Inside the Panthers

Bell to toil tonight, but tomorrow ...

      Quarterback Dalton Bell came into camp with only a slightly better chance of making the Panthers' final roster than we had of seeing a Beatles' reunion.

          Bell was the fourth quarterback, the guy to fill in after the players the team actually cared about had gotten all their work in for the day.  But this week, an unlikely confluence of events has conspired
to bring Bell front and center as Carolina prepares to play Pittsburgh tonight at Bank of America Stadium.

         It started last week, when some big bozo stepped on backup quarterback David Carr's right pinky toe and broke the little guy.  Carr can still throw, but he's hobbled a bit and the Panthers won't
want to overuse him tonight. Then Monday, we found out that third-stringer Brett Basanez will miss the entire season with an injured right wrist.

         That same practice saw starter Jake Delhomme clutch at his side after launching a pass, and, while everyone involved insists it's just a "tweak," Delhomme has gotten little work since.

         With the starters scheduled to play just one or two series tonight, rest assured that Bell will play most of the rest of the game. And the guy with 0.1 percent chance of making the club will get a  chance to show what he can do.

         Bell hasn't been overly impressive so far. Coach John Fox said  some nice things about him the other day, but Fox would say nice things  about the team's baggage handlers after they had dropped the  video equipment.  So watch closely and make your own judgments  tonight.

        With Basanez out, expect Carolina to go with two quarterbacks on  the final roster. But Bell could make the practice squad.  That is, if he doesn't throw for 250 yards tonight. Last week, 14 teams sent scouts to the Panthers' game, and there will probably be more tonight.

       If Bell is too good, he just might be gone.

--Stan Olson

Bridges may be odd man out

Right guard Jeremy Bridges’ arrest just before training camp and subsequent suspension for the season’s first two games left the Panthers in a tough spot. Bridges played in the first exhibition game and the line looked good, but the coaches realized that they had to come up with another unit, since Bridges wouldn’t be around for the opener.

First, they tried center Justin Hartwig in Bridges’ spot, but that didn’t work well. Then Geoff Hangartner got a look there, and most recently rookie Ryan Kalil, a center most of his college career, is filling the slot.

"I think we like the direction we’re heading right now, but nothing is etched in stone yet," offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson said today after practice. I’m writing about Davidson’s efforts to retool the offense in tomorrow’s paper.

It’s important to get the O-line right, because both the passing and running games obviously depend on it. And the most important thing to an O-line is continuity; the players have to almost instinctively know what the guy next to them is going to do in virtually any situation.

Bridges had looked good in training camp at guard; he’s athletic, and played a capable right tackle after being signed off the street early last year. But his mistake may cost him his job even when he gets back. If the five guys playing the first two games — whichever five that may be — do well, Bridges may be the odd man out.

Because after all, it’s all about continuity. -- Stan Olson

Jenkins key to DL success?

   In a preseason where there haven’t been a lot of positives, there’s been one very pleasant and quiet surprise.

   We haven’t heard much from defensive tackle Kris Jenkins since he did a lengthy interview with The Observer on the first day of training camp – and that’s a good thing. Jenkins cleared the air about his controversial offseason when he did talk and said he was committed to and focused on spending this season with the Panthers.

  Through training camp and three preseason games, Jenkins has done exactly what he said he would. He made it through camp without missing a  practice, which is impressive for a guy who has a history of injury and weight issues.

   His weight appears to be under control. And, most important of all, Jenkins, who the Panthers tried to trade in the offseason, seems to be content.

  Don’t underestimate the importance of a healthy, happy and productive Jenkins in the lineup.

   One scout I know from another team was at the preseason game against New England last week, said Jenkins can be the single-biggest key to Carolina’s season.

   “A few years back, everybody thought they had the best defensive line in the league,’’ the scout said. “That was a few years ago and that’s when Jenkins was healthy. They haven’t been near that level the last few years. But he can change all that because he can be such a presence on the inside.’’

   The scout said Jenkins has looked very good in the preseason, but he hasn’t been impressed by Maake Kemoeatu and Damione Lewis, the other two top tackles.

   “You can live with one of them if Jenkins is the old Jenkins an you’ve got Julius Peppers on the outside,’’ the scout said. “If Jenkins and Peppers are playing well, everybody else on that line suddenly gets a lot better.’’

-- Pat Yasinskas

A fanfest for Panthers sponsors

The Panthers’ practices of today and yesterday were not like any other Panthers’ practices this season. Normally fans aren’t permitted to watch the Charlotte workouts, but for these two sessions, corporate sponsors, their families and friends get to come inside the three-field complex behind Bank of America Stadium and find themselves treated like royalty.

Large canopies are set up facing the fields, with aluminum bleachers and folding chairs spread out beneath them. The invited fans can watch practice and enjoy water, sports drinks or soft drinks from huge coolers lugged out for the occasion. And, when the workout ends, key players sit at tables in front of the tents and sign autographs.

The team put a little synergy to work as well; just outside the complex, the Panthers set up their merchandise trailer, giving the fans a chance to buy that Steve Smith replica jersey ($75) before they went inside to watch Steve Smith practice and to get an autograph from, yep, Steve Smith.

Today’s crowd appeared to number several hundred.-- Stan Olson

Update: A safety misses practice

   Update to my last post: Maybe we won't see as much of Nate Salley in Thursday night's game as previously expected. He sat out Monday's practice with the same knee injury that forced him to miss a lot of camp. More than ever, the Panthers have to watch the waiver wire for safety help.

   Also, Jake Delhomme was on the practice field, but didn't participate in team drills. Coach John Fox said Delhomme was getting a day of rest and the "tweak'' the quarterback had in his side Sunday is not an issue.

-- Pat Yasinskas

Still seeking answers at safety

   Remember back a few weeks ago when the Panthers traded for Chris Harris and some fans thought all the problems at safety were suddenly solved?

   After watching Harris get beat on some deep balls in exhibition games, it seems some are ready to send Harris back to Chicago and hit the panic button. But the truth is what’s happened in the preseason games shouldn’t be that big of a surprise.

   What did you expect from a player who cost the Panthers a fifth-round pick in 2008? The book on Harris has always been that he plays the run well, can come up and make a big hit on a pass play in front of him, but that he has trouble turning and running on the deep ball.

   Harris has his limitations, but he can be a decent strong safety. He’s going to need help, though. For Harris to succeed, the defensive line has to apply steady pressure and the cornerbacks have to play well.

   Harris is definitely a concern. But maybe the bigger concern should be at free safety, a position where the ability to play the deep ball is even more important. Deke Cooper has worked there in the first three preseason games and hasn’t looked all that good. Don’t be surprised if Nate Salley gets a start there in the preseason finale Thursday.

   And don’t be surprised if the Panthers take a long, hard look for safety help on the waiver wire as other teams make cuts in the next week or so.

