The Panthers signed another Wide Receiver, Nelson Rosario from UCLA. Well, technically we're calling him a Tight End, but he played wide out in college. Rosario's a tall guy with long arms and big hands, very mediocre speed, and highly questionable work ethic. Prior to this signing, we had 14 WRs on the roster and 7 TEs. With every roster change, there's a big rush to see what the new guy can bring to the Panthers' offense.

Well, to me something smells funny about loading up on Free Agent WRs/TEs (most undrafted). Are the Panthers really bringing in players in anticipation they can make the final roster, or even the Practice Squad? If so, it would represent a cluster bomb approach to upgrading two positions. I don't think that is what's happening though. As I said, it just smells funny (kind of like napalm in the morning).

When something doesn't smell right to me, I don't swallow it. I'm genetically disposed to look at all angles; and in doing so, I've come up with a theory that works for me. Read my outrageous look from "Outside the Box" ... after the jump.

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It is my honor to preview the Running Backs for your 2012 Carolina Panthers. I'm not going to spend a lot of time or effort discussing Williams, Stewart, or Tolbert: 100% guaranteed to make the roster, and get a jersey every week, if healthy.

What more is there to say about Double-Trouble? Combined with Cam's running skillz, Deangelo an Jonathan are lethal. They are both rated among the most elusive backs in the league over the last 3 years. D'Lo strikes like lightening, while Stewy prefers to inflict a little punishment along the way. They are the perfect tandem of running backs.

As to Tolbert, I'll just say his unexpected signing as a Fullback/H-Back is like adding a full array of 5" guns to our backfield Battleship (Iowa Class) arsenal already equipped with dual 16" batteries. He'll be a problem for the defenses we face.

Editor's Plea: Regarding the Williams/Stewart tandem. It doesn't matter which you think is better, they are both awesome. Any discussion of trade scenarios involving Stewart is totally unsubstantiated speculation. I believe I speak for the majority here in saying, "Just let it go." I'm not trying to censor your comments, so feel free to write anything, if it brings something new to the table. I'm only trying to prevent the thread from being hijacked by the same argument I read just last week.

However, if you just feel inclined to discuss the merits of two equally awesome yet different type entities, may I suggest a debate as to which is better: Bojangles Cajun Chicken biscuit or Bojangles Ham, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit. And whichever way you go, you get a free side of BoBerry Bisuits...

For me there's no debate. I'll take both, with a double-side of BoBerries.

The remainder of this article will focus on the 3rd running back (or 4th counting Tolbert). I find it comparable to choosing whether I want the Large, Medium, or Small Cajun Fries with my order. Or would that be adding an anti-aircraft gun to my Battleship? Dadgummet, I've gone and mixed my metaphors again. Well, I'll just have to try to move on... after the jump.

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There are a lot of analysts that think we're in big trouble at the Defensive Tackle position. There are a lot of fans who agree with them. Yet, our HC and resident BAMF continually reminds us that we're fine at the DT slots, and he proved it by not drafting one. As I set about researching for this article, this strange dichotomy was at the forefront of my mind. After poring over stats and defensive scheme descriptions, I think I've discovered the reasoning behind BAMF's mindset and actions to date.

Ron Rivera's past is important in understanding his thought process. He was an All-American Linebacker for the Cal Golden Bears. He played four seasons from 1980-83 and finished his collegiate playing career as the Bears' all-time leader in tackles (336), sacks (22.0) and tackles for loss (47.5). Rivera was drafted in the 2nd round (44th) by the Chicago Bears, playing nine seasons (1984–1992), including the 1985 Superb Owl Championship season. The Defensive Coordinator with the Bears during his first two seasons was Buddy Ryan.

As a coach, Rivera cut his teeth as the Linebackers coach for five years under legendary DC, Jimmy Johnson. Rivera is credited with developing linebacker Jeremiah Trotter into a two-time Pro Bowl performer.

You're probably thinking, "What the heck does this have to do with the Panthers' defensive tackle situation?" Answer: A lot. Read on ... after the break.

