SB Nation - Louis Leonard

2001 all over again? Hardly...

Cyberjag — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:21:36 -0000

More photos » Ross D. Franklin - AP

The Panthers have been pretty busy this offseason, but in an unsettling way. They've started by purging their roster of everyone over 30 save star receiver Steve Smith and local institution John Kasay, the sole remaining original Panther. In addition, they've lost all-pro defensive end Julius Peppers to free agency.

When taken in sum, the turnover is frightening: The panthers have lost their starting Quarterback, one of their starting Receivers, their starting Fullback, both of their starting Defensive Ends, both starting Defensive Tackles, and a starting Outside Linebacker.

Wow. Just wow.

The last time the Panthers did anything like this was in 2001. Head coach George Seiffert had just come off a 7-9 season where the defense played like a sieve, and the offense couldn't move the ball when it counted. Seiffert decided that the roster needed a complete overhaul. He jettisoned the starting Quarterback (Steve Beuerlein), the starting Center (Frank Garcia), a starting Guard (Matt Campbell), a starting Cornerback (Eric Davis), and their starting Fullback (William Floyd). In addition, they lost their starting Left Tackle (Clarence Jones), their starting Free Safety (Eugene Robinson) and a starting Defensive End (Reggie White) to retirement.

In sum, in 2001 eight starters were changed either because they were cut when the 2000 season ended, or they chose to retire. In 2010, the Panthers face the same situation.

But there are a lot of differences. If you're looking at the parallels between the two seasons and are worried about going 1-15 again, don't. These two teams are in entirely different situations.

The 2001 squad started a rookie quarterback, Chris Weinke, in part because their three year veteran (Jeff Lewis) didn't work out as planned. Weinke was more mature than most rookies, having played a few years of baseball before winning the Heisman at Florida State, but he was still a rookie and had no experience playing at NFL speeds.

It's telling that the 2002 Panthers signed an aging veteran to start rather than play Weinke again. The 2010 edition of the Panthers will go with Matt Moore under center. Moore's a three year veteran with quality starting experience and a good relationship with his teammates. More important, he has a winning record under center and the team believes in him.

The 2001 Running Backs were Richard Huntley, Tshimanga Biakabutuka, Nick Goings, and Brad Hoover. Huntley was a journeyman in his first and only year as a Panther, Timmy B was in the last year of an injury-filled career, Goings was a rookie, and Hoover was playing his first year at Fullback. There was no leadership from that position, and it was viewed as the weak point of the offense.

Contrast that with the current Panther backfield of DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, and Tony Fiametta. Fiametta is the weak link, but he's got a year in the system already and has two star running backs behind him to make him look good and help him on the field.

In 2001 the Receivers were ok, but nothing great. Of Donald Hayes, Muhsin Muhammad, and Isaac Byrd, only Muhammad would have started for most other teams. Tight End Wesley Walls gave Weinke a solid target, but he was old and Weinke was hurried too much to take full advantage of his targets anyway. The 2001 squad also ran a west coast offense, so you would expect their receivers to put up big numbers, and they didn't. The 2001 Panthers ended with the NFL's 30th ranked offense.

In 2010 the receivers will be led by Steve Smith and a player to be named later, so they're already better than 2001's group. The Tight Ends are solid, but there's still a risk that the Panthers don't have a solid passing game. Still, that risk is mitigated somewhat by the ball control offense they run. There's a lot that the current edition has in common with the 2001 squad, but the Receiving corps is nowhere near as important to the offensive success now.

And finally, the 2001 offensive line just pales in comparison to the 2010 unit. The only player with any real talent back then was free agent Todd Steussie, and they were missing their signal caller and leader Frank Garcia.

In 2010, all-pro Jordan Gross returns along with two players who should be all-pro in Left Guard Travelle Wharton and Center Ryan Kalil. Right Tackle Jeff Otah is another first round pick and a real road-grader, and Right Guard Mackenzie Bernadeau really came through last year as a backup.

The line has depth as well, with second year Guard Duke Robinson and Tackle Geoff Schwartz. When you need a hard yard on the ground, this is a group you want to run behind.

On the defensive side of the line things were a little better for the 2001 unit. Brentson Buckner was a vocal leader, but he was in his first year at Carolina. Next to him were the rookie Kris Jenkins and journeyman Jay Williams. Third year player Mike Rucker rounded out the defensive front.

That unit had potential, but it wouldn't become a real strength for the Panthers until 2002, when Julius Peppers joined the team. Still, it was the most talented part of the NFL's worst defense.

In 2010, the Panthers have four big question marks on the defensive line. Julius Peppers was a solid talent that would have made the rest of the line look good if he had returned. But starting tackles Maake Kemoeatu and Damione Lewis were near the end of their careers, and End Tyler Brayton was also close.

Now the Panthers have penciled in second year player Everett Brown and third year man Charles Johnson as their starters at Defensive End. Brown has the speed to rush the passer, but it remains to be seen if a year spent in an NFL-caliber strength training program will pay off with better play against the run.

Charles Johnson will likely be a true upgrade over Brayton. He matches Brayton's energy, and although he's not as tall he has more of a feel for where the play is going, and rushes the passer better. Even if Brayton returned, it's not certain he would have held the starting position.

At Defensive Tackle, Kemoeatu was more of a immovable object than an unstoppable force, and was another player who may have been beaten out in camp. He was good at stuffing runs up the middle, very good in fact. But he rarely pressured the quarterback.

His replacement is slated to be Louis Leonard, who manage a sack in his only full game for the Panthers in 2009. Leonard is an inch shorter and 25 pounds lighter than Kemoeatu, but he's faster and still has room to get better. Lewis will be replaced with Corey Irvin or Tank Tyler, neither of whom can be considered an upgrade.

You can try to put a nice face on things, but there's no doubt here. The line is in worse shape in 2010 than it was in 2001. But that's just the line. What about the rest of the defense?