– Pat Yasinskas

Little man, big block

While fans celebrated wide receiver Keary Colbert’s impressive 48-yard touchdown burst near the end of the first half of Friday’s 24-7 loss to New England, many of the Panthers’ players and coaches were fired up about something else.

“I had time to throw back there and Keary did great job, but I think the biggest thing was (wide receiver) Steve Smith’s blocking on the play,” quarterback Jake Delhomme said later. “That’s how you get big plays, a receiver blocking on somebody.

       “Keary got past the safety and didn’t have to worry about the cornerback because Smitty was eating him up. That’s how you make big plays.”

       Smith is 5-foot-9 and about half the size of, say, defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, but when he’s not the target of a play, he often throws himself into defensive backs with the same enthusiasm he displays in leaping for a pass.

       It’s something not every wide receiver does

consistently; after all, the glory is in the reception. But it makes the team better and Delhomme, for one, appreciates it.

    BASANEZ OUT

   In case you haven't already seen the breaking news section on Charlotte.com, here's the link to the story on quarterback Brett Basanez being out for the year:

 

Read the story

- STAN OLSON

Smith's blocking draws raves

While fans celebrated wide receiver Keary Colbert’s impressive 48-yard touchdown burst near the end of the first half of Friday’s 24-7 loss to New England, many of the Panthers’ players and coaches were fired up about something else.

"I had time to throw back there and Keary did a great job, but I think the biggest thing was (wide receiver) Steve Smith’s blocking on the play," quarterback Jake Delhomme said later. "That’s how you get big plays, a receiver blocking on somebody.

"Keary got past the safety and didn’t have to worry about the cornerback because Smitty was eating him up. That’s how you make big plays."

Smith is 5-foot-9 and about half the size of, say, defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, but when he’s not the target of a play, he often throws himself into defensive backs with the same enthusiasm he displays in leaping for a pass.

It’s something not every wide receiver does consistently; after all, the glory is in the reception. But it makes the team better and Delhomme, for one, appreciates it.

STAN OLSON

Defense not in regular-season form

Reflecting a day later on the Panthers’ 24-7 exhibition loss to New England on Friday, one point stands out above all others: Carolina’s defense is not yet ready for prime time; the Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady made that abundantly clear.

Brady and most of his fellow starters piled up 179 yards of total offense by halftime, then added 77 more in the first drive of the second half. That gave the first team a whopping 256 yards in barely more than two quarters of work. Then the starters got the rest of the night off and watched the backups complete the victory.

"We’ve got to work on our chemistry as a defense," safety Deke Cooper said. "We did some things better this week, but we’re not where we’re going to be. It’s still preseason; we’ve still got a lot of work to do. We’ve still got to jell; we’ve got a lot of new guys on defense. It’s stuff we can fix."

The passing defense in particular was a problem; Brady completed 17 of 22 and finished with a passer rating of 128.4. As good as Brady was, Carolina’s secondary and linebackers seemed out of position on occasion, and Brady faced little pressure up front.

If the Panthers are to make a run into the postseason, they know they’ll have to do better.

"We’re a better team than that; we know we played not to our best abilities," said defensive end Stanley McClover.

They have until Sept.. 9, when the season opens in St. Louis, to get better.

STAN OLSON

Why Goings?

Asked the question last week and will ask it again now: Why is Nick Goings returning kickoffs?

I mean, we all know what Goings can do - catch the ball and run about 22 or 23 yards. Or catch the ball and take a knee like he just did at the end of the first quarter.

Why isn't rookie Ryne Robinson, who was out there to be a return specialist, back there? Coach John Fox was asked about that last week and he said something about wanting to see his options. Maybe Fox is saving Robinson for the regular season or maybe Goings will be averaging 22 or 23 yards a return in the regular season.

-- PAT YASINSKAS

Should Panthers sign Jeremiah Trotter?

If you go by e-mail topics, there seems to be a buzz among fans that the Panthers should sign linebacker Jeremiah Trotter.

On the surface, it makes some sense. Dan Morgan’s health will always be an issue and Trotter’s had a long, productive career in the middle. Seems like a fit.

Except its not a fit for anybody who’s been watching the Panthers in recent years. The days of bringing in old guys for one last ride (see Nate Newton, Reggie White, Eugene Robinson, Eric Swann, Chuck Smith, Natrone Means, etc.) ended when George Seifert left town.

The fact is the Eagles cut Trotter because coach Andy Reid believed he’d lost a step after watching the linebacker in training camp. Reid’s career record is a pretty good sign he knows what he’s talking about.

Believe it or not, the Panthers are comfortable with the linebackers they have, even though that includes Morgan and the annual concerns. Adam Seward can play the middle quite well on early downs and outside linebackers Jon Beason and Thomas Davis can be every-down players. If Morgan goes out for the long term, Beason can slide to the middle and veteran Na’il Diggs can play the outside.

That’s the system coach John Fox and Marty Hurney have designed and other than bringing in Keyshawn Johnson a year ago, they’ve stuck to it. Even when Jason Sehorn, a Fox favorite from his New York days, was begging for a job a couple years ago, the Panthers stuck to their plan and let the washed-up safety keep looking.

Panthers for your fantasy team

It’s getting down to the time for fantasy football drafts. In past years, I’ve been bombarded with e-mails from family, friends, people I knew but didn’t consider friends and people I didn’t know asking for all sorts of fantasy advice.

I never answered a single one because, first, I’ve got a job that takes up a lot of time and, second, there are lots of available websites and magazines that specialize in answering fantasy advice. Then, there were those questions from people I never heard of, "How’s Stephen Davis’ knee?’’ "Have the Panthers been throwing much to Keyshawn Johnson in practice this week?’’

Those also went unanswered because there are things I see on the practice field that could be relevant, but I have no interest in becoming another Tim Donaghy.

I’m not turning over a new leaf this year, but I recognized the popularity of fantasy football, so I’ll give a little preseason scouting report on Panthers you might want to take in your league:

+ Steve Smith. As soon as the top tier of running backs are gone, grab Smith. He’s the best receiver in the game in fantasy and reality. Since the Panthers are back to not having another receiving option, his numbers will be huge.

+ Keary Colbert and Drew Carter. Don’t touch them. Trust me.

+ Dwayne Jarrett. Worth a late-round flyer. Might not start early on, but it’s only a matter of time before he jumps ahead of Colbert and Carter. Plus, he’s got the size to be a red-zone factor.

+ Jeff King. Here’s a sleeper tight end. He won’t be Antonio Gates or Tony Gonzalez. But somewhere in the middle of the tight ends, King is worth a shot. He has good hands and size and could be a red-zone weapon.

+ Jake Delhomme. Given the uncertainty created by last year, Delhomme’s not a fantasy starter. But he’s worth a shot as a backup. And, if he gets back to his old form, you could have a starting option.

