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April 08, 2008
Panthers play wait and see on DT
The Carolina Panthers could ill afford to start the season with their current razor-thin depth at the defensive tackle position.
Their only backups behind starters Damione Lewis and Maake Kemoeatu are a pair of former undrafted free agents who've spent plenty of time on practice squads, Gary Gibson and Stephen Williams.
The Panthers know they must get help, but may not make a significant move until the draft (April 26-27) or later.
Carolina worked the free agency market last month for a reserve defensive tackle, checking into at least three veterans -- Rod Coleman, Darwin Walker, and Ian Scott. Coleman and Scott had injury concerns and the Panthers couldn't reach a contract agreement with Walker.
There are plenty of other recognizable names on the list of available defensive tackles, including Larry Tripplett, Grady Jackson, Anthony McFarland, Keith Traylor, Ted Washington, Orpheus Roye and Russell Davis.
The market, for now, is all but frozen. Teams are waiting to see if they get help at the position in the draft. The players' agents figure their clients' marketability will increase after some teams fail to meet their needs in the draft.
The Panthers appear content to wait. There's no need for them to hurry as long as other teams aren't making moves and some of their potential targets are still healing from injuries.
-- Charles Chandler
Posted by Observer Sports on April 8, 2008 at 04:11 PM | Permalink
Comments
Dre Moore from Maryland in the 3rd round... Enough said.
Posted by: Brandon | Apr 8, 2008 4:18:54 PM
I still say that Grady Jackson is the best run stopper in that group, although McFarland is an interesting name i haven't thought about. It will be an exciting month for Panthers fans...or demoralizing. hopefully we fill our needs and still manage to get some wants.
Posted by: randy | Apr 8, 2008 4:25:21 PM
i say go ahead and sign grady jackson then get a significant DT in the draft maybe 2nd or 3rd round but first round lets go with derrick harvey!!!
Posted by: paul | Apr 8, 2008 4:35:13 PM
NO HARVEY, please! He's going to be a bust, I can feel it. Didn't everyone see him get completely shut down and dominated in his last game vs. Michigan? Terrible!
If the Panthers really want a DE they should trade down and take Philip Merling instead. He's just as good and some people have said he's better than Gaines Adams. If he didn't recently have surgery he would be a top 10 pick.
Posted by: TK | Apr 8, 2008 5:56:14 PM
Lets hope the team learned fron the FS problem last year!!! Also had they drafted right they would not need a RB or DT Atillah Ellison and Eric Shelton (3rd & 2nd round respectively) would be on the team contributing....Lets hope they have learned how to draft now...
Posted by: Local | Apr 8, 2008 6:00:04 PM
Just heard on the Morning Sports Page that in the last 5 drafts, the Panthers have netted 6 starters which is the NFL low over that time frame...That's not good
Posted by: rhackney | Apr 8, 2008 6:23:05 PM
We already have a fat guy Kemo who makes no plays why would we need another fat guy in Grady Jackson
Posted by: Jeff | Apr 8, 2008 6:25:56 PM
6 starters in 5 drafts? That's terrible! That's worse than terrible, that's a joke. Great bit of information. I hope we come out of this draft with at least 2 immediate starters and a couple contributors (future starters)
Posted by: Jake | Apr 8, 2008 6:52:49 PM
rhackney, guess who has been general manager during those 5 drafts? Marty 'the BUST drafter' Hurney.
Coincidence I think not. That guy sucks, and not drafting/maintaining talent is the reason we are coming off 2 losing seasons in a row.
Don't blame Fox, blame Hurney, the guy that was a freaking sports writer in his previous profession before working for the Panthers!! Hey Stan, you want to be d-line coach? Chandler, you want to be vice president of operations?
Pathetic.
EDITED FOR LANGUAGE. PLEASE KEEP IT CLEAN. ADMIN.
Posted by: The Richardson | Apr 8, 2008 6:55:23 PM
T-minus 30 minutes and counting until Procton gets on here and tells us how players like Sean Tufts, Stephan Leflors, Attiylah Ellison and Colin Branch were good Hurney draft picks.
Posted by: Hef | Apr 8, 2008 7:05:52 PM
I think it's time to give Sean Gilbert another chance. Or Steve Emtman.
Posted by: ChunkyColdMedina | Apr 8, 2008 7:32:40 PM
Hef,.... hahahahaha.. right on.. what a joke.
Posted by: Aaron | Apr 8, 2008 8:09:17 PM
Alright everyone, get your calendars out! I would have to agree on the nay-sayers on this one. Bargain hunting in the draft is not the best of ideas. However, I don't agree with throwing a ton of guaranteed money at a rookie either. Overall though, I still think the Panthers did a good job comparatively with their first round picks. These are the first rond picks under Fox:
2007 - Jon Beason (LB, Miami-Florida);
2006 - DeAngelo Williams (RB, Memphis);
2005 - Thomas Davis (S/LB, Georgia);
2004 - Chris Gamble (CB, Ohio State);
2003 - Jordan Gross (OT, Utah);
2002 - Julius Peppers (DE, North Carolina);
These are under Seifert:
2001 - Dan Morgan (LB, Miami-Florida);
2000 - Rashard Anderson (CB, Jackson State);
1999 - none;
And finally Dom Caper's picks:
1998 - Jason Peter (DE, Nebraska);
1997 - Rae Carruth (WR, Colorado);
1996 - Tim Biakabutuka (RB, Michigan);
1995 - Kerry Collins (QB, Penn State), Tyrone Poole (CB, Fort Valley State), Blake Brockermeyer (OT, Texas).