The only 2001 linebacker with any real talent was rookie Dan Morgan, and he was shuttled around between the Middle and Outside for the 11 games that he was healthy. The 2010 Panthers are lining up with two of the best in the NFL in John Beason and Thomas Davis, and one of the most decorated linebackers in Penn St. history in third year player Dan Connor. There's no comparison here.

There's no comparison in the secondary either. The 2001 Panthers were missing their most vocal player in Eric Davis, who passed the leadership mantle to Strong Safety Mike Minter. The unit was so unimpressive as a whole that Minter was the only member who remained on the 2002 squad.

Contrast that with the 2010 Panthers, who view their secondary as a strength. Chris Harris is the vocal ball-stripping leader on the strong side, at the Free Safety they have talent and depth, and the cornerbacks are solid and reliable.

The 2001 Panthers were coming off a season that exposed their defense as old and slow, with only four players under 30. On offense they were younger, but even less effective at moving the ball. The team as a whole was mired in mediocrity, and needed to do something to shake things up.

After they made their cuts, the Panthers were left with some young leaders who were just finding their way (Minter, Rucker), and others who never really emerged (Weinke). Seven of their losses were by a field goal or less, and they just didn't have anyone who could put the team on his back and make a play when it was most needed.

The 2010 Panthers are coming off a season that exposed their offense as old and one-dimensional. Outside of Steve Smith, there were no receiving threats. Quarterback Jake Delhomme still had the leadership, but he no longer had the accuracy. They're replacing him with a proven quantity in Matt Moore, and will likely bring in at least two receivers in search of a true number two.

On defense, the line still never got the pressure that they wanted, but the Secondary and Linebackers improved enough over the course of the season that it almost didn't matter.

The 2001 Panthers and the 2010 Panthers shared a realization that their rosters had gotten old and that players they had once relied on without hesitation were slowing down and losing what had once made them great. And both squads took steps to fix it.

But there's a difference. It would be charitable to say that the 2001 Panthers had entered a rebuilding mode, as they made significant changes to almost every unit on the field.

But you can't say that about the 2010 edition, it ignores the depth and talent they have at so many critical areas. Sure, they've lost some players. But this isn't rebuilding.

It's reloading.

Panthers RFA Tenders Slowly Surface

Jaxon — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:06:52 -0000

Per Darin Gantt, the Panthers tendered both LB Thomas Davis and QB Matt Moore at the highest level, a 1st and 3rd draft if they sign elsewhere. The high tender on Davis was expected but Moore's was not assured. It sends a strong message that the Panthers think highly of the 3rd year signal caller that ended last season with a 4-1 record.

The most curious (and risky) tender was the 2nd rounder to CB Richard Marshall:

Cornerback Richard Marshall received the second-round level tender per an ESPN report. That means a one-year, $1.759 million offer from the Panthers. He can still shop for another offer, and the Panthers would have seven days to match. If they don’t, they’d get a second-round pick as compensation.

The Panthers chose Marshall in the second round of the 2006 draft, and he played well last year in his first season as a full-time starter, tied for the team lead with four interceptions and second on the team with 81 tackles.

I wouldn't be surprised to see another team to make a run at Marshall. The Panthers better hope there are no poison pills int here either. Another thought, does this lower than expected tender mean the Panthers are high on 2nd year CB Captain Munnerlyn?

More RFA news after the jump...

Panthers put original-round tenders on LB James Anderson (3rd), DT Tank Tyler (3rd) and CB C.J. Wilson (7th), none on Teal, Petitti, Lloyd.

They also put 2nd round tenders on TE Jeff King and DT Louis Leonard. I guess that gives us a hint as to Leonard's anticipated contribution next season. The Panthers also addressed their ERFA's:

Panthers also put tenders on their four exclusive-rights free agentsL WRs Kenny Moore and Charly Martin, DT Nick Hayden and LB Jordan Senn.

Overall it seems like pretty shrewd maneuvering on the Panthers part. Even if another team goes after Marshall the Panthers could still match the offer essentially letting the market set Marshall's price.

What do you think?

Poll

Which Panthers RFA tender do you disagree with the most?

2010 Draft -- MHR Draft Order Resource

Jeremy Bolander — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:22:31 -0000

With the Superbowl out of the way, we now have a tentative draft order to follow along with. This chart will be updated again at the combine (when they do the coin flips for teams tied at certain spots), and then again if any trades occur after March 5th. It will also be updated once the compensatory picks are released at the owner's meetings in March, which is why I list our 4th through 7th round picks as being "-ish".

Currently the Broncos are sitting on 6 picks in the 2010 draft, which will be very tough to meet all our current needs with.

1st Round, pick #10/11 overall
2nd Round, pick # 45 overall
3rd Round, pick #80 overall
4th Round, pick #111ish overall (#116ish after comp. picks added)
6th Round, pick #173ish overall (#187ish after comp. picks added)
7th Round, pick #204ish overall (#222ish after comp. picks added)

Below the fold you will find the latest version of the 2010 chart, with the Broncos picks highlighted, a detailed markup of all the trades to date that involved draft picks, and a downloadable PDF version of the chart for easier printing.