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Apparently, our fearless leader likes what he saw over the weekend, particularly from our draft picks. In his comments on the Panther site, BAMF speaks about the players performances individually, and how he feels after his first OTA with this year's rookies. He does admit that he still needs to review film and compare notes with the other coaches and Hurney, but he's not holding back on his initial evaluations.

Coach Rivera discusses the importance of special teams, including the hiring of Richard Rodgers to help coach them up. He also talks in more general terms about performance of the PFAs (Priority Free Agents), and other relevant topics. I would encourage you to check out the article, but if all you want to know is what Rivera said about the draft picks, then just read more...

... after the jump

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Everybody knows that the Panthers selected Arkansas Razorback WR/PR Joe Adams (pronounced 'Jo AD'ams') in the 4th round of the 2012 NFL Draft. There have already been many highlight films provided on this site (both before and after the draft) that demonstrate Joe's explosiveness... he is a threat to score every time he touches the football. Pundits have varying opinions about his skill level as a slot or outside receiver, although he showed up big in the Senior Bowl with 6 catches for 116 yards. No one doubts Joe's return abilities.

Our Panthers have tried, without success, to find a punt returner that can "flip the field" on a regular basis. Field position in the NFL is of paramount importance to success, and we have finally found the man that can make that happen. In 2011, Adams led the country in PRs for touchdowns (4) and was second in Yards Per Return (16.89). Oh, and Arkansas is in the SEC, for those who care about such things.

2011 Awards
SEC Special Teams Player of the Year
Inaugural Johnny "The Jet" Rodgers National College Football Return Specialist Award (Sporting News)
College Football Performance Award (CFPA) - Best Punt Returner
Senior Bowl Outstanding Player (South Squad)

We'll look at Joe's strengths and weaknesses as a both punt returner and wide receiver, and show some more movies... after the jump.

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I volunteered to GM for the Bears in our CSR full mock draft. I did my best for you guys, based on researching your team needs here and at other "draft" sites: WR, OG, LT, DE, DT, LB (depth), CB (depth), Safety, and possibly TE. Obviously, I couldn't fill all of those holes. In particular, LT is just awful in this draft after Kalil. I would have taken Mike Adams in the 2nd, but he didn't fall to me.

By making a couple of trades with the Patriots and Cowboys, I did manage to keep 7 picks, but all within the first 5 rounds. You be the judge of how well your faux GM performed.

Here is the complete Draft Board. I'll present the Bears' picks and poll, after the jump.

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As I was preparing for the CSR Mock Draft coming up this Friday, I came across a few resources, and decided to combine them into a single spreadsheet to share with my friends. It includes the complete 7-round Draft Picks (Teams), the Updated Consensus Draft Position by Player from Walter, and Gil Brandt's Top-100 Players.Gil Brandt is revered by many as a top NFL talent evaluator, so I selected his choices to compare with the consensus baseline.

Also included are the players' Position, School, and Measurables. I hope you find it useful as you rosterbate for the next week, whether for the Panthers, the CSR Mock Draft, or to support your argue... I mean debates.

Anyhow, click the link below the jump to open the spreadsheet.

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So, I had a little time today and figured I'd check to see if Walter had a new Mock draft. Voila! Hot off the presses, I found his latest and greatest (?) 5-round mock, and proceeded to review the new picks. Let's just say there was one particular change I found very interesting, but within the justification I read something that just cracked me up.

Let me first say, I'm a fan of Walter's. You can often find good information, and the style includes lots of intentionally humorous commentary. Before getting to the great moment in my afternoon, I'll first recount Walter's most recent picks for the Panthers.

I'll reveal further details ... after the jump.

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Reports have surfaced that during the Owners' Meetings last week, Jones and Snyder petitioned the league to penalize other teams for taking advantage of the 2010 uncapped year. Specifically, they called out the Panthers for dumping salaries and bonuses to free cap space by releasing a large number of veteran players; what we know as "the purge." Having seen their respective teams receive substantial cap penalties for front-loading contracts, the two joined forces to confront the League, demanding what they deemed "fair and equitable" treatment. More after the jump...