+ DeShaun Foster. A lot of people drafted Foster way too high last year because he was going to be a starter for the first time in his career. Foster remains a risky pick because of his injury and fumble problems in the past and the fact DeAngelo Williams is waiting in the wings. But Foster has some fantasy value and is worth a shot as a third or fourth back because he just might prosper in the new offense.

+ DeAngelo Williams. Might be a nice move to draft Foster AND Williams, assuming you’ve got a couple quality backs ahead of them. The workload still is being determined and could change dramatically in the season. If you have both Foster and Williams, you can adjust as the Panthers do and you just might end up with a starter later in the year.

+ John Kasay. Never take a kicker early. Wait for Jason Elam and a couple of the big names to go. Then, when the run on the line of average kickers starts, grab Kasay. He’s dependable and durable in recent years. He might not have the biggest leg and he might not be playing with an explosive offense, but he’s never going to hurt you. -- Pat Yasinskas

Best battles for roster spots

   In tomorrow’s paper and on charlotte.com, we’ll have a complete position-by-position breakdown of how the roster is shaping up. But here’s a quick look at some of the more interesting battles as the Panthers have to go from 87 players to 75 on Tuesday and down to 53 on Sept. 1:

• Do the Panthers go with two or three quarterbacks? Trying to stash Brett Basanez on the practice squad again might be too risky because he might get grabbed by another team.

• Running back Eric Shelton might be safer than you think. The numbers work in his favor even if the Panthers carry only five running backs (including fullbacks).

• Taye Biddle or Chris Horn? One of the two is likely to be the final wide receiver and this could come down to ability on special teams.

• Center/guard Will Montgomery is good enough to play in this league, but there’s a glut of bodies in the interior line. Montgomery may end up elsewhere. Also, there’s been a lot of talk about the depth in the middle of the line, but what about at the tackle spots? Evan Mathis and Rashad Butler haven’t had great preseasons and Kenyatta Walker hasn’t shown any signs that he’s ready to shed the “bust’’ label he earned in Tampa Bay.

• Defensive ends Dave Ball and Otis Grigsby have had very nice preseasons, but they could be in trouble because the team is going to commit a roster spot to third-round pick Charles Johnson, who may be a year away from being able to contribute.

What do you think? Post opinions on these and other potential roster battles in the comments section below.

-- Pat Yasinskas

Is Colbert The New Henning?

Wow.

Reading the comments on my last blog, it appears that, before a regular-season snap has been taken, Panthers wide receiver Keary Colbert has become the fans' new whipping boy. Reminds me an awful lot of the talk about offensive coordinator Dan Henning last year, and we all know how that ended up.

Colbert is a good guy, can play a number of musical instruments and is even producing a hip-hop CD.  In the NFL all that and about four bucks will get him a Grande Latte, or Latte Grande, or some other ridiculously fancy cup of coffee. In the league, it's all about  production, and Keary's has been dropping fast.

As a rookie in 2004, pressed into action because of injuries, he made 47 catches and appeared on his way to being an NFL regular for a long time. The following year, though, Colbert was bothered by ankle injuries and slipped to 25 receptions.  Last season, he was health again and the coaches were expecting a return to the productivity of that first year.

It didn't happen. Keyshawn Johnson was signed as a free agent, and Drew Carter also moved ahead of Colbert on the depth chart. He wound up the year with just five catches, and was inactive four of the last six games.

Colbert has played well enough in camp to be getting considerable time (with Carter) opposite Steve Smith. But, with rookie Dwayne Jarrett waiting in the wings, Carter improving and guys like Taye Biddle suddenly grabbing attention, "well enough" might not be good enough this year.

Keary Colbert has the talent; his rookie year proved that. Now the execution must follow.--STAN OLSON

Is Taye Biddle a keeper?

We saw Carolina Panthers wide receiver Taye Biddle making plays all over the place in training camp, and he’s continuing to do so in games. Against the Giants, he had two touchdown catches for a whopping 108 total yards. Against the Eagles, he had two more grabs for 43 yards.

In each game, he was Carolina’s leading receiver by total yardage.

So does that mean Biddle has a shot at making the team, or is he this year’s Walter Young?

"He’s got a chance, he’s making some plays; he’s made some plays in both of these games," said wide receivers coach Richard Williamson. "That’s what you’ve got to do in this business; if you don’t make plays, you’re not going to have a chance.

"He’s made some plays, he’s got some speed, he’s got some talent and ability. So he’s got a chance."

Expect the Panthers to keep five or six wideouts, and five are already pretty much locks. Steve Smith is one of the league’s best, and Drew Carter and Keary Colbert are getting the other first-team snaps. Dwayne Jarrett is the promising rookie, and fellow rookie Ryne Robinson will make the team as a kick returner.

That uses up five spots. Biddle is in a battle to make it six with Chris Horn and several others, but if Biddle keeps finding the end zone in practice and in games, I like his chances. -- Stan Olson

Vick deserves lifetime ban

First, I watched Michael Vick solemnly tell Atlanta Falcons officials and NFL officials and the entire world that he had nothing to do with dog fighting, despite the fact that all those live dogs, dead dogs and dog-fighting equipment were found on his property.

Then I watched his friends, one after another, accept plea-bargain deals from the government, pointing out as they did so that oh yeah, Mike was involved — that he was neck-deep in it and the force behind it. Finally, Vick accepted a deal himself.

And all that solemn innocence evaporated. Prison time is coming.

Vick "accepted full responsibility for the mistakes that he made," his lawyer said.

Let’s see; so allegedly killing dogs when they don’t bite and claw other dogs to death for you is a "mistake" in this brave new spin-the-story world, huh?

Not in mine.

Instead, it tells me what kind of person you really are.

And it should be a lesson to the thousands out there who believe that just because someone is a great athlete, he’s a great guy as well.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell insists that he wants to clean up the league. He could make a good start on that by suspending Michael Vick for life.

STAN OLSON

Belichick praises Davidson

New England coach Bill Belichick isn't known for being one of the better quotes in the NFL. But he gave a surprisingly long-winded answer Tuesday when the Boston-area media asked him about new Panthers offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson, who previously worked on New England's staff. Here's what Belichick had to say:

"Jeff was here when I got here and we retained him to coach the tight ends and he also worked with Dante (Scarnecchia) on the offensive line. I tried to sign him just a couple of times, I can remember him sitting in my office when I was in Cleveland. I think he played for New Orleans at the time. He’s a guy that we knew all the way back from coming out of Ohio State as a player and then here as a coach. He's a smart guy. He's a hard-working guy. He obviously has a good background with the offensive line and tight end positions. He really worked hard to gain a more extensive knowledge of the passing game with Charlie (Weis) and the passing coach Dick Rehbein, and (John Hufnagel), all of the guys who were here through that period. He was a guy that I think really progressed a lot as a coach from the time that I got here until the time that he left. I have a lot of respect for Jeff. He's a smart guy. He works hard. He's very team oriented. I think he's really developed a good overall offensive knowledge of the game, not just an offensive lineman or tight end specific, but he's really worked hard to broaden that base and he's ascended to the coordinator position.''