#	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
1	STL¹	STL³³	STL⁶⁵	STL⁹⁶	STL¹²⁸	STL¹⁶⁰	STL¹⁹²
2	DET²	DET³⁴	DET⁶⁶	DET⁹⁷	DET¹²⁹	DET¹⁶¹	DET¹⁹³
3	TB³	TB³⁵	TB⁶⁷	TB⁹⁸	¹⁹CLE¹³⁰	TB¹⁶²	TB¹⁹⁴
4	WAS⁴	KC³⁶	¹⁰~~WAS~~	KC⁹⁹	WAS¹³¹	²⁸MIA¹⁶³	WAS¹⁹⁵
5	KC⁵	WAS³⁷	KC⁶⁸	WAS¹⁰⁰	KC¹³²	²⁷MIA¹⁶⁴	³²MIA¹⁹⁶
6	SEA⁶	CLE³⁸	OAK⁶⁹	SEA¹⁰¹	CLE¹³³	²⁶CAR¹⁶⁵	SEA¹⁹⁷
7	CLE⁷	OAK³⁹	⁹PHI⁷⁰	CLE¹⁰²	OAK¹³⁴	SEA¹⁶⁶	CLE¹⁹⁸
8	OAK⁸	SEA⁴⁰	CLE⁷¹	OAK¹⁰³	SEA¹³⁵	CLE¹⁶⁷	OAK¹⁹⁹
9	BUF⁹	BUF⁴¹	BUF⁷²	BUF¹⁰⁴	BUF¹³⁶	BUF¹⁶⁸	BUF²⁰⁰
10	²DEN¹⁰	⁶NE⁴²	MIA⁷³	CHI¹⁰⁵	JAX¹³⁷	MIA¹⁶⁹	CHI²⁰¹
11	JAX¹¹	MIA⁴³	CHI⁷⁴	JAX¹⁰⁶	²¹KC¹³⁸	CHI¹⁷⁰	³¹TB²⁰²
12	MIA¹²	⁵TB⁴⁴	JAX⁷⁵	MIA¹⁰⁷	CHI¹³⁹	JAX¹⁷¹	MIA²⁰³
13	SF¹³	DEN⁴⁵	NYG⁷⁶	CAR¹⁰⁸	TEN¹⁴⁰	SF¹⁷²	DEN²⁰⁴
14	³SEA¹⁴	NYG⁴⁶	CAR⁷⁷	TEN¹⁰⁹	SF¹⁴¹	DEN¹⁷³	NYG²⁰⁵
15	NYG¹⁵	CAR⁴⁷	TEN⁷⁸	SF¹¹⁰	¹⁴DET¹⁴²	NYG¹⁷⁴	CAR²⁰⁶
16	¹SF¹⁶	⁷NE⁴⁸	SF⁷⁹	DEN¹¹¹	NYG¹⁴³	²³CLE¹⁷⁵	TEN²⁰⁷
17	TEN¹⁷	SF⁴⁹	DEN⁸⁰	NYG¹¹²	²⁰KC¹⁴⁴	TEN¹⁷⁶	SF²⁰⁸
18	PIT¹⁸	⁴KC⁵⁰	HOU⁸¹	PIT¹¹³	ATL¹⁴⁵	HOU¹⁷⁷	PIT²⁰⁹
19	ATL¹⁹	HOU⁵¹	PIT⁸²	ATL¹¹⁴	HOU¹⁴⁶	PIT¹⁷⁸	²⁹STL²¹⁰
20	HOU²⁰	PIT⁵²	ATL⁸³	HOU¹¹⁵	PIT¹⁴⁷	ATL¹⁷⁹	HOU²¹¹
21	CIN²¹	NE⁵³	CIN⁸⁴	NE¹¹⁶	CIN¹⁴⁸	NE¹⁸⁰	CIN²¹²
22	NE²²	CIN⁵⁴	⁸OAK⁸⁵	CIN¹¹⁷	¹⁶TB¹⁴⁹	CIN¹⁸¹	³³NE²¹³
23	GB²³	PHI⁵⁵	GB⁸⁶	PHI¹¹⁸	GB¹⁵⁰	²⁶BUF¹⁸²	GB²¹⁴
24	PHI²⁴	GB⁵⁶	PHI⁸⁷	GB¹¹⁹	²²STL¹⁵¹	GB¹⁸³	³⁴NE²¹⁵
25	BAL²⁵	BAL⁵⁷	BAL⁸⁸	BAL¹²⁰	BAL¹⁵²	BAL¹⁸⁴	BAL²¹⁶
26	ARI²⁶	ARI⁵⁸	ARI⁸⁹	ARI¹²¹	ARI¹⁵³	ARI¹⁸⁵	ARI²¹⁷
27	DAL²⁷	DAL⁵⁹	DAL⁹⁰	DAL¹²²	¹³NE¹⁵⁴	DAL¹⁸⁶	DAL²¹⁸
28	SD²⁸	SD⁶⁰	SD⁹¹	SD¹²³	SD¹⁵⁵	³⁶HOU¹⁸⁷	SD²¹⁹
29	NYJ²⁹	NYJ⁶¹	¹¹CLE⁹²	¹²PHI¹²⁴	¹⁸CLE¹⁵⁶	NYJ¹⁸⁸	NYJ²²⁰
30	MIN³⁰	MIN⁶²	MIN⁹³	MIN¹²⁵	MIN¹⁵⁷	MIN¹⁸⁹	MIN²²¹
31	IND³¹	IND⁶³	IND⁹⁴	IND¹²⁶	IND¹⁵⁸	²⁴PHI¹⁹⁰	IND²²²
32	NO³²	NO⁶⁴	NO⁹⁵	NO¹²⁷	¹⁷PHI¹⁵⁹	NO¹⁹¹	NO²²³

Curious about the value of individual draft picks? Those values, as well as some interesting and relevant research on the subject can be found here.

[Editor's Note: superscript on the right of each pick is the overall pick number, superscript on the left of each pick refers to its number below in "Predraft Trades", italics represent picks that may swap order based on a coinflip, and struck out red picks are forfeited.]

Download Printable PDF

Predraft Trades

Round One

1. Carolina to San Francisco. Carolina traded its 2010 first-round selection for San Francisco's 2009 second-round selection (43rd overall, used to select Everette Brown) and its 2009 fourth-round selection (111th overall, used to select Mike Goodson).

2. Chicago to Denver. Chicago traded its 2010 first-round selection, its 2009 first- (18th overall, used to select Robert Ayers) and third-round (84th overall, traded to the Steelers; used to select Mike Wallace) selections, and quarterback Kyle Orton to Denver for quarterback Jay Cutler and a 2009 fifth-round selection (140th overall, used to select Johnny Knox).

3. Denver to Seattle. Denver traded its 2010 first-round selection for Seattle's 2009 second-round selection (37th overall, used to select Alphonso Smith).

Round Two

4. Atlanta to Kansas City. Atlanta traded its second-round selection to Kansas City for tight end Tony Gonzalez.

5. Chicago to Tampa Bay Chicago traded its second-round selection to Tampa Bay for defensive end Gaines Adams.

6. Jacksonville to New England. Jacksonville traded its 2010 second-round selection and its 2009 seventh-round selection to New England for the first of New England's 2009 third-round selections (73rd overall, used to select Derek Cox).