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Hi guys... I'm a Carolina Panther fan (and member of Cat Scratch Reader). I was checking out some of the Drafttek.com player ratings, team needs, and draft positions/value, and came up with what could be a mutually benefical draft pick trade. I hope you'll give this some consideration before firing up the flame throwers (lol).

Read more after the jump...

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I just came across a new article over at NFP that talks about how some of the combine's intriguing prospects came across in the all-important interviews with teams. Dan Pompei (Chicago Tribune) claims that he spoke to multiple team representatives about their impressions. Several of the players noted in the article are on the Panther nation's watch list, so let's take a look at the reports on some of the results. Here's one to whet your appetite. Look for the rest... after the jump.

Vontaze Burflict, Arizona State LB: Multiple front office men were not impressed. One said he was rough around the edges. Another said he was not convincing explaining his lack of on-field discipline.

I'd say Buflict did not meet expectations on or off the field. Scheme discipline is critical for us, not to mention avoiding those drive-preserving personal foul flags. I say no.

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Okay, I know this is a little late, but I like reading Wes Bunting's work over at NFP, and I just happened upon this article. What caused me to bring it over for our voracious fans to digest is that a couple of the players were already on my radar (and many others, I'm sure). Then there were a couple of revelations for me (Demario Davis). Plus, I wanted to write "I like Iloka alot."

I was a bit surprised to see Brandon Thompson on the "risers" side, as he did not impress me the couple of times I watched him this season. I'll let the Tiger faithful weigh in more on his upside.

Read more on these five players who's stock is on the rise... after the jump.

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I stumbled upon this list of pending Panther free agents (serious props to RocknRolla at Carolina Huddle... excellent research), and it seriously started me thinking about cap space, draft picks, and free agency in a whole new light. It would appear that the 2012 salary cap is not going to move up much, if any, and per Pat Y., the Panthers currently have the 3rd highest committed dollars against the 2012 cap.

We spent a lot last year to lock up our core players and bring in a few notable free agents (Shockey, Olsen, Naanee, etc.) So, it's not a terrible thing that we're a bit handcuffed this off-season. Then again, when looking at some of the names on the list below, it does make me wonder who will stay and who will go. The answer to this question, I think more than anything, will determine the Draft strategy for the 2012 draft. There are some tough decisions ahead for BAMF and Hurney, as I'm sure you'll agree when you see the list below... the jump.

First off, a quick primer on Free Agent categories (further explained here, for info-maniacs):

Unrestricted - Can negotiate and sign with any team
Restricted - Old owner can match any offer from another team, and can receive draft pick compensation if player leaves
Exclusive rights - Basically must work out a deal with the existing team (like a draft pick)

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I don't know about you guys, but CSR3's championship game between MMA_PITBULL and me is a real battle. He put me in a 34 point hole on Thursday with Foster (23) and Rackers (11). I managed to retake the lead on Saturday thanks to Stafford (27), Harvin (16), Megatron (16), and Spiller (20). Knowing PITBULL still has Brees and Julio to play tonight, I went into last night with Jordy Nelson (26) and GB d/st (2).

Currently, the score is MMA_PITBULL 86 and Me at 126. But I'm done, and Brees and Julio are coming after me tonight. I'm hoping they both play like mere mortals, but it's going to be tough to hang on.

So, how are things going in the other leagues. Tough games going on? Or, turn out the lights, the party's over?

Editor's note: I wrote this Saturday when riding a Crazy Train, so it's definitely off the tracks after so many favorites were derailed this week. Just goes to show what premature edraftulation is worth, when it comes down to it.

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I have conducted an exhaustive study in which I brazenly stole research from Buffalo Rumblings, then utilized scienterrific and stasticulation processes that are proven to be absurdly based on what I think will happen over the last three games (for all teams impacting the top picks).

