SB Nation - Nate Salley

Panthers Top 5 Concerns Entering the Season Opener

Jaxon — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:44:46 -0000

by Nell Redmond - AP

3 months ago: Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox reacts in the third quarter of their 21-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers during a preseason NFL football game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

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Little King provided the perfect set-up for my Top 5 Concerns post with his positive spin on the Panthers upcoming season. Though I agree with his analysis for the most part the Panthers are not without their issues. Last season I had the need for our offensive line to gel as the top concern and the Panthers responded with the NFL's #3 rushing offense. I'm sure its no surprise to Panther fans most of my concerns this season reside on the defensive side of the ball. Let's count them down now:

#5: Heal the Walking Wounded

Every team struggles with injuries and the Panthers have had their fill this preseason. We've now lost two defensive lineman (Maake Kemoeatu and Corvey Irvin) and a safety (Nate Salley) for the season. More importantly we need to get the less seriously injured back on the field soon. Consider this list of key starters who's status is uncertain for the season opener: LB's Jon Beason & Thomas Davis, S Charles Godfrey and RB Jonathan Stewart. WR Steve Smith has been dinged as well. Each of these guys are starters or provide key roles that are not easily replaced. Getting them healthy and functioning at a high level is obviously key to early season success. If their season start is delayed the Panthers could find themselves in an early hole for the division crown.

#4 - Competent Back-ups on the Offensive Line

Though the Panthers defense went 14 games without injury last season the offensive line was missing starters through a good portion of the season. Yet the Panthers running game rarely missed a beat as they plugged in experienced back-ups in most cases. That luxury is gone this season as other teams pillaged the Panthers reserves over the offseason. We instead find a number of untested players who may show promise but have yet to prove out when it counts. This is where coaches earn their keep, getting these untested players ready to step in a moments notice.

#3 - Reliable Kick Returns

There is no phase of the Panthers game that was down right ugly during the preseason then the inability of kick returners to hold onto the ball. The Panthers improved in this area in 2008 but the preseason has brought back flashbacks from 2006 & 2007. The potential re-signing of Mark Jones brings some comfort but instead I'd prefer a home run threat that can at least reliably catch the ball. It looks like rookies Mike Goodson and Captain Munnerlyn might get the call in spite of the early slippery finger syndrome. I expect HC John Fox will have them on a short leash if they get a shot. My hope is that generate enough excitement (of the good variety) and little bad stuff (which I won't mention) that it offsets the preseason concerns.

#2 - Generating a Pass Rush

The Panthers improved the pass rush last season to a respectable ninth with 37 sacks. So why do I have it as the #2 concern. Its simply; because our defensive scheme relies on it so heavily. It's obvious the Panthers are not going to blitz much or whip out any complex schemes to confuse our opponents offense. They will instead rely on the speed rushes from the edge to put pressure on the QB and help out the secondary. New DC Ron Meeks will also try to get some inside pressure on 3rd down by using three and four DE's across the defensive line to get pressure up the middle. Regardless of where the pressure comes from it had better come our we have seen how our soft zone secondary can get picked apart.

# 1 - Clogging the Middle of the Run Defense

Our need at defensive tackle has been well discussed on this site so I'm not going to go into a lot of detail. The Panthers have essentially a number of young players they will rotate in and out in hopes of clogging up the middle and forcing the plays outside where our speedy LB's can make a play. We've saw late last season what can happen when the middle guys get pushed around so hopefully the emphasis on big, strong (and fat) guys to clog the middle will at least perform marginally and not be a huge liability. My hope lies in the Panthers to perform some 'line magic' this season on defense just as they did last season on offense. Do that and the tough schedule will play out much better than expected.

So that's my Top 5 Concerns Panther fans. If you are a regular reader then not much of this will surprise you. Looking back at my similar post last season I don't think I was too far off. For those of you who think QB Jake Delhomme should be on this list I have to humbly disagree for now.

In spite of the negative tone of this post I truly am optimistic the Panthers will be in the hunt for a playoff spot come week 17. If they mitigate these Top 5 concerns then I can guarantee it.

On another note I know many of you are chomping at the bit to discuss the Panthers season opener against the Eagles in detail. We've got some things in the works to come out later on Wednesday with full on coverage by Thursday so keep checking back.

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!

Panther Players On the Move

Jaxon — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:21:00 -0000

Darin Gantt announced a couple moves yesterday of interest. The first involves Panther CB and special team gunner Dante Wesley's move to safety.

"Hammer came to me this morning before practice, told me the plan, asked me if I minded," Wesley said with a shrug. "I said ‘I don't mind, just help me with it. I don't mind playing anything, but I just want to know what I'm doing.

"'Give me a day or two just to learn it, learn where I'm supposed to be. Once I get comfortable, I'll start making plays and be all right.'"