It's hard to judge how siefert did with only two first round choices (since one of his picks was a highly coveted pro-bowler despite being constantly injured). But compared to Seifert and Capers, Fox's staff (despite the merry-go-round atmosphere of the scouting team and his assistant coaches) have done great a great job in the first round.
Hack, on that note, I would love to see that article you read in the morning paper. Is it available online?
Posted by: SYRPIS | Apr 8, 2008 8:10:30 PM
Procton,
Where are you to defend Hurney? Six starters in the last 5 years, really? No offense Stan, but that is what you get when you hire a writer for an NFL GM job. Plus, hitting on first round picks does not mean you are doing a good job. What matters are rounds 2-5.
Posted by: Steven | Apr 8, 2008 8:18:35 PM
Does anyone really know who Procton is? Is he a Panthers plant to find out what's happening on the blog ?
Posted by: Wonder? | Apr 8, 2008 8:51:08 PM
No Procton is a angry young man who flunked out of UNC
Posted by: Sam | Apr 8, 2008 9:10:55 PM
TK,
Harvey was shut down because he was going against Jake Long the TOP OT IN THE DRAFT. We could use a good pass rusher but a OT is deffinately needed.
Posted by: Cameron | Apr 8, 2008 9:35:27 PM
The previous statement about 6 starters in 5 drafts is not true as well as [*]misleading, b/c players, especially quality starters, become hard to re-sign.
Check out this link to see the info. http://www.panthers.com/Team/Default.aspx?id=800
2002
1. Peppers
2. Foster
3. Spoon*
2003
4. Gross
- Manning Jr. [not a starter but quality/impact player]
2004
5. Gamble
6. Wharton
2005
7. Thomas Davis
2006
8. De. Williams
9. Marshall
10. King
11. McClover???
2007
12. Beason
13. Kalil
14. Robinson [PR]
11. Johnson???
- Jarrett???
Posted by: Will Parker | Apr 8, 2008 10:59:44 PM
Wow! Thanks for that link Parker. Do you guys see the trades Bill Polian made to get 3 first rounders?? Wow! And he was criticized for getting too many veteran players on the roster that turned old fast. Now he is considered to be the premeire talent evaluator in the NFL. Not to mention those same old fogies that he brought in helped a brand new franchise make the Conference final in only 2 years of existence. I guess its EASY TO FIND SOMETHING TO CRITICIZE someone about.
Posted by: SYRPIS | Apr 8, 2008 11:24:30 PM
Randy, I'm not sure either Jackson or McFarland is the answer. They're both old, and Jackson has had three separate surgeries in the past year, while McFarland's knee is "only about 70 percent right now with a ways to go before football activity." (Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
RH, I'd be very interested in seeing what kind of logic went into that study. I count seven starters from just last year (Gamble, Beason, Davis, Colbert, King, Wharton, Gross), and it seems silly to penalize a team for having guys who have been around for longer than five years (Peppers, Jenkins, Rucker, Cooper, Foster, Hoover, Smith.) Further, one could look prior to last year and find plenty of homegrown starters that got hurt (Colin Branch, Carstens), moved on (Witherspoon, Ricky Manning,Gaines), or got supplanted by other players (Moorehead, Mathis.) Seems like a very shoddy piece of work on their part.
And finally, Cameron, Harvey was pretty much shut down all year. When you're a "top prospect", your stats shouldn't go down from your sophomore to your junior season just because teams pay you more attention. We'll get the same apologists that come out in force to defend Peppers' totally inconsistent career record.
Posted by: Michael Procton | Apr 8, 2008 11:37:56 PM
Everyone hates on Procton cause he has all the stats. Where he gets them all from I have no idea/but I do appreciate them!! Sometimes he can point out only negative but I do give him credit cause he knows his shit! I am also a firm beleiver that he is a "huge fan" of the Panthers and for that he has my RESPECT. And for gosh sake lay off Stan & the Observer!!What do you all think there is someone just waiting at Bank of America Stadium every day to give him some kind of update on everything they are thinking and planning to do. Once again the Panther fan base strikes again...Nothing or No one is ever good enough. calm down...
Posted by: wowo | Apr 8, 2008 11:39:21 PM
LMAO!!! thanks for saying that wowo! LOL
Posted by: SYRPIS | Apr 9, 2008 1:31:14 AM
Allow me to add that having Stephen Williams and Gary Gibson competing for a backup spot in the D-line rotation is not exactly the end of the world either.
Posted by: SYRPIS | Apr 9, 2008 3:30:11 AM
It's not the end of the world, but its the closest thing to armageddon at the DT position since we've had a team. Let's be realistic SY-dog.
Posted by: Peter | Apr 9, 2008 7:08:54 AM
Thanks Wowo I couldn't have said it better myself. Go CATS!!!!
Posted by: rawjem | Apr 9, 2008 8:53:47 AM
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