It gets crazy, because the tiebreaker is the number of opponent wins, used inversively to determine pick order. Ergo, a team that sucks vs. a weak schedule picks before a team with equal suckulage vs. a strong schedule. Hencely, I had to not only predictify additional wins for the bottom feeders, but also for the teams they play against.

Such meaningless research cannot go unpublished. Results, after the jump.

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The playoffs start tonight for the CSR Fantasy Leagues, and it's time to get serial. Let's hear some of your best smack talking as we move toward the Championship of each League, and crown the overall CSR Champion.

CSR 1: To the BAMF Brigade (our friend Tater), you'd better bring a full Division if you want to beat the Cam-odo Dragons this week. Yeah, you're 9-4 and the Dragons are 6-7, but I'm bringing the Stone Cold Stunner off the turnbuckle. Brees, schmeez. I'm benching Ben and starting Carson, who's going to clean up in garbage time. And Denver's defense against Hanie and no Forte looks like 20+ extra points to me. And I know you'll try to distract me with pictures of gorgeous ladies (please), but I'm just too focused. You're going down, so I can get another shot at Southtunnel's top-seedy "Southern Beatdown" next week.

CSR 3: You boys knock yourselve's out. I'll be kicking back on my playoff Bye week.

Fantasy Owners and other interested parties, please rec this post so we can keep it alive for three weeks.

Editors Warning: This post is not for serial, so move along if you're not in the mood for a little levity.

I wish to preface this post by stating that I very much enjoy (and participate in) mock drafts and predictions about who the Panthers may look to add during the off-season. I visit scouting sites frequently, looking for that gem of a pick to take us the rest of the way to the promised land. We all know these mocks are based on opinion and speculation to a large extent; yet some folks seem to take it a little too seriously. I mean, we do have 4 games left before our draft position will be known, draft stock will rise and fall based on bowl games, all star games, the combine/pro-days. Plus, we don't know what strategies are in the minds of Hurney and BAMF. It's still fun, though.

Having said all that, I do want to give a shout out to some of my favorite mocks of the year so far:

• Lesbian Montgomery's look at his crystal balls (posted 12/1) comes in at number one because it introduced me to a real draft gem in OG David DeCastro, and there was really only one pick I found questionable.
• James' Ludicrously Early Mock v.2 (posted 11/28) is tantalizing for the trade back, although now I think I'd take DeCastro over Jonathan Martin in the first. Rest of the draft is spot on, I think.
• James' Premature Panthers Mock (posted 10/13) - sadly, no one survived the 6 weeks between drafts. I find that telling, in that it shows how much can change in 6 weeks.
• Kris Mynatt's More WET Top Cat Pics (posted 9/28), even though it has nothing to do with a mock draft, I still love the pics.

After the jump, I'll list my Honorable Mention drafts, followed by my All BAMF top-10 characters from film and TV.

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The Fantasy Playoffs are just two weeks away for the nine CSR Leagues.  It's time for League Commissioners and Owners to weigh in on their respective seasons.  Let us hear your raves and your rants, and everything in between.  Who were your draft studs and duds?  How did you do with mid-season roster adjustments?  Essentially, anything you want to share is fair game, including 'smack talk.'

All I ask is that you identify your CSR League in the Comments header.  And if talking about another team, use the owner's CSR name, if you know it.

I'll go first.  As a team owner of CSR1's 'Cam-odo Dragons', I'm hanging on to a two game lead over Jaxon's 'Cardiac Cats' in what can only be described as the AFC/NFC West of Fantasy Leagues.  The Dragons are 5-6, and I'm hoping to wrap up the division with a win this week, but it's going to be close.  And Jaxon got a huge day from Laurent Robinson yesterday, so there's a real chance the Cats could pick up a game on me this week.  If that happens, then our head-to-head matchup next week will be for the division lead and playoff birth. I might be in a tight spot.