The speculation is that the Panthers feel they have plenty of depth at CB with CJ Wilson, and rookies Captain Munnerlyn and Sherrod Martin. The person who should be concerned is S Nate Salley who can't seem to get over the injury bug the past two seasons. Given the Panthers need for salary cap space Salley may be a cost cutting casualty.

In another significant move it looks like DT Marlon Favorite has overtaken Nick Hayden for the LDT spot formally occupied by Maake Kemoeatu who is out for the season with a ruptured Achilles.

The Panthers were giving more work with the starters to rookie defensive tackle Marlon Favorite, in place of Nick Hayden.

Hayden struggled in the opener at New York and looked ill-equipped to fill the vacancy left by nose tackle Maake Kemoeatu. Favorite is not going to make anyone forget Kemoeatu, either, but the squatty rookie from LSU might be better against the run.

This move is no surprise as Favorite played the run much better in the Giants, albeit against the Giants 2nd teamers. Don't be surprised to see Favorite start against the Dolphins as the Panthers see what the kid can do against 1^st teamers. I don't see this as any slam on 3rd round pick Corvey Irvin. Irvin is more of a one-gap penetrator who will likely succeed Damionne Lewis when his time is up in Carolina. The fact Favorite seems to be handling double teams has to be the reason for his rise.

Carolina Panthers Depth Chart Predictions: Safety

Jaxon — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:04:12 -0000

We are winding down our depth chart reviews focusing on now what I feel is an overlooked position battle for the Panthers. Though the Panthers starters are 100% set with SS Chris Harris and FS Charles Godfrey, the battle for the back-up spots at Safety are as wide open as any of the other position battles. The Panthers have a nice combination of experience and athleticism to choose from. Let's start with a brief review of the starters and then move to the predictions for the back-ups and even the Practice Squad (PS).

Chris Harris - 6'0" 205 lbs; 5^th season; 26 yrs - 100% Starter at Strong Safety

69 tackles, 2 FF, 3 PD, 1 INT in 2008. Harris made a quick impression with the Panthers in 2007 when he forced 8 fumbles in 15 games. After getting 2 more in the Panthers first two games of 2008 he never got another the rest of the season. Harris did play all 16 games but down the stretch he struggled as the defense struggled (he was dinged up too). Harris remains a leader in the secondary so I think his starting spot is very secure but I also look forward to renewed energy from Harris in 2009.

Charles Godfrey 5'11" 205 lbs; 2^nd Season; 23 yrs - 100% Starter at Free Safety

59 tackles, 5 PD's, 1 INT in 2008. Though Godfrey looked like a rookie at times in 2008 overall he showed enough to be optimistic about his potential. I'm still concerned about his ability to get his hands on the ball but he is quick in run support and has the athleticism to play in this league. I for one will be looking for a big jump up in the ‘ball-hawk' department with a season under his belt and tutoring from the new coaching staff.

Nate Salley - 6'1" 216 4^th Yr; 25 yrs - 75% chance of making the roster

The free safety position was Salley's to lose in the 2007 preseason and he did just that with an untimely leg injury. He returned last season, playing both safety positions in the preseason but saw little action during the regular season, posting only two tackles in two games (Chiefs, Saints). Salley is a good tackler but has yet to show a nose for the ball in coverage. His experience and knowledge would normally give him an advantage over the remaining players if not for the changes in the defensive coaching staff. Here's his career summary from Panthers.com

2008
Played in all 16 regular season games and one postseason contest...Appeared primarily on special teams...Collected eight special teams tackles...Accounted for one tackle on defense.

2007
Inactive for the first two games of the season before being placed on injured reserve with an injured right knee (9/19).

Overall if he plays well in the preseason Salley should be safe for one more year. On the flip side if he struggles or doesn't show improvement he might be vulnerable.

Quinton Teal 6'1" 187 Lbs; 3^rd season - 60% chance of making roster

Though Teal was active and played in 13 games last season it was exclusively on special teams. Teal is the local kid from the small school who beat the odds as a UDFA to make the roster his first two seasons. Unless Harris gets banged up I don't expect Teal on the field much except for special teams. Here's his summary:

2008
Played in 13 games and was inactive for three contests...Appeared primarily on special teams...Posted five special teams tackles...Inactive for the NFC Divisional Playoffs versus Arizona (1/10).

2007
Played in 15 games with one start and was inactive for one contest with Carolina...Posted 11 tackles...Ranked third on the team with 13 special teams tackles...Only undrafted rookie free agent originally signed by the Panthers to make the 53-man roster...Vs. Houston (9/16): Appeared on special teams in his first NFL game and posted one tackle...Vs. Atlanta (11/11): Saw action as a reserve defensive back after starting free safety Deke Cooper left the game with a shoulder injury...Recorded first two career tackles...Vs. Dallas (12/22): Made first NFL start as Carolina opened the game with five defensive backs...Responded with a career-high seven tackles.