7. Tennessee to New England. Tennessee traded its 2010 second-round selection to New England for the third of New England's 2009 third-round selections (89th overall, used to select Jared Cook).

Round Three

8. New England to Oakland. New England traded third- and fifth-round selections to Oakland for defensive end Derrick Burgess.

9. Seattle to Philadelphia. Seattle traded its third-round selection in 2010 and its fifth- and seventh-round selections in 2009 (137th overall by Baltimore Ravens from Detroit Lions via Seattle, used to select Jason Phillips) and 213th overall by the Philadelphia Eagles from Seattle, used to select Paul Fanaika) for Philadelphia's third-round selection in 2009 (91st overall, used to select Deon Butler).

10. Washington (forfeit). Washington will not have a third-round selection in 2010, as it used a third-round pick in the 2009 Supplemental Draft to choose defensive end Jeremy Jarmon.

11. New York Jets to Cleveland. New York traded a third round pick, as well as a fifth round pick, WR Chansi Stuckey, and LB Jason Trusnik, to Cleveland for WR Braylon Edwards.

Round Four

12. New York Jets to Philadelphia: New York traded a 2009 fifth-round selection and a 2010 fourth-round selection to Philadelphia for CB Lito Sheppard.

Round Five

13. Dallas to Denver. Dallas traded its fifth-round selection to Denver for guard Montrae Holland.

14. Denver to Detroit. Denver traded its 2010 fifth-round selection and a 2009 seventh-round selection (#235 overall, used to select Zack Follett) to Detroit for a 2009 sixth-round selection (1st selection in round six, #174 overall, used to select Tom Brandstater).

15. Denver to New England. Denver traded its fifth-round selection to New England for defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith and New England's seventh-round selection, which was later traded back to New England.

16. New England to Tampa Bay. New England traded its fifth-round selection to Tampa Bay for tight end Alex Smith.

17. New Orleans to Philadelphia. New Orleans traded its 2010 fifth-round selection and a 2009 seventh-round selection (#222 overall, later traded to Indianapolis used to select Pat McAfee) to Philadelphia for a 2009 fifth-round selection (#164 overall, used to select Thomas Morstead).

18. New York Jets to Cleveland. New York traded its fifth-round pick, as well as a third-round pick, WR Chansi Stuckey, and LB Jason Trusnik, to Cleveland for WR Braylon Edwards.

19. Tampa Bay to Cleveland. Tampa Bay traded its 2010 fifth-round selection and its 2009 second-round selection (50th overall, used to select Mohamed Massaquoi) to Cleveland for tight end Kellen Winslow II.

20. Carolina to Kansas City. Carolina traded its 2010 fifth-round selection to Kansas City for defensive end Tank Tyler.

21. Miami to Kansas City. Miami traded its fifth-round selection to Kansas City for quarterback Tyler Thigpen.

22. Philadelphia to St. Louis. Philadelphia traded its fifth-round selection and wide receiver Brandon Gibson to St. Louis for linebacker Will Witherspoon.

Round Six

23. Carolina to Cleveland: Carolina traded its 2010 sixth-round selection to Cleveland for DT Louis Leonard.

24. Indianapolis to Philadelphia. Indianapolis traded its 2010 sixth-round selection to Philadelphia for a 2009 seventh-round selection (#222 overall, used to select Pat McAfee).

25. Oakland to Carolina. Oakland traded its 2010 sixth-round selection and a 2009 seventh-round selection (#216 overall, used to select Captain Munnerlyn) to Carolina for a 2009 sixth-round selection (#202 overall, used to select Brandon Myers).

26. Philadelphia to Buffalo. Philadelphia traded its 2010 sixth-round selection and 2009 first- (later traded to Carolina, 28th overall used to select Eric Wood) and fourth-round (121st overall, used to select Shawn Nelson) selections to Buffalo for tackle Jason Peters.

27. Washington to Miami. Washington traded its 2010 sixth-round selection and 2009 second-round selection (44th overall, used to select Pat White) to Miami for defensive end Jason Taylor.

28. Kansas City to Miami. Kansas City traded its 2010 sixth-round selection to Miami for OL Andy Alleman and Ikechuku Ndukwe

Round Seven

29. Atlanta to St. Louis: Atlanta traded its 2010 seventh-round selection to the Rams for Tye Hill.

30. Green Bay to New York Jets (returned): Green Bay traded its 2010 seventh-round selection and quarterback Brett Favre to the Jets for the Jets' 2009 third-round selection. The Jets acquired this pick as part of the conditional agreement of the trade in which Favre's performance resulted in the Packers receiving the Jets' 2009 third-round selection, coupled with Favre retiring after the 2008 season. However, this pick has been returned to the Packers.

31. Jacksonville to Tampa Bay: Jacksonville traded its 2010 seventh-round draft choice to Tampa Bay for quarterback Luke McCown.

32. Kansas City to Miami: Kansas City traded its 2010 seventh-round selection to Miami for Miami's 2009 seventh-round selection (237th overall, used to select Jake O'Connell).

33. New England to Denver (returned): New England traded its 2010 seventh-round selection and Le Kevin Smith to the Broncos for their 2010 fifth-round selection. Denver then traded the selection back to New England for offensive lineman Russ Hochstein.

34. Philadelphia to New England. Philadelphia traded its 2010 seventh-round selection and wide receiver Greg Lewis to New England for New England's 2009 fifth-round selection (159th overall, used to select Fenuki Tupou).

Undetermined

35. New England to Baltimore: New England conditionally traded its 2010 seventh-round draft selection to Baltimore for LB Prescott Burgess. The Patriots released Burgess shortly after their game against Baltimore, and was claimed off waivers by Baltimore. The trade was thus nullified, as Burgess did not meet the condition for playing time.

36. San Diego to Houston: San Diego traded an undisclosed 2010 draft choice to Houston for defensive lineman Travis Johnson.