Peppers back at work

   Forget the conspiracy theories. Defensive end Julius Peppers was back at practice Tuesday.

   Peppers had been out for nearly a week as he dealt with a fever, team officials said. But Peppers went through a full practice Tuesday as the team returned to its Bank of America Stadium practice fields after closing training camp in Spartanburg on Monday.

   Coach John Fox wouldn't say if Peppers will play in Friday's preseason game against New England.

Here comes Stanley

I've got a story coming in tomorrow's paper on Panthers defensive end Stanley McClover, and I think you're going to like this guy.

McClover, who will back up Julius Peppers and Mike Rucker like Al Wallace did last year, will bring a bolt of energy to the defense, and the kid (he's still just 22) just might surprise everyone and come up with a half-dozen sacks or so.

"I definitely feel like I'm under the radar now, and I have no problem with that, because I know I haven't played for real yet in the NFL," he said recently. "So my thing is, whenever they call my number now, I'm ready. Whenever they put me on the field I'm ready to perform."

For McClover, who played just two years in college at Auburn, has been working diligently to figure out football's highest level.

"I had a whole year to just sit back and learn, and I took that very seriously. I focused 100 percent on the playbook, studying every night. I'm still studying, to make sure everything I do is fast, so I don't have to do any thinking, I'm just playing."

More tomorrow, including the scoop on those braids and all of his on-field barking. -- STAN OLSON

Jake might go way of Warner

SPARTANBURG -- A few posts below, my co-worker and good friend Stan Olson predicted a big season from Jake Delhomme. I seldom disagree with Stan (largely because I was taught to respect my elders) and I’m not going to disagree with him here. But I am going to, sort of, play devil’s advocate. Maybe Stan’s right and Delhomme has a big year. I think Delhomme’s better than most quarterbacks.

But I can’t help but wonder if the rest of the NFL has finally caught on to Delhomme, much the same way defenses caught onto Kurt Warner after a few great years. I can’t help but wonder if defenses are just sitting back and waiting for him to force a throw that’s a mistake. I’m still not convinced this team is all that different than the 2005 squad that went to the NFC Championship Game and the 2007 team that went 8-8. As far as I’ve seen so far, it's still a one-man (Steve Smith) offense and that will prompt Delhomme to force some throws. Smith will bail him out on plenty of them, but some of those forces will turn into interceptions. We’ll start to find out in the next couple of months if Delhomme is ready to be the Delhomme of old or the old Warner of his post-MVP years.

-- Pat Yasinskas

Basanez likely to make roster

SPARTANBURG -- Last season, the Carolina Panthers quietly were able to carry three quarterbacks into the regular season while having only two on the official roster.

That was part of a league-wide trend, but that luxury might not be feasible for them this year. Place Jake Delhomme and David Carr in ink on the 53-man roster.

Put Brett Basanez on there … in pencil. Although he didn’t look particularly good in Friday night’s loss to Philadelphia, Basanez probably will make the roster.

The Panthers invested a lot of time in Basanez last year, first carrying him on the practice squad and later elevating him to the 53-man roster when Delhomme was injured. Basanez also has gone through an entire offseason in the offense of new coordinator Jeff Davidson.

The coaching staff and front office have high hopes for Basanez and there’s a strong belief that he can someday be a solid No. 2 quarterback. He’s No. 3 for now, and that will put the Panthers in a tough spot when they begin trimming their roster next week.

They could gamble, as they did last year, and release Basanez and hope they can bring him back to the practice squad. But that’s a lot more risky than it was last year because Basanez is a known commodity and it’s known around the league the Panthers think highly of him.

It might cost them an extra spot for a special teams player, but that might be a small price to pay if Basanez turns into something down the road.

-- Pat Yasinskas

One game doesn't make a career

   SPARTANBURG - The year was 1997 and a rookie cornerback named Ronde Barber was making his first career start because of some injuries to veterans in the Tampa Bay secondary.

   Three or four touchdown passes later, a Tampa Bay assistant coach walked up to me in the locker room and said, "Did you see Ronde? That was the most embarrassing thing I've ever seen. I don't know if he'll ever recover.''

   Well, Barber did recover. At 32, he's still recognized as one of the top cornerbacks in the game. He's been to four Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl.

   Moral of the story: Don't judge a rookie by one game, especially when it's one half of a preseason game. It's easy for fans to look at the performance of rookie center Ryan Kalil in Friday night's loss to Philadelphia and say he should spend the season on the bench. But the coaching staff has to look much deeper than that. Kalil has good skills and had been having a nice training camp. He didn't have a good game against the Eagles, but the coaches need to look past that and use the next couple of weeks to determine if Kalil's one of the best five linemen on the roster.

Back in the Burg

   SPARTANBURG - There still hasn't been any official word on a practice schedule, but the Panthers are back in Spartanburg. There had been speculation the team might break camp today if they played well in Friday night's game in Philadelphia. They played horribly and likely earned themselves more time in Spartanburg.

   The players are in meetings right now and there's a pretty strong expectation they'll practice here this afternoon. Coach John Fox also is expected to practice them Monday morning. If all goes well, he might break camp tomorrow afternoon.

Trying to escape Spartanburg

The Carolina Panthers had heard the rumblings. Play well on Friday night, bring their 'A' game in Philadelphia against the Eagles, and perhaps they would not have to practice in the daily furnace that is
Spartanburg again. Instead, they played terribly, and were trounced, 27-10.

And now Spartanburg, where the Panthers have been training throughout this sizzling August, looms again.

"We've still got to practice," wide receiver Steve Smith said late Friday, as he dressed in the Lincoln Financial Field visitors' locker room. "Maybe it was a missed opportunity to get out of Spartanburg early but myself, I was just kind of getting used to Spartanburg. If we've got to be there another week - if we do, we do. And if we don't, we don't."

Smith said that regardless of where, the team would still have to practice and get ready for New England, which comes to Charlotte Friday.

"But to say we were folding our tents (against Philadelphia) because we were thinking about breaking camp early, I don't think that's fair to say."

He's right. It should have worked the other way, with the Panthers furiously working in order to avoid being shipped back to South Carolina.

Anyway, I'll be surprised if the team winds up back in the Spartanburg for more than two or three more days. Even the coaches know it's about time to come home.

- Stan Olson

They looked silly in Philly

PHILADELPHIA -- Some quick observations from Friday night's loss to the Eagles.

+ Don't start screaming for Jake Delhomme's head just yet. The offensive line was horrible. And, even though, David Carr's stats weren't bad, he didn't do anything dramatic enough to prompt a switch. Not yet anyway.

