they can keep Steve Smith focused on offense. Nick Goings, who is willing to do anything the team needs, will provide backup PR duties.

Offensive Line

Projected Starters: LT Travelle Wharton, LG Mike Wahle, C Justin Hartwig, RG Ryan Kalil [R], RT Jordan Gross
Key Backups: Geoff Hangartner, Frank Omiyale, Evan Mathis

The Panthers really missed LT Travelle Wharton in 2006 as he went down in Week 1 with an injury. On the other side, Gross hasn't missed a game in his four seasons and is a good, but not great, right tackle. He never became the dominant lineman the club anticipated when he was drafted. The question mark this season is Carolina's shift to a zone-blocking scheme. At this point, it is unknown how well this unit will adapt to the change, but the starting five does appear to be well-suited for this type of system thanks to the athleticism and quickness along the group. Look for an improvement for this unit in 2007. Rookie Ryan Kalil will start at right guard, but should ultimately anchor the team as a center for years to come.

Team Defense

The Panther team defense was very respectable as a fantasy defense (and NFL defense) despite a 8-8 record in 2006. Carolina finished in the top ten in yards allowed, points allowed and sacks. Only a bottom five finish in takeaways kept them from being a stud fantasy defense. Despite injuries to Mike Rucker and Dan Morgan and poor play from both starting corners, the Panthers held together with good overall team play. t helped that DE Julius Peppers had a career high 12.5 sacks and rookie Richard Marshall anchored the pass defense despite limited duty. 2007 looks like more of the same. The Panthers added promising rookie DE Charles Johnson and LB Jon Beason and hope to have LB Dan Morgan healthy and better seasons from both of last year's starting corners, Chris Gamble and Ken Lucas. The depth is thin, but if the starting group stays healthy and plays to its capability, the Panther defense should again finish in the top ten fantasy defenses in 2006.

Defensive Line

Starters: RDE Mike Rucker, LDE Julius Peppers, RDT Kris Jenkins, LDT Ma'ake Kemoeatu
Backups: DE Charles Johnson, DE Stanley McClover, DE/DT Damione Lewis, DT Kindal Moorehead, DE Otis Grigsby

Starting DL: Julius Peppers is a freakishly quick and explosive 285 pounds and must be accounted for on every play. He put up a career high 13 sacks in 2006, including four multi-sack games, and should continue to be one of the most disruptive defensive ends in the game. Mike Rucker suffered a torn ACL late in the 2006 season and is fighting for his starting job as both Stanley McClover and Charles Johnson have been impressive in camp, and McClover may have a leg up for the bulk of the snaps among the three. Kris Jenkins was healthy in 2007 but wasn't as disruptive last year as he had been prior to season-ending injuries in 2004 and 2005. The Panthers made him available in trade before the draft in April but elected to keep him. If motivated, Jenkins could still be an intimidating force in the middle. Ma'ake Kemoeatu will return as an effective but not flashy space-eating body in the middle.

Backup DL: Charles Johnson, the Panthers' third round pick, has the potential to be an elite two way end. He'll take over for Mike Rucker, possibly as soon as this season. Stanley McClover was the Panthers seventh round pick last year. He is a potentially explosive edge rusher who probably came out a year too early and was left to develop behind a solid DE rotation in 2006. Expected to work in a situational role, McClover has put on weight and started both preseason games. The Panthers have a nice collection of rotational tackles with Damione Lewis, who can also move outside in a pinch and Kindal Moorehead. None are as effective collapsing the pocket or stuffing the run as Jenkins was in his prime but will provide consistent play.

Linebackers

Starters: WLB Na'il Diggs, MLB Dan Morgan, SLB Thomas Davis
Backups: LB Jon Beason [R], LB James Anderson, LB Adam Seward, LB Brandon Jamison, LB Tim Shaw

Starting LBs: Dan Morgan is a stud all-around linebacker. He has size, speed and the instincts and athleticism to make plays all over the field. He's also above-average in coverage. Unfortunately, he can't stay on the field. Morgan has been prone to concussions but has also been sidelined for significant periods with knee, ankle and shoulder injuries. He has yet to play a full season and was shut down for the entire 2006 season after suffering a concussion in the first regular season game. The team restructured his contract this offseason to what amounts to a pay-per-game incentive based salary. He's a poor risk to finish the first month of the season. Thomas Davis settled into the SLB role nicely after struggling to find a niche in 2005. He handled blockers at the point of attack well and was better in coverage at LB than he was as a safety. The Panthers hope his pass rush will improve as he continues to learn the position. Rookie Jon Beason is an instinctive, sideline-to-sideline talent.

Backup LBs: The Panthers weren't aggressive enough with Chris Draft, who had a solid year after replacing Dan Morgan at MLB in 2006, and lost him to the Rams in free agency. Not knowing whether they would be able to draft a player like Jon Beason, Carolina gave a hefty signing bonus to last season's starting WLB, Na'il Diggs. If the young backers drafted over the last two seasons establish themselves, Diggs' roster spot may still be in jeopardy. The coaching staff remains high on last year's 3rd round pick James Anderson, who is a lanky outside backer that plays bigger than his size would indicate. Anderson filled in nicely on a couple of occasions for Thomas Davis on the strong side last year. He could find himself starting at WLB in time if the veterans can't stay healthy. Adam Seward was a big disappointment last season after getting the first shot at the MLB job when Morgan was shut down for the year. Seward was lost in coverage and struggled to shed blocks at the point of attack. The coaches feel he was overwhelmed with responsibility and didn't adjust well. They still feel Seward can contribute at all three positions and have made him the primary backup at MLB. Should Dan Morgan go down to injury, though, Jon Beason may get the first crack at that role. Rookie Tim Shaw is a versatile player who could contribute enough on special teams to challenge Seward for the final roster spot.

Defensive Backs

Starters: RCB Ken Lucas, LCB Chris Gamble, FS Nate Salley, SS Chris Harris
Backups: CB Richard Marshall, CB Curtis Deloatch, S Deke Cooper, S Quinton Teal

Starting DBs: The play of both Ken Lucas and Chris Gamble declined last year. Both were inconsistent in coverage and struggled to tackle consistently. Lucas' struggles may have been injury related and the Panthers expect him to regain his confidence and reclaim his starting position. Gamble is still learning corner technique but has great size and above-average ball skills. The Panthers are hoping that both Gamble and Lucas will return to their pre-2006 level of play and provide solid man coverage and frequent turnovers. After entering camp woefully thin at safety, the Panthers acquired Chris Harris from the Bears in early August. Mike Minter retired soon after Harris' acquisition, leaving the starting job open for the taking. Harris got the start in the opening preseason game. For now, Nate Salley will line up next to Harris. The 2006 fifth round pick was cut last year, then re-signed from the practice squad mid-season. He is unlikely to be a viable long term option.

Backup DBs: Richard Marshall exploded onto the NFL and IDP stage in 2006, quickly asserting himself as one of the league's best playmaking corners in the nickel package before earning some time as a starter as well. Marshall is also effective in run support and his all-around skill set will be tough to keep out of the starting lineup. He may well be the best player in the Panther secondary and it wouldn't be shocking to see him bump Lucas (or Gamble) to a nickel role. The rest of the secondary depth has been turned over completely. Last year's fourth corner Reggie Howard is out of the league and the Panthers chose not to re-sign S Colin Branch and S Kevin McAdam. Deke Cooper was signed to compete and provide depth. He isn't much worse than starter Nate Salley. Curtis Deloatch and Derrick Strait will compete for the fourth corner role.

Last modified: 2007-09-02 21:49:56