37. New York Jets to Detroit. The Jets traded an undisclosed 2010 draft choice to Detroit for quarterback Kevin O'Connell.

38. Baltimore to Tampa Bay. The Ravens traded conditional late-round selections in 2009 and 2010 to Tampa Bay for DE Marques Douglas.

39. Carolina to Green Bay: In April, 2009, Carolina traded a future conditional draft pick (presumed to be a 2010, seventh-round selection) to the Green Bay Packers for LS J. J. Jansen. Jansen subsequently made the Panthers' roster, playing in every game of the 2009 season.

How To Hand Jake Delhomme His First Defeat in the Dome: Run, Baby, Run

saints-nation — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:00:22 -0000

You'll have to forgive me for stealing Sheryl Crow's song title as part of the story headline but in this case it is quite apropos. After all, few things are as synonymous with football as a female singer/songwriter approaching her fifties, right? The Saints host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday and they'll have an opportunity to go 8-0 for the first time in Saints history. If there was ever a game where I would want the Saints the throw the ball less than 30 times, despite it being what they do best, this game would be it.

Panthers vs Saints coverage

Don't mistake me for saying I want the Saints to change the way they run their offense, or ignore what they do best. The Saints' bread and butter is when Brees runs a play fake and he's looking downfield for his crop of dangerous receivers. What I'm saying is I want the Saints to run the football in this game more than they ever have. That does not equate with don't pass, it equates with pass less and make the passes you do throw hurt more.

Some things to consider when coming up with a gameplan this weekend vs. the Panthers:

1. The Panthers' primary run stopper, Ma'ake Kemoeatu, is on injured reserve and is out for the season.

2. Two other defensive tackles (Louis Leonard and Corvey Irvin) are on injured reserve and out for the season.

3. The Panthers had to resurrect a corpulent 35 year old former Saint with asthma in Hollis Thomas to anchor their run stopping efforts.

4. The Panthers rank #1 in the league against the pass and #24 against the run. The Saints are 4th in the league in rushing (6th in passing).

5. The Saints average 4.5 yards per run, 10th best in the league, and the Panthers yield an average per run of 4.5 (good for 7th worst).

Plain and simple, if the Saints are getting 4.5 a pop per carry and the Panthers are giving up 4.5 per pop - the numbers work out pretty well. That's a first down after two downs of rushing if you're familiar with simple addition. I realize things don't always work out or unfold the way the stats would lead you to believe, but it's still a pretty simple formula. The Panthers can't stop the run and we're very good at it. For the last 3 years the Saints have been labelled as a "finesse team" or "soft", while Panthers football for as long as John Fox has been around has been predicated on running both the football and the clock whilst playing great defense. The beauty of this gameplan is we can give the Panthers a taste of their own medicine and beat them the way they've beat us consistently in recent years.

Oh, and one last thing. I hate Jake Delhomme. There, I said it. I hate that he comes back to Louisiana, hands us our tail, and runs his mouth up and down the sideline being as demonstrative as a buffoon. It's almost like he wants ME to know that he beat the Saints yet again in the Dome (and Tiger Stadium during the Katrina season). In case you didn't know, Jake Delhomme has never lost to the Saints in Louisiana as the QB for the Panthers. Sure, he says it's just another game in the media and seems passive enough... but I see him on the sidelines and I know better. Back when he was in New Orleans, I wanted him subbed in for Aaron Brooks when Brooks was injured. No need to rehash that, but the fact that the previous Saints' regime made an eggregious error and the fact that the current regime is still paying for it makes me sick. It makes me sick more than words can describe. I am sick of losing to Jake Delhomme at home. To be honest, I really don't even care how we do it, just beat Jake Delhomme. And you can believe that if we do, I'll be barking at him from where I'm sitting like a demonstrative buffoon. I'm pretty sure buffoons bark.

So let me ask you guys:

1. Will you be able to forgive me for the Sheryl Crow reference?

2. How effective will the Saints be running the ball against Carolina?

The 2010 Draft - Where We Stand in Chart Form

Jeremy Bolander — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:37:57 -0000

[Editor's Note: This is a draft order chart based completely off of the current standings. Tiebreak rules were used to establish order of playoff teams, and then playoff "wins" were awarded to the team with the best record, or whomever came out ahead in tiebreaks. For those who are wondering, Denver topped Indy in the #4 tiebreak scenario, "strength of victory" (.504 to .305). Obviously, this chart will change drastically from week to week, and I will update it as time permits to keep us abreast of developments.]

#	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
1	TEN	STL	TB	¹⁰TEN	STL	TB	TEN
2	TB	⁷NE	STL	TB	TEN	STL	TB
3	STL	TB	TEN	STL	¹⁷CLE	TEN	STL
4	KC	CLE	KC	CLE	KC	CLE	²⁶MIA
5	CLE	KC	CLE	KC	CLE	KC	CLE
6	DET	DET	DET	DET	DET	DET	DET
7	WAS	OAK	¹⁰~~WAS~~	OAK	WAS	²¹CAR	WAS
8	OAK	WAS	OAK	WAS	OAK	²³MIA	OAK
9	SEA	CAR	MIA	SEA	¹⁸KC	MIA	SEA
10	MIA	SEA	CAR	MIA	SEA	CAR	MIA
11	¹SF	MIA	⁹PHI	CAR	¹⁹KC	SEA	CAR
12	BUF	BUF	BUF	BUF	BUF	BUF	BUF
13	SF	BAL	CHI	JAX	SD	SF	BAL
14	SD	SF	BAL	CHI	JAX	SD	SF
15	JAX	SD	SF	BAL	CHI	JAX	SD
16	²DEN	⁶NE	SD	SF	BAL	CHI	JAX
17	BAL	⁵TB	JAX	SD	SF	BAL	CHI
18	HOU	HOU	HOU	HOU	HOU	HOU	HOU
19	DAL	PHI	DAL	PHI	^13,11NE	²²BUF	DAL
20	PHI	DAL	PHI	DAL	PHI	DAL	²⁸NE
21	NYJ	NYJ	NYJ	NYJ	¹⁶CLE	NYJ	NYJ
22	ARI	GB	ARI	GB	ARI	GB	ARI
23	GB	ARI	GB	ARI	GB	ARI	²⁵GB
24	NE	NE	⁸OAK	NE	¹⁴TB	NE	²⁷NE
25	ATL	⁴KC	ATL	ATL	ATL	ATL	²⁴STL
26	NYG	PIT	CIN	NYG	PIT	CIN	NYG
27	CIN	NYG	PIT	CIN	NYG	PIT	CIN
28	PIT	CIN	NYG	PIT	CIN	NYG	PIT
29	MIN	MIN	MIN	MIN	MIN	MIN	MIN
30	IND	IND	IND	IND	IND	²⁰PHI	IND
31	NO	NO	NO	NO	¹⁵PHI	NO	NO
32	³SEA	DEN	DEN	DEN	¹²DET	DEN	DEN