COLLEGE
Played in 44 games with 37 starts at Coastal Carolina...Ranks as the Big South Conference's all-time leader with 17 interceptions...

Though he locked up a roster spot last season it is certainly no guarantee in '09 and he could be vulnerable. If he can show a grasp if the defense and gain the confidence of the new staff he should hold off the competitors who are all less experienced though I doubt he will challenge Harris for the starter spot.

Joe Fields 6'0" 201 Lbs; 2^nd season; 23 yrs - 25% chance of making the roster; 85% chance of making practice squad

Fields spent his rookie season on the Panthers PS indicating they see something in the Syracuse product. If he can show progress he could very well challenge for a back-up spot at free safety or just maintain on the PS. A lot depends on how Salley plays in the preseason as well.

Anthony Scirrotto 6'0" 202 Lbs; 22 yrs - 5% chance of making roster; 50% chance of making Practice Squad

Scirrotto is a rookie UDFA who was very popular with the staff and fans at PSU. Here's his PSU bio:

The talented, instinctive and strong Scirrotto is an ironman, leading the squad for the second consecutive season in plays with 1,029 last year. A former South Jersey Player-of-the-Year, Scirrotto is a dedicated worker and will be counted on again to be a productive leader for the defense and special teams

Scirrotto looks to be vying for the strong safety position as he has few stats on INT's and passes defensed. He's a long shot for the roster but could show enough spark to make the practice squad.

Paul Chiara 5'11" 210 Lbs; Rookie UFDA; 23 yrs - 1% chance of making the roster; 20% chance of making the Practice Squad

Chiara posted 60 tackles with no INT's or PD's as a SS at Syracuse. Unless he just shocks management Chiara is a likely early cut as the Panthers have known, affordable players in front of him.

Overall Summary

My overall assessment of the Panthers Safety position is that they have a very athletic group, they are more than willing to come up to support the run with good tackling and solid hitting but... they come up short in the big play category. Maybe Ron Meeks will bring that piece of wisdom that allows the Panther safeties to begin to anticipate WR routes. I know it's only a matter of time until Harris knocks a ball loose as it wasn't that long ago he was averaging a FF every other game. At FS the Panthers seem set with Godfrey and have nice experience backing him in Salley.

Here's a not so crazy scenario, Godfrey moves to an outside CB spot and Sherrod Martin moves to FS. Godfrey has the speed, tackling and athleticism to cover all but the elite receivers already but has yet to show he can make plays on the ball. Martin showed an uncanny ability to make plays on the ball in college. Maybe that doesn't translate to the NFL game as a rookie but I'm hoping the Panthers keep an open mind at least.

One last point, if the Panthers are content with Godfrey at FS Salley might bring more value in a trade then sitting on the bench all season as he did in 2008. If either Fields or Scirrotto looks capable of backing up the FS position the Panthers might be able to recoup a draft pick for Salley from a team looking for someone to challenge for a starting FS spot.

Panthers Re-Sign Two Back-ups

Jaxon — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:14:54 -0000

David Scott with Charlotte.com is reporting that the Panthers have signed back-up LB James Anderson and S Nate Salley.

Both played mostly on special teams last season, although Anderson had two tackles against New Orleans after starter Thomas Davis briefly left the game with a sprained neck.

Anderson is in his fourth season out of Virginia Tech. Salley is also entering his fourth year and played at Ohio State.

Barring injury Anderson will most likely remain a back-up for the foreseeable future. You might recall Salley was set to be the starter at FS prior to the 2007 season before a knee injury ended his golden opportunity. He will now battle incumbant second year man Charles Godfrey for more playing time. He can also play SS so he is a key back-up in the secondary though he more than likely will remain a back-up in 2009.

Panther Paw Prints Around the Web

Jaxon — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 17:27:16 -0000

The NFL rumor mill is alive and well. First we had a deal in the works for DE Julius Peppers going to the Patriots and then we had a denial from all parties. Now we have ‘both sides' working a contract extension for QB Jake Delhomme but now his agent says "What extension?". Are the beat writers getting just as bored as we are and just floating these rumors just to have something to talk about? It sure seems that way.

Here's more evidence the Panthers will look to draft a CB:

"That's hard to predict. Obviously, we wouldn't have (released starter Ken Lucas) if we didn't think so," Fox told reporters including the Charlotte Observer this past week at the league owners' meetings in California." (We have) C.J. (Wilson) and Dante (Wesley). And we haven't had a draft yet. We're not done with the selection process. It's really too hard to predict yet. But with the guys we have, obviously we have a comfort zone with those guys.