+ Remember all the talk about upgrading the return game? It sounded like a good plan to let rookie Ryne Robinson return punts and kickoffs. So why did the Panthers keep trotting Nick Goings out there to handle kickoff returns? Goings gave the Panthers exactly what you'd expect from him: a 22-yard average on four returns. Robinson averaged 32 yards on his two returns.

+ I've said it before and I'll say it again, rookie Dwayne Jarrett will be the opening-day starter at wide receiver opposite Steve Smith. Jarrett hasn't done much yet because he missed a chunk of camp with an injury. But Keary Colbert and Drew Carter continue to show why they've never been able to claim starting jobs.

+ Actually saw Eric Shelton drag a few defenders on his 6-yard run late in the game. Along with a nice block against the Giants last week, it would be one of the two highlights of Shelton 's three years with the Panthers.

+ A lot of people got excited when the Panthers traded for former Chicago safety Chris Harris. He may turn out to be a nice pickup and had looked really good in his first week of practice with the Panthers. But there's a reason why the Bears were willing to part to him. The book on Harris is he's a good tackler, but he can't turn and run on the deep ball. That showed on a first-quarter pass where Chris Gamble got beat and Harris was late in providing help.

+ Defensive end Otis Grigsby was one of the few bright spots, recording a sack and pressuring the passer a few times.

Observations from Philly

   

PHILADELPHIA – The big buzz here is Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. He’s going to make his first game appearance since suffering a major injury in November.The Philadelphia Daily News has picture of McNabb on the back cover of the tabloid. It’s got the message “Break a leg’’ with a big red X over the text. McNabb’s expected to play over a quarter and will be followed by A.J. Feeley and Kevin Kolb.

   + By coincidence, I’m staying at the same hotel as the Eagles. Like all NFL teams, they check into a local hotel the night before a game to make sure everyone makes curfew. Just saw a bunch of Eagles in the elevator, but haven’t bumped into McNabb. It’s probably a safe bet that the quarterback is sequestered in some remote corner of the hotel. On a similar note, the Panthers are staying in the same downtown hotel they stayed at for the NFC Championship Game in 2003. Even in the preseason, John Fox is very superstitious.

   + Pretty amazing how the conspiracy theories already are running wild about Julius Peppers. The guy missed a day of practice yesterday with a fever. Heck, it wasn’t even a practice. It was a walkthrough. If Peppers still is sitting next week, then it might be time to worry.

   + Landing in the state where I grew up last night, made me think about rookie linebacker Tim Shaw. The Penn State product hasn’t received a lot of attention in camp, but he has a real chance to make the team because of his abilities on special teams. At the risk of sounding like a homer, the Panthers haven’t had a winning season since former Penn State

linebacker Brandon Short was on the roster in 2005. Every good team needs a linebacker from Linebacker U.

Good sign: Delhomme's having great time

The remark was simple, but also revealing.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme was talking about last Saturday's exhibition game against the Giants, and commenting on how much fun it was. He and the other starters only played a quarter, but they drove for a touchdown on their only complete possession and days later, Delhomme was still giddy enough about it to say something to the effect that it had been a long time since he had had fun playing football.

I expect Delhomme to have an excellent season this year; his attitude seems to be in the same place it was in Carolina's playoff seasons of 2003 and 2005. He seems to be joking around more in training camp, enjoying himself and finally forgetting 2006, a season that was no fun for him at all. He's excited about what he thinks these Panthers can be, and that excitement--like most of Jake's football emotions--seems to be affecting his teammates as well.

Delhomme isn't your classic quarterback; he does a lot of things wrong according to the unwritten football book of do-it-this-way. He also tends to blame himself not only for his mistakes but for everyone else's. Because of those things, he gets too little credit when the Panthers win and too much blame when they don't.

But you will never see a fiercer competitor on the field.

Watch him hit his stride again this fall, and enjoy.--Stan Olson

No way to avoid hot stuff

SPARTANBURG – There’s a rule at the Carolina Panthers’ training camp at Wofford College; except for the rare and blissful day of rain, it always will be hotter on the practice fields than you expect, even when the Weather Channel is telling you the day’s high in the area will be 101.

That’s because the team’s three primary practice fields are in a sort of natural bowl, down behind Wofford’s football stadium, surrounded almost entirely by hills and trees that block the breeze and bottle up the heat.

Accordingly, the heat index can reach 115 or higher, and players can lose five to 10 pounds of water weight in one of those practices. It’s not unusual for guys to be hooked up to IVs afterward to replenish bodily fluids.

The players do make a lot of money, but they earn it in camp. Imagine being at the bottom of a pile of sweaty 300-pound linemen, and all of you trapped under that sizzling sun. It’s hot enough just watching. – Stan Olson

Once again, here's why Morgan's still a Panther

SPARTANBURG--Got a question asking why we don't challenge Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson more about his decision to let middle linebacker Dan Morgan, who has a history of concussions, play this year.       The biggest reason is that Richardson cannot stop him from playing; if the Panthers refused to put Morgan on the field, half the NFL would be fighting for position to offer him a contract. And as Richardson told our Pat Yasinskas in an exclusive interview at the NFL Meeting back in March, he feels better about Morgan playing under the supervision of trainers and doctors who are fully familiar with the player's injury history and trusts the decision of team doctors who have cleared Morgan to play.      The bottom line is that Morgan feels great and is determined to play. He wants to play for Carolina, but if the Panthers said no, he would absolutely be playing somewhere else.--STAN OLSON

Morgan to sit again

   SPARTANBURG - If you're waiting to see middle linebacker Dan Morgan in an actual game, keep waiting.
   The Panthers don't plan to play Morgan in Friday night's preseason game at Philadelphia. They'll dress him and let him go through the pre-game warmup just like they did in New York last week.
   But the Panthers are going to continue to be very cautious with Morgan, who missed almost all of last season with concussion problems. He's been getting more and more contact in training camp practices. But he probably won't get any real action until the third or fourth preseason game. Even then, it won't be a lot because the real goal is to have him ready for the start of the season.
- PAT YASINSKAS

Williams, Salley, Jarrett return to action

SPARTANBURG -- Some good news for the Panthers on the injury front.

Running back DeAngelo Williams, safety Nate Salley and wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett returned to practice Tuesday.

Salley had opened camp as a starting safety, but his injury placed him behind Deke Cooper on the depth chart. Salley worked with the second team Tuesday. Jarrett and Williams also ran with the second-team offense. -- Pat Yasinskas

Olson dances into Panthers blogosphere

    Wait a minute now, someone wants me to do a blog? My boss, Mike Persinger, didn’t want a baseball blog, so I figured I’d be asked only after we had our rhythmic gymastics and ice dancing blogs up and running.

    In fairness to Mike, we already have Pat Yasinskas blogging about the Panthers, and columnists Scott Fowler and Tom Sorensen weigh in on the subject as well. If adding me seems like a bit of overkill, it does seem the public can’t get enough of Charlotte’s NFL guys these days.