First round

2. Chicago to Denver. Chicago traded its 2010 first-round selection, its 2009 first- and third-round selections, and quarterback Kyle Orton to Denver for quarterback Jay Cutler and a 2009 fifth-round selection.

3. Denver to Seattle. Denver traded its 2010 first-round selection for Seattle's 2009 second-round selection (37th overall, used to select Alphonso Smith).

Second round

4. Atlanta to Kansas City. Atlanta traded its second-round selection to Kansas City for tight end Tony Gonzalez.

5. Chicago to Tampa Bay Chicago traded its second-round selection to Tampa Bay for defensive end Gaines Adams.

7. Tennessee to New England. Tennessee traded its 2010 second-round selection to New England for the third of New England's 2009 third-round selections (89th overall, used to select Jared Cook).

Third round

8. New England to Oakland. New England traded its third and a conditional pick to Oakland for defensive end Derrick Burgess.

9. Seattle to Philadelphia. Seattle traded its third-round selection in 2010 and its fifth- and seventh-round selections in 2009 (137th and 213th overall) for Philadelphia's third-round selection in 2009 (91st overall, used to select Deon Butler).

10. Washington (forfeit). Washington will not have a third-round selection in 2010, as it used a third-round pick in the 2009 Supplemental Draft to choose defensive end Jeremy Jarmon.

Fifth round

11. Dallas to Denver. Dallas traded its fifth-round selection to Denver for guard Montrae Holland.

12. Denver to Detroit. Denver traded its 2010 fifth-round selection and a 2009 seventh-round selection (#235 overall, used to select Zack Follett) to Detroit for a 2009 sixth-round selection (1st selection in round six, #174 overall, used to select Tom Brandstater).

13. Denver to New England. Denver traded its fifth-round selection to New England for defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith and New England's seventh-round selection, which was later traded back to New England.

14. New England to Tampa Bay. New England traded its fifth-round selection to Tampa Bay for tight end Alex Smith.

15. New Orleans to Philadelphia. New Orleans traded its 2010 fifth-round selection and a 2009 seventh-round selection (#222 overall, later traded to Indianapolis) to Philadelphia for a 2009 fifth-round selection (#164 overall, used to select Thomas Morestead).

16. New York Jets to Cleveland. New York traded its fifth round pick, as well as a conditional third-round pick, WR Chansi Stuckey, and LB Jason Trusnik, to Cleveland for WR Braylon Edwards.

17. Tampa Bay to Cleveland. Tampa Bay traded its 2010 fifth-round selection and its 2009 second-round selection to Cleveland for tight end Kellen Winslow II.

18. Carolina to Kansas City. Carolina traded its 2010 fifth-round selection to Kansas City for defensive end Tank Tyler.

19. Miami to Kansas City: Miami traded its 2010 fifth-round selection to Kansas City for quarterback Tyler Thigpen.

Sixth round

20. Indianapolis to Philadelphia. Indianapolis traded its 2010 sixth-round selection to Philadelphia for a 2009 seventh-round selection (#222 overall, used to select Pat McAfee).

21. Oakland to Carolina. Oakland traded its 2010 sixth-round selection and a 2009 seventh-round selection (#216 overall, used to select Captain Munnerlyn) to Carolina for a 2009 sixth-round selection (#202 overall, used to select Brandon Myers).

22. Philadelphia to Buffalo. Philadelphia traded its 2010 sixth-round selection and 2009 first- and fourth-round selections to Buffalo for tackle Jason Peters.

23. Washington to Miami. Washington traded its 2010 sixth-round selection and 2009 second-round selection to Miami for defensive end Jason Taylor.

Seventh round

24. Atlanta to St. Louis: Atlanta traded its 2010 seventh-round selection to the Rams for Tye Hill.

25. Green Bay to New York Jets (returned): Green Bay traded its 2010 seventh-round selection and quarterback Brett Favre to the Jets for the Jets' 2009 third-round selection. The Jets acquired this pick as part of the conditional agreement of the trade in which Favre's performance resulted in the Packers receiving the Jets' 2009 third-round selection, coupled with Favre retiring after the 2008 season. However, this pick has been returned to the Packers.

26. Kansas City to Miami: Kansas City traded its 2010 seventh-round selection to Miami for Miami's 2009 seventh-round selection.

27. New England to Denver (returned): New England traded its 2010 seventh-round selection and Le Kevin Smith to the Broncos for their 2010 fifth-round selection. Denver then traded the selection back to New England for offensive lineman Russ Hochstein.

28. Philadelphia to New England. Philadelphia traded its 2010 seventh-round selection and wide receiver Greg Lewis to New England for New England's 2009 fifth-round selection.

Conditional/Undetermined

29. Carolina to Cleveland: Carolina traded a conditional 2010 selection to Cleveland for DT Louis Leonard.

30. Jacksonville to Tampa Bay: Jacksonville traded an undisclosed 2010 draft choice to Tampa Bay for quarterback Luke McCown.

31. Kansas City to Miami: Kansas City traded an undisclosed 2010 draft choice to Miami for offensive linemen Andy Alleman and Ikechuku Ndukwe.