The only draft stud I can claim is Megatron, who was my first round target.  My second pick was MegaDud, aka Peyton (Pay Me) Hillis.  I tried to trade him, but there are no patsies in this league, so I dropped him.  By far my best pick-up is Demarco Murray, made possible only because at the time I was fortunately bad enough to be 3rd (IIRC) on the waiver order.

LOL... My Dragons have a huge lead in the number of roster moves at 64, with the next highest at 28; partly because I've been fighting for my life, but mostly because I can't stop tinkering.

I'll leave the rest of the CSR1 overview to Jaxon and the other owners.

Oh, and Charles Edwards, feel free to discuss the scoring-rich, CSR ESPN 'Expendables' League.  I would, but I don't want to jinx my current run.

After the jump, you can read about the state of CSR3...

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Ahhh, the National Football League is alive and well, in the season that almost wasn't.  There have been many stories that have been well-chronicled on this site and others so far this year.  I thought I'd spend a little time reflecting,  and I came up with my own top-10 NFL stories of the 2011 season, in no particular order. I'm sure I've missed some good ones, so chime in with what you think merits inclusion in the Top-10.

CBA was signed, and only the Hall of Fame game was cancelled.  
The angst over the off-season was easy for most fans to forgive and forget.  However, the lack of OTAs and shortened Training Camps impacted many teams, especially young teams with new Coaching Staffs (ahem, us).  It has undoubtedly contributed to muscle pulls, especially hamstrings, as well as overall player conditioning.

Peyton’s Neck Injury
This injury gets its own category because of the impact to the Colts and to the draft next April.  Manning hopes to play again this year, even after three surgeries and a stem-cell procedure (done in Europe cuz it’s not approved in the U.S.)*. I’m not a Doctor, don’t play one on TV, didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express, and thankfully don’t have neck or back problems.  Still, one must seriously consider the possibility that Manning may not play again, period.  I would hate to see a legend go out because of injury, but it’s happened many times before: Gale Sayers, Michael Irvin, and Joe Theismann (a legend in his own mind), to name a few.
*For those concerned about the stem-cell procedure, they used Manning’s own cells.

  You can see the rest of my list after the jump.

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Don't get me wrong, I love a mean-ass, dog-kicking maniac as much as the next guy, but Burfict looks like a boom-or-bust candidate to me, and so far I just don't like him on the outside.  He scares the shit out of me, but will he scare NFL DCs or players? 

I'm going to hope/pray that Beast can come back at 90 - 100% of what he was pre-injury.  If not, then pony up the dough to re-sign Connor.  The Panthers should fill the most glaring weaknesses, and that's WLB and OT.   We don't know yet where we'll be picking, of course, but my first instinct is to try to get back into the the 3rd somehow, whether by trading back or trading up.

As you'll see, I'm "mocking" more of the approach I hope the Panthers take, rather than specific players.

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We're four weeks into the the season, and it's time to take a look at where the individual League Leaders stack up among all of the nine CSR Leagues (other than CSR6 and 9, who failed to report).  We've got bye weeks starting up this week, which always have an impact.  And there will be injuries, so much could change before the playoffs begin.  Be that as it may, below are our current leaders.

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UPDATE: I have info from all Leagues Except CSR6, CSR7, and CSR9.  Just a gentle nudge here.

It's about time we update the community on how things are looking in our respective leagues. 

We have nine leagues operating under the CSR banner, with everyone competing for the ultimate prize... unlimited bragging rights for a year, not to mention the honor of living in the left margin for all to see as reigning champ. 

Please email updates to me for your league by Saturday, Oct. 8th (email address is at the bottom of the page).  I'll compile the info for a 1st quarter update.  More info after the jump...

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I love good analysis, and I love honesty.  There are many good/great articles over at FantasyFootballMetrics.com, but I want to specifically share an exerpt about Cam.  RC Fischer mans up and admits a methodology error that needs to be tweaked.  It's important that we all realize that, even using advanced metrics, the goal at FFM is a 70% success rate, which is a high standard when predicting success in the NFL.