    Not sure what I’ll add to the conversation; until recently I thought a blog was a sort of marshy meadow found in England. But I should be able to make it more interesting than ice dancing.

- Stan Olson

Kenyatta Walker downplays old rivalries

SPARTANBURG - Kenyatta Walker just spoke for the first time since joining the Panthers.

The offensive tackle, who signed yesterday, downplayed his past rivalry and war of words with Julius Peppers and Kris Jenkins and said he's happy to be their teammate. Still, it's going to be interesting to see how they all get along after a few practices in 100-degree heat.

Some shifts in the O-line

SPARTANBURG - The Panthers shook up the offensive line again in tonight's practice. Left tackle Travelle Wharton got the night off. Instead of moving left guard Mike Wahle to the outside like they've been doing, the Panthers had second-year pro Rashad Butler work in Wharton's place with the first team.

Wahle stayed at left guard with Ryan Kalil at center, Justin Hartwig at right guard and Jordan Gross at right tackle. Kenyatta Walker worked with the third team. Walker's signing might be a sign the Panthers aren't thrilled with the play of backup right tackle Evan Mathis. But Mathis may start looking better after the Panthers get a real glance at Walker, who washed out in Tampa Bay. Walker was on the practice field for the first time Monday night, but didn't get much work.

BEASON DROPS. Rookie linebacker Jon Beason was back working with the second team Monday as veteran Na'il Diggs returned from an injury that had sidelined him for most of camp.

Peppers talks

   SPARTANBURG - The leader has spoken.

   Defensive end Julius Peppers talked to the media Monday for the first time since owner Jerry Richardson challenged him to be the team leader last week.

   The full story will be in tomorrow's paper and on charlotte.com. But the short version is that Peppers doesn't think Richardson's comments were intended to be taken so strongly. Peppers believes Richardson wasn't asking him to be the sole leader of the team, but to be one of several leaders along with Jake Delhomme, Steve Smith and a few others.

   Peppers also said he won't necessarily be more vocal. He prefers to lead by example and let his play do his talking.

 

Changing of the guard?

    The Panthers changed up their first-string offensive line for Monday morning's practice. Rookie Ryan Kalil worked at center and Justin Hartwig moved to right guard.

   Hartwig had been working at center with Kalil as his backup. But this could be a sign of things to come because Jeremy Bridges, who has been working as the right guard, is suspended for the first two regular-season games.

   Bridges worked with the second team Monday. Geoff Hangartner also is in the mix at right guard.

 

Scout: Why is Morgan still playing?

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. Just had a chat with a veteran NFL scout. He asked a very good question.

"Why are the Panthers letting Dan Morgan play football?'' he said.

He's not talking about tonight, because Morgan's on the inactive list. He's talking about letting Morgan, who has a long history of concussions, play this season.

It's a great question, becuase the implications could be very serious if Morgan has another concussion. Owner Jerry Richardson and coach John Fox have said they're comfortable letting Morgan on the field because concussion specialists and team doctors have cleared him after all sorts of tests.

Even so, you read all these stories about former NFL players having problems stemming from concussions and you wonder why Morgan, who has two children and all the money he needs, doesn't just walk away.

Pregame observations in New York

No big surprise here. Linebacker Dan Morgan has been deactivated for tonight's game. Adam Seward will start in his place.

The Panthers just came out for warm-ups with defensive end Julius Peppers leading them onto the field.

Despite having only a week of practice after his contract holdout, rookie Jon Beason will start at weakside linebacker. Veteran Na'il Diggs will not be active because of an injury.

Peppers showing leadership already

SPARTANBURG -- A few notes and observations:

   + Another large round of media requests for newly appointed leader of the Carolina Panthers Julius Peppers on Thursday. Another day of silence. But there already may be some progress showing. Peppers was seen leading defensive end Mike Rucker into the cafeteria at lunch time.

   + The heat index in Thursday's afternoon practice topped out at 115.

    + Happened to see Drew Carter make a nice grab on a long bomb. Probably happened to miss three or four mid-range passes in traffic that went off his hands.

   + Soon after the Panthers get on the road for Charlotte Douglas Airport, they'll pass the Big Peach at Exit 90 on Interstate 85 in South Carolina. They'll get on a flight to Newark and they'll see the Big Apple across the river.

   + Just a thought, but if the Panthers practice another week in this sweltering heat, weight won't be an issue for defensive tackle Kris Jenkins. One more week of practicing in the sauna, Jenkins could land in the 240-250 range. Can you say middle linebacker Kris Jenkins? Just joking, but wouldn't that be a pretty cool backup to have if and when Dan Morgan goes down?

   + Was hoping to get out of the heat this weekend, but it sounds like the northeast is as hot as Spartanburg. Thought about taking a quick trip to Pennsylvania to see my sister and her kids. As much as I'd like to see them, an air-conditioned hotel with an indoor pool sounds awfully inviting, even if it's in Newark. If I get on the right side of the hotel, I can at least get a look at Manhattan.

Peppers will address leadership issue soon

A day after owner Jerry Richardson challenged Julius Peppers to stand up and be a leader, a bunch of media members asked to hear what the defensive end had to say.

We still are waiting.

Through a team spokesman, Peppers declined the requests, but said he’ll address the situation soon. Supposedly, Peppers wants to let things calm down a little.

That’s not out of character for Peppers, who is one of the quietest members of the team. All indications are that Peppers knew Richardson’s statement was coming and the owner previously talked to the player about providing more leadership.

Peppers already is respected in the locker room and some players are in awe of his physical abilities. But it’s going to be interesting to see if he becomes more vocal with his teammates and the media.

WR Carter may be dropping on depth chart

SPARTANBURG - Observations from Wednesday's practices:

+ Amazing how quickly things change in the NFL. A little more than a week ago, agent Michael Huyghue was taking verbal barbs at the Panthers during contract negotiations for rookie linebacker Jon Beason. Wednesday afternoon, he was given the red-carpet treatment, sitting in the section reserved for players’ family members.

+ Speaking of Beason, he’s getting plenty of practice time as other linebackers are recovering from injuries. Overall, he’s doing well and it’s easy to see he’s an exceptional athlete. But it’s still a process. There was one play in the afternoon session where Beason jogged to the sideline, apparently thinking his personnel group was supposed to come off. As the offense snapped the ball, middle linebacker Dan Morgan was trying to get Beason’s attention and get him back on the field, but the defense had to get through the play with only 10 players.

+ Receiver Drew Carter appears to be tumbling down the depth chart. Keary Colbert got most of the first-team snaps. But a healthy Jarrett may be the best bet to win the starting position.

+ Karl Hankton, the team’s long-time special teams ace, showed up at practice Wednesday afternoon and visited with his former teammates. Kind of surprised he’s not in training camp with somebody because Hankton still can run downfield on punts and kickoffs. He might be a guy who gets signed later in the preseason when teams start having more injuries.