32. New England to Baltimore: New England traded a conditional 7th round 2010 draft choice to Baltimore for LB Prescott Burgess. Burgess was placed on the Patriots' practice squad, but was claimed by Baltimore after their game against the Patriots, thus nullifying the trade as Burgess did not meet the condition for playing time.

33. New York Jets to Philadelphia: New York traded a 2009 fifth-round selection and a conditional 2010 selection to Philadelphia for CB Lito Sheppard. Depending on Sheppard's playing time in 2009, the selection could be in the second, third, or fourth round.

34. New York Jets to Cleveland. New York traded a conditional third round pick, as well as a fifth round pick, WR Chansi Stuckey, and LB Jason Trusnik, to Cleveland for WR Braylon Edwards. The third-round pick can become a second-round pick based on Edwards' performance with New York.

35. San Diego to Houston: San Diego traded an undisclosed 2010 draft choice to Houston for defensive lineman Travis Johnson.

A Cowboys Scouting Report on the Carolina Panthers

Aaron Novinger — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:14:44 -0000

Last Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons won 28-20 at home against their division rival, the Carolina Panthers. With Carolina coming to Dallas for this week's Monday nighter, I asked Dave the Falconer at SBNation's blog for the Falcons, The Falcoholic, if he would do a little scouting report on the Cowboys' upcoming opponent.

He was more than happy to do so, and I thank him for that. Click below to read how he thinks the Cowboys can be victorious over the Panthers.

I realize MBIII may not be playing, but you're going to want to aggressively attack the Panthers front four with Felix Jones and Tashard Choice regardless. The Panthers just lost starting defensive tackle Louis Leonard and you should have some immediate success pounding the ball through the middle. That will also open up some passing lanes for you. Despite Michael Turner looking a bit shaky through the first half, Matt Ryan was still able to pass all over them, so by simply mixing up your playcalling you should find some offensive success.

Run to set up the pass...hmm. Sounds like a plan to me!

The strength is obviously the running game, which got going pretty well against us last week. DeAngelo Williams is very talented and Jonathan Stewart didn't look like he was bothered by any lingering injuries, and the duo combined for 144 yards and a touchdown on only 25 (carries). You'll need to stop them and try to force Jake Delhomme to make some bad throws. He may be more obliging for you than he was for us.

Even though the Cowboys did a good job bottling up the Giants, we can not forget their horrible job of defending the run in the season opener at Tampa Bay. Williams is fast as lightning, and Stewart has a good combination of quickness and strength.

On D conventional wisdom says Julius Peppers, but our second year tackle Sam Baker almost completely neutralized him on Sunday. Take him out of the equation and the pass rush is virtually nonexistant. You'll need to worry more about the secondary, which has a number of good players who will be going for the ball and can pick Romo if he's not spot on.

It may be safe to assume that whomever gets the centerfielding duties for Carolina will be licking their chops. Whoever controls the ball in this one may control the game.

Good luck!

Thanks again, Dave. Good stuff. We owe you one!

Panthers Sign DT Replacement

Jaxon — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:21:31 -0000

As reported earlier the Panthers worked out Antwon Burton earlier today and have now signed him:

The Panthers have agreed to terms with DT Antwon Burton after a workout this morning, his agent confirmed.

The 26-year-old Burton's not a household name, but he is the kind of big body (6-2, 325) they needed to fill the Maake Kemoeatu- Louis Leonard hole.

Burton was in camp with St. Louis this summer, and had also spent time with Kansas City, Cincinnati and Denver.

Gantt also offers this assessment of how Leonard was playing prior to his injury:

Leonard was playing well at the time of his injury, and appeared to have made the starting job his own whether Nick Hayden came back quickly from his toe problem or not.

Well at least it appears we will have plenty of depth to choose from at the position next year.

Panthers Fall to Steelers 21-10 in Preseason Finale

Jaxon — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:13:30 -0000

Going 0-4 in the preseason isn't exactly the preferred way to prepare for a season but the Panthers will start season just like that none the less. Preseason game 4 mean absolutely nothing so I will spare the doom and gloom because in the end I think our 1^st team offense would put up more points if they played the entire game. Instead here are my capsules from the game which as I look it over it looks like a repeat from the previous two preseason games.

The Good:

When talking about the Good there is no better place to start than rookie RB Mike Goodson. He again looked brilliant running (15 for 79 yds, 5.3 TPC) and catching the ball (2 for 13 yds) but still made some rookie mistakes. He got run over trying to block DE James Harrison which led to a sack and fumble and then had a costly fumble in the red zone. I know the coaching staff wants to get this kid on the field but the turnovers have to be a concern.
I feel like a broken record in my praise of WR Kenny Moore (6 for 59 yds) but he again delivered big time. After watching Moose stone hand a pass I started to think Moore could be the #2 on this team by the end of the season. That off-season work with Steve Smith has paid off big time. I even loved his post game interview in that he wasn't happy with his performance (he had an illegal motion penalty). This guy is a keeper.
WR Dwayne Jarrett finally showed something getting 4 catches for 44 yards. With a long of 11 yards though I wonder why the Panthers don't try to use his height downfield.
DE Charles Johnson recorded 1.5 sacks as he showed nice speed coming off the edge. He should see increased PT in 2009.

DT Nick Hayden had his best game as a Panther. He had 3 tackles, half a sack, a QB hurry and a nice tackle for a loss. But was it enough to stay with the team? Probably but more help at DT is needed.
New Panther DT Louis Leonard got significant action and he appeared to play well ringing up a tackle for a loss.
Rookie RG Duke Robinson had some nice blocks when pulling to support outside runs

The Bad

Neither QB Matt Moore (49 rating, pick 6 INT) or Josh McCown (11 for 15, fumble) distinguished themselves from the other in my view. McCown had a decent rating of 86 but he missed a wide open Jeff King for an easy TD. Overall it's a toss up in my view meaning for the #2 McCown holds his spot.
The PR coverage was horrid in giving up a 80 return for a TD for Stefan Logan.
RG Keydrick Vincent got run over by LB Kenyaron Fox for a sack. He's got 80 lbs on the guy but went down like a domino.
The back-up offensive line got pushed around a lot, gave up too much penetration and didn't inspire anything but doubt. It will be interesting to see who sticks.
Sideline reporter Pete Yannity called WR Kenny Moore a UDFA during the broadcast when he's actually a 5^th round pick in 2008 of the Lions. He then repeated his error during his post game interview with Moore. Moore coolly corrected Yannity in his response and then conveyed his dismay with his own performance right after Yannity praised his game. So he's cool and mature too. What's not to love about him?