We are still waiting to see if LB James Anderson and S Nate Salley will sign the RFA tenders. I think we've seen the best of Anderson and have the depth to replace him but I'm not sure with Salley. This guy looked like a starter two seasons ago until an untimely injury derailed his opportunity. I like the thought of him as a back-up at both safety spots.

Panthers HC John Fox is still maintaining he is not worried about Julius Peppers cap hit in the event he returns to the team.

CBS Sports Clark Judge says based on history the Panthers will more than likely stumble this season. Stumble on this (the one finger salute) Clark!

John Fox again, this time claiming his happiness with his back-up QB's. No one will ever accuse Fox of not backing his players with his full confidence (even if unwarranted).

Fox says that late in the 2008 season "the light came" on for WR Dwayne Jarrett. So now the rest of us are wondering "Will he open his eyes?" It sure would be nice if this guy could nail down the #3 slot.

Panther S Charles Godfrey and TE Jeff King essentially got performance bonuses (200 to 300k) from the league based on pay scale (low) and snaps played (high). That's like me getting bonuses at work for attending every meeting I'm asked to attend. "Here you go Jaxon, since you haven't missed a single ass-chewing, head-banging weekly metrics review meeting all year in spite of being one the lowest paid employees I'm giving you a 30% bonus". Sweet! If only that were true for all of us.

Panthers @ Saints: Defensive and Special Teams Scouting Report

Saintsational — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 14:00:06 -0000

Team Rankings

Team	Yds. / Game	Yds. / Play	Rush Yds. / Game	Rush Yds. / Play	Pass Yds. / Game	Pass Yds. / Play	Int. Rate	Sacks / Pass Att.	First Downs / Game	Punt Return Avg	Kickoff Return Avg	3rd Down Pct	4th Down Pct	Red Zone Pct	Goal to Go%	Pts. / Game	Pts. Differential / Game	Yard Diff. / Game
CAR	325.5	5.06	124.1	4.42	201.3	5.94	2.17%	6.89%	18.3	6.7	21.8	38.83%	42.11%	51.11%	80.00%	19.9	5.5	15.7
Rank	13	10	22	23	11	7	26	10	12t	7	9	15	8	15	25	8t	7	16

Rushing Defense

Left End

Left Tackle

Left Guard

Up the Middle

Right Guard

Right Tackle

Right End

Plays: 53

Plays: 46

Plays: 27

Plays: 152

Plays: 21

Plays: 40

Plays: 69

NFL Rank: 14

NFL Rank: 23

NFL Rank: 26

NFL Rank: 5

NFL Rank: 30

NFL Rank: 27

NFL Rank: 3

Avg Gain: 6.15

Avg Gain: 4.04

Avg Gain: 4.37

Avg Gain: 4.55

Avg Gain: 5.71

Avg Gain: 2.45

Avg Gain: 4.68

NFL Rank: 26

NFL Rank: 16

NFL Rank: 22

NFL Rank: 27

NFL Rank: 30

NFL Rank: 2

NFL Rank: 16

Passing Defense

Short Left	Short Middle	Short Right	Deep Left	Deep Middle	Deep Right




















Plays: 129	Plays: 104	Plays: 190	Plays: 28	Plays: 23	Plays: 34
NFL Rank: 21	NFL Rank: 13	NFL Rank: 4	NFL Rank: 21	NFL Rank: 15	NFL Rank: 17
Avg Gain: 5.19	Avg Gain: 5.46	Avg Gain: 5.02	Avg Gain: 14.00	Avg Gain: 11.35	Avg Gain: 9.97
NFL Rank: 6	NFL Rank: 5	NFL Rank: 6	NFL Rank: 26	NFL Rank: 11	NFL Rank: 15

Individual Stats

Interceptions	No.	Yds	Avg	Long	TD
J.Beason	3	52	17.3	44	0
C.Gamble	3	23	7.7	19	0
K.Lucas	2	74	37.0	43	0
C.Godfrey	1	16	16.0	16	0
R.Marshall	1	11	11.0	11	0
N.Diggs	1	0	0.0	0	0

Punting	No	Yds	Avg	Net	TB	In	Lg	B
J.Baker	71	3169	44.6	37.7	5	29	63	3

Punt Returns	Ret	FC	Yds	Avg	Long	TD
M.Jones	38	20	440	11.6	55	0
N.Salley	1	0	0	0.0	0	0
D.Wesley	1	0	0	0.0	0	0

Kickoff Returns	No.	Yds	Avg	Long	TD
M.Jones	35	846	24.2	59	0
J.Stewart	15	349	23.3	38	0
D.Rosario	2	26	13.0	18	0

Field Goals	1-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50+
J.Kasay	0/ 0	6/ 6	8/ 8	9/ 9	1/ 3