Casserly still believes in Carr

I got to spend time with former Houston Texans general manager Charlie Casserly at lunch today as he makes his training camp rounds to prepare for another season as a television analyst. Casserly, you might remember, is the man who drafted quarterback David Carr with the first overall pick in 2002.

Things never worked out in Houston the way Carr and Casserly imagined, largely because the Texans never could assemble a decent offensive line, but Casserly still sings Carr’s praises.

"I still firmly believe David Carr can be a winning quarterback in the NFL," Casserly said, moments after visiting with Carr.

Casserly said he believes the change of scenery will turn around Carr’s career and he thinks the quarterback made a smart move by taking a backup role with an established team.

"I think sometimes it’s good to go to a ballclub where they’re a good team, they’re a contender and you don’t have to play right away," Casserly said. "There weren’t many playoff teams looking for starting quarterbacks this year. Are you going to go with a team that’s short on players? Or do you go to a team where you may have to be the No. 2 for too long? The beauty of this system is free agency. You don’t have to stay there forever. You can regroup and move on. I thought it would be good for him to come to a place where he’d get good coaching, experience winning again and, then, you make a decision at the end of your two-year contract."

Thanks for Minter video tribute

Major props to the Panthers video crew for the job they did on their Mike Minter tribute. Senior producer Mike Craft stayed up until 5 this morning to complete the package and the result was spectacular. The video was shown at the start of the news conference to announce Minter's retirement. If the Panthers haven't thought about making that video available to fans at the team store, they should.

Panthers All-Interview team

There’s already been lots of talk about how Mike Minter will be missed as a player and a leader. He’ll be missed in one other area.

When it comes to go-to guys for the media, Minter was the absolute. Throughout his career, Minter stood out as a stand-up guy. When it came to dealing with the media, Minter was the best in franchise history.

After a win or loss (and there were plenty of losses along the way) Minter was always willing to chat about the game. I’ve covered the Panthers since 1999, so I might have missed some good talkers in the early years. But Minter heads the list of my all-interview team since 1999. Here’s the rest of the squad:

+ Steve Beuerlein. The quarterback was a team spokesman during the Rae Carruth saga.

+ Brentson Buckner. Easily the most colorful player in franchise history.

+ Todd Sauerbrun. He often wasn’t politically correct or polished, but you had to listen every time the punter opened his mouth.

+ Keyshawn Johnson. Perhaps more than any athlete in history, Johnson knew how to "play’’ the media. Maybe that’s why he’s now part of it.

+ Jake Delhomme. Can spew the clichés at times, but always stands up and faces the music.

As long as we’re doing an all-interview team, featuring the best, here’s a squad of the worst interviews:

+ Stephen Davis. A genuinely nice guy, but he had NOTHING to say when the cameras and tape recorders clicked on.

+ Julius Peppers. Much like Davis. Peppers is painfully shy.

+ Carruth. Even before his off-field controversy, Carruth barely talked. Even to his teammates.

+ DeShaun Foster. You get the sense he’s a bright and funny guy when he’s talking to his teammates. But he turns it off with the media.

+ Jeff Lewis. As incompetent as he was as a quarterback, Lewis was even worse with the media. Who can forget the day he bragged that "Bryan Stoltenberg will bleed for me’’ or the day he claimed he was going to bury his head in the playbook and "the offense will be a lot better in Baltimore’’? The team went up to Baltimore, Lewis threw three interceptions in five minutes and never was heard from again.

Maybe mmessage meant for Peppers reached Jenkins

Lots of good stuff from the Mike Minter retirement news conference that you’ll see in Wednesday’s paper and on television. There was a lot of emotion from Minter, coach John Fox and owner Jerry Richardson about the safety’s retirement. And Richardson made a very public challenge to defensive end Julius Peppers to step up and be a leader.

But there was one very interesting behind-the-scenes development. About eight players showed up to watch the news conference. Mike Rucker, John Kasay, Jake Delhomme and a few others were there, which is no big surprise, because they’re exactly the guys you would expect to show up.

Here’s the shocker. On a couch in the far side of the room sat defensive tackle Kris Jenkins,who, to a lot of people, often comes across as moody, aloof and indifferent. He sat silently and listened intently as Minter spoke.

Surely, Jenkins was showing his respect to Minter, a player you have to respect. You also can speculate that Jenkins’ appearance was lip service as he tries to get back into good graces with a team that tried to trade him in the offseason. But that might be wrong.

There’s more depth to Jenkins than most people realize. He’s always had his reasons for being the way he is and he’s always tried to do the right thing. He just didn’t always know how to do the right thing.

Maybe Jenkins’ appearance was another step in his growth process. Maybe he’s ready to be more than an ultra-talented player who does his own thing.

Richardson’s message about leadership was directed at Peppers. But maybe, just maybe, the message might get through to Jenkins and jump-start his career.

Richardson challenges Peppers

In his strongest public statement in more than a decade, Panthers owner Jerry Richardson challenged defensive end Julius Peppers to be a leader Tuesday afternoon.

Richardson’s statement, his strongest since promising the Panthers would reach the Super Bowl in their first 10 years, came near the end of a news conference announcing the retirement of safety Mike Minter.

With Peppers sitting in the audience, Richardson looked at him and said, "Your time is now.’’

Much more on this in tomorrow’s Observer.

Minter challenges others to lead

   Mike Minter's official retirement press conference isn't until 1:30 this afternoon. But his teammates are starting to reveal what he said in a Sunday night meeting when he announced his intentions to the entire team. We'll have lots more on the emotion of that moment in tomorrow's paper.

   But one newsy detail coming out of that meeting is that Minter challenged some of his teammates to step up and fill the leadership void. No specific names were mentioned, but it doesn't take much to figure out some of the targets.

   Guys such as Julius Peppers, Chris Gamble and Ken Lucas have all sorts of athletic ability. But none of them ever has been anything close to a leader. It's time for that to change.

Panthers better without Minter

    SPARTANBURG - It's time to speak the unspeakable.

   The Panthers are a better football team without Mike Minter.

   Hang on a second before you scream or throw something at your computer. Read on and, please, think a bit.

   Football's a cruel game and the cruel truth is Minter is done. He knows it and the Panthers know and that's why he's walking away with his head held high.

   Minter was a solid player for a long time. He's also one of the best human beings to ever walk through the locker room at Bank of America Stadium. In the world of journalism, you're not supposed to think of the people you cover as friends. Minter made that rule tough to follow and he'll be missed on many levels.

   But the fact is a defensive back can play only so long. It became obvious at the end of last season that Minter had lost a step, maybe two. He wasn't the player he was three or five years ago. After taking a massive pay cut, Minter showed up at training camp, but it was instantly obvious he hadn't found a fountain of youth.

   He could barely practice because of chronic knee problems. It was becoming obvious to anyone watching the saga that Minter was through. Thankfully, he didn't try to hang on too long.