The Bubble Watch

RB Jamal Lee finally got significant playing time and he responded fairly (11 for 37 yds). You can tell he has some potential with his size and speed though he does still run a little upright. Look for Lee to make the practice squad.
RB Decori Birmingham and T Patrick Brown didn't get on the field and it cannot be good for their chances. Time for them to cut bait.
S Joe Fields missed a couple tackles so I'm bearish on him. Look for Quinton Teal to be the back-up SS.

Poll

Do you think the Panthers still need to add another veteran defensive tackle?

Yes

169 votes

No

33 votes

202 votes | Poll has closed

Steelers vs. Panthers Preseason Game Preview

Jaxon — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:57:23 -0000

This Thursday night schedule has me all out of whack as all of us, contributors to the site that is, have been busy this week making a detailed preview difficult. The truth is we all know the starters will play very little tonight and so it will be battle of the bubble players for probably 3rd quarters. That puts a damper on some of the drama unless you like seeing sloppy play and guys getting all amped up for making a simple tackle.Regardless I'm going to take a schwag at what to expect tonight in this final preseason game match-up.

Panthers Offense vs. Steelers Defense

The Steelers bring one of the best defenses to Charlotte yet we don't really know how many starters will actually take the field. I realize this is cheating a bit but I jumped over to SBN Steeler site Behind the Steel Curtain to see what the Steelers might be focusing on. It seems former GT alum LB Kenyaron Fox (woot!) will start for Lawrence Timmons:

Mr. Fox: Keyaron Fox got to join the highlight reel of Steelers linebackers making audibly violent hits against Buffalo, when he crushed return man Leodis McKelvin. He continued to thump his way toward recognition, and with the ankle injury to Lawrence Timmons, he'll start at the mack linebacker spot against Carolina. It's up in the air whether Timmons will be able to play in the season-opener.

Fox is one of the best LB's to come out GT so don't think he represents a let down. Also, count the Steeler fans among those that have taken notice of RB Mike Goodson:

In a game that typically only has the allure of watching the 51-55 ranked players on teams fight for special teams spots, it'll be interesting to see how Goodson can handle facing the starting units of two of the best defenses in the game. He's been impressive so far, let's see if he can continue it.

At WR we are still waiting for the explosion from Dwayne Jarrett. Something tells me we might still be waiting come Friday. WR Kenny Moore on the other hand has made a case for the #3 wideout slot. I don't see any other WR making the team except for maybe speedy UDFA Larry Beavers. Beavers at this point has to show enough simply to earn a spot on the practice squad.

The back-up positions along the offensive line appear to be lining up. The release of Gerald Cadogan earlier in the week suggests Geoff Schwartz has earned the back-up RT position. I would assume C/G MacKenzie Bernadeau and rookie G Duke Robinson will lock up two more. That leaves G/T Jonathan Palmer, C/G Justin Geisinger and LT Garry Williams battling for the last spot. My guess is Williams wins the ninth and final spot.

Panther Defense vs. Steeler Offense

I think the Panther 1st team defense might play the entire first half simply to get in more work and evaluate some tough choices. Has high-string B Jeremy Leman done enough on special teams to earn a spot? Now that S Nate Salley has been put on IR does that automatically give Joe Fields a roster spot or could Quinton Teal play SS it in a pinch?

Does the trade for DT Louis Leonard mean UDFA Marlon Favorite is practice squad bound? The biggest focus for me is the performance of the DT against the Steeler running game. RB Rashard Mendenhall is making noise and will look to put up big runs against the Panthers. The Panther secondary will also look to rebound from a dismal performance against the Ravens.

Special Teams:

I've already mentioned the Panthers coverage teams have been suspect so I'm sure Steeler PR Stefan Logan is looking to burn them:

His lack of ability to make the squad solely as an offensive player aside, he's turned enough heads as the first explosive return man the Steelers have had since Antwaan Randle-El. Len Pasquarelli of ESPN writes that the Steelers have had 16 kick returners and 10 punt returners since Randle-El.

Logan, the diminutive pinball from small Division II University of South Dakota, has done enough with returns alone to merit a roster spot.

He sounds like our version of Larry Beavers yet Beavers has yet to do anything notable in live action, except for muffing a catch that is. Let's see if the Panthers can contain Logan or if they give up another lengthy return. On our side I want to see more of Captain Munnerlyn returning punts. He seems to have a nose for the open hole and isn;t scared to take a hit.

Let me hear from you!

DT Louis Leonard Shipped to Panthers for Draft Pick, Ryan Tucker IR'ed

Chris Pokorny — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:02:01 -0000

A few weeks ago, a rumor circulated the Internet that the Carolina Panthers were scouting Browns defensive lineman Corey Williams. It wasn't Williams that we gave them though, as the Browns traded DT Louis Leonard to the Panthers for an undisclosed draft pick, according to the Herald Online.

If you recall, Leonard had an outburst at defensive line coach Bryan Cox a week or so ago, leading many to question whether or not he would stay in Cleveland. However, even if he didn't have the outburst, his roster odds were slim at best.

Trading Leonard means that the Browns are comfortable with Shaun Rogers and Ahtyba Rubin at the nose tackle position, and that they are willing to give Corey Williams a shot at redemption in the 3-4 defensive scheme.

Just pure speculation here, but I can't imagine that Leonard would yield anything higher than a seventh-round draft pick.

As an update to yesterday's story, the OBR is reporting that OL Ryan Tucker was not released, but rather placed on the Injured Reserve. Same difference.