   There's no doubt his leadership and presence in the locker room will be missed. More than ever, the Panthers will have to rely on Mike Rucker, Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith to be the faces of the franchise.

   But this wasn't about faces. This was about legs. Minter's were shot. Chris Harris, Nate Salley and Deke Cooper don't have impressive resumes, but they do have young, fresh legs.

   If any of them can use those legs half as well as Minter did in his prime, the Panthers will be a lucky football team.

Melton could be lost for season

There won’t be any official word until Monday, but there are strong indications the knee injury linebacker Terrence Melton suffered during Fan Fest is serious. Melton likely will be out for an extended period, possibly the season. That’s a blow to the Panthers because Melton was having a solid training camp and the team viewed him as a key backup because of his versatility. He also was expected to be a key special teams player. Second-year pro James Anderson likely will get a shot at increased playing time because of Melton’s injury.

Update: Melton was placed on injured reserve Monday morning. The link: http://www.charlotte.com/panthers/story/225966.html

Observations from FanFest on Saturday

Was more than a bit skeptical a few days ago when Jake Delhomme predicted tight end Jeff King would have a 10-year NFL career. Now, I'm becoming a believer. King caught several passes in the scrimmage and looked very smooth. He's going to be a bigger part of this offense than any tight end since Wesley Walls.

Been waiting for Eric Shelton to show anything since the start of camp. He finally did, but it wasn't good. He dropped an easy pass and fumbled a pitchout. It's time for the Panthers to admit they made a mistake with their second-round pick a couple years ago.

Thumbs up to linebacker Adam Seward. He was carted off the field with a thumb injury late in practice. He went into the locker room, got his thumb checked out and came back on the field to sign autographs.

It was good to see former Panthers defensive end Al Wallace on the sidelines. Wallace is one of the classiest people to ever come through the Carolina locker room. But it's hard to believe he's not in an NFL camp somewhere. He's in great shape and still wants to play. Some team is going to have injuries at defensive end and come after Wallace. He's still got a solid year or two in him. There were even some people in the Panthers locker room who thought Wallace should have been starting ahead of Mike Rucker.

Seward’s injury didn’t appear to be serious, but the knee injury to Terrence Melton didn’t look good. Linebackers Na’il Diggs and Brandon Jamison haven’t been practicing because they’re dinged up. First-round pick Jon Beason’s arrival in Charlotte late Saturday couldn’t have come at a better time.

Observations from Friday's practice:

Third quarterback Brett Basanez continues to, very quietly, have a nice camp. Not saying he’s ready to challenge for a starting job because that’s not going to happen. But you can picture this guy developing into a quality backup, like a Billy Volek type, someday.

Rookie receiver Dwayne Jarrett got some work with the first team Friday morning. Consider that a sign of things to come. The team brought Jarrett along slowly early in camp, but things are about to speed up because the coaches want him to claim the No. 2 receiver spot by the start of the season.

One of the more entertaining moments of camp came Friday morning on a play where defensive end Mike Rucker chased scrambling quarterback Jake Delhomme. Rucker repeatedly said, "I’m going to get you Jake’’. Delhomme kept running, turned the corner and dashed into the end zone. Rucker then yelled, "I pulled up on you’’. Delhomme responded by lightly flipping the ball at Rucker, who flipped the ball back at Delhomme.

Minter Thinking About Retirement

SPARTANBURG - Safety Mike Minter just dropped a bit of a bomb.

   Minter told the media he's at least considering retiring before this season. Minter already had said this would be his last season.

   But that might not even happen. Minter said he's having second thoughts about playing another season. He said he'll use camp practices to see how his body feels. If he's not physically ready, Minter said he may retire.

   Minter said he and coach John Fox have talked about the situation and Minter will make a decision before the end of training camp.

Minter headed for backup role?

The trade with Chicago for Chris Harris could sort the safety situation out a little more differently than you might expect.

The automatic assumption is that Harris and veteran Mike Minter will be the starters with Nate Salley and Deke Cooper as the backups. That’s entirely possible, but the thought here is this will play out in a different scenario.

It may take a bit of time before Harris catches up and learns the defense. But, physically, he’s better than any safety the Panthers have. He’ll be one starter, likely on the strong side.

But the surprise could be at free safety. There’s a reason why Minter took a massive pay cut to backup money in the off-season. The Panthers view him as a backup.

Minter’s a great guy and has been a very solid player for a long time, but he’s clearly nearing the end of the road. Don’t be surprised if Salley or Cooper end up starting. Maybe it happens before opening day. Or maybe Minter starts for a while. But the guess here is that by midseason, at the absolute latest, Salley or Cooper will be starting opposite Harris.

Who's getting a monster contract extension?

There’s a rumor making the rounds in NFL circles that a defensive player is about to get a monstrous contract extension.

The natural reaction was it must be Julius Peppers. It’s not. Ran that by some sources in the organization and the word is there’s nothing much happening on that front, although the Panthers do want to extend Peppers at some point.

We’ve heard this monster deal will be in the same ballpark as the six-year $72 million deal given to Indianapolis’ Dwight Freeney.

So if it’s not Peppers, who’s about to get a big payday?

The guess here: New Orleans defensive end Will Smith.

Safety position still a concern

SPARTANBURG – Observations from Wednesday’s afternoon practice:

+ Don’t hit the panic button just yet, but move your hand a little closer. The first-team safeties were journeyman Deke Cooper and seventh-round draft pick C.J. Wilson. And Wilson got scorched on the first play of team drills.

Cooper and Wilson were out there because veteran Mike Minter was given the afternoon off and Nate Salley suffered a knee injury in the morning practice. Salley’s injury isn’t believed to be serious, so there is some consolation. But I still think radio broadcaster Eugene Robinson might be the best safety on the team’s payroll.

+ On the bright side, Spartanburg now has a Hooters and safety Cam Newton, suddenly elevated to the second team, made a nice interception.

+ Just out of curiosity, why is Jeremy Bridges working as the first-string right guard? He’s been suspended by the team for the first two games of the regular season. Coaches love to talk about continuity when they talk about the offensive line. Why let a guy work for a month as a starter when you know he won’t be there for opening day?

+ Keep waiting for running back Eric Shelton to step up and shine in the new offense. Still haven’t seen any signs of hope.

+ Wide receiver Chris Horn wears the same number (81) as Ricky Proehl did. He also plays like Proehl. Horn had two touchdown catches in heavy traffic. Horn’s bounced around the league a bit, but he sure looks like he has a shot at a roster spot.

Veterans have message for Beason

  SPARTANBURG -- The offers haven't been taken yet, but we're hearing several veteran players have told the front office they'd like to have a word with linebacker Jon Beason.

   The message they'd like to express is simple: "End your contract holdout and get to training camp.''

   Beason is in the fifth day of his holdout. In a couple of hours, he'll miss his eighth training camp practice. One veteran said Beason's chances of being a starter this year diminish with each missed practice.