While I'm at it, I might as well throw in a little FFM prediction about Blaine Gabbert.

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Thanks to RC for the insights provided.  It's all for real, starting tonight, so everybody's looking for an edge in their Fantasy League.  They're running a "Question of the Day" feature over at FFM, that I must recommend, even if I want to keep it for my own selfish purposes.  So without further ado, I give you answers to some very important FFL questions.

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Now it's for real, in a Fantasy kind of way.

RC Fischer from fantasyfootballmetrics.com has agreed to provide answers to questions submitted by CSR members regarding Fantasy Football.  As many of you know, FFM uses proprietary metric calculations to project player performance.  I referenced several of their pre-draft articles back in March and April.  If you haven’t done so, I encourage you to check out their website.  Many of the articles are free for public consumption.

In return, RC will be providing his clients a link to CSR, which will lead to more members from a knowledgeable and diverse fan base.

As a mutually beneficial service, we will have a weekly post for you to ask questions about Fantasy Football.  The questions can be submitted from Now until Wednesday at noon.  I will pick 5 or 6 of the most intriguing questions each week, and forward them to FFM.  RC and his crew will send answers back for 3 to 5 of the questions, which I will then post as early as possible on Thursdays (prior to game time).

Preseason is over, and starting this week the points count.  So submit your Questions, and be sure to "rec" questions you find especially interesting (this will help in my selections).  Also, feel free to offer your own advice via replies.

*Note, Fantasy Football Metrics looks at player performance in a couple unique ways. One, we do not include Week-17 games in evaluating player performance/PPG for Fantasy Football (as we think this is skewed performance data for a variety of reasons). Two, we consider fractional games played where logical, i.e. if a player plays a half of a game, and misses the 2nd-half due to injury...we will count the performance as 0.5 games played. Keep those two items in mind when considering our statistical references. Thanks

Below are the answers to some of the Fantasy questions submitted by you guys earlier this week.

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RC Fischer from fantasyfootballmetrics.com has agreed to provide answers to questions submitted by CSR members regarding Fantasy Football.  As many of you know, FFM uses proprietary metric calculations to project player performance.  I referenced several of their pre-draft articles back in March and April.  If you haven’t done so, I encourage you to check out their website.  Many of the articles are free for public consumption.

In return, RC will be providing his clients a link to CSR, which will lead to more members from a knowledgeable and diverse fan base.

As a mutually beneficial service, we will have a weekly post for you to ask questions about Fantasy Football.  The questions can be submitted from Now until Wednesday at noon.  I will pick 5 or 6 of the most intriguing questions each week, and forward them to FFM.  RC and his crew will send answers back for 3 to 5 of the questions, which I will then post as early as possible on Thursdays (prior to game time).

Even though it’s preseason, we may as well get started with questions about the Fantasy Draft, etc.  So submit your Questions, and be sure to "rec" questions you find especially interesting (this will help in my selections).  Also, feel free to offer your own advice via replies.

Reminder for the CSR3 League: Draft is Monday at 9:30pm.  I hope to see you there.

*Note, Fantasy Football Metrics looks at player performance in a couple unique ways. One, we do not include Week-17 games in evaluating player performance/PPG for Fantasy Football (as we think this is skewed performance data for a variety of reasons). Two, we consider fractional games played where logical, i.e. if a player plays a half of a game, and misses the 2nd-half due to injury...we will count the performance as 0.5 games played. Keep those two items in mind when considering our statistical references. Thanks

Let me see, is it better to start with the good or the bad?  Probably be the bad, so folks end on a positive note.  So here goes.

According to Steve Reed, "Schwartz hip injury may be serious."  He didn't really elaborate, other than to say that the injury is "starting to look like a concern," and he didn't list Schwartz among the current players expected to be back for game one.

This, to me, is a very troublesome turn of events.  MacBurn'd  is just not getting it done (understatement) at RG.  It's late in the preseason to be shuffling guys around on the O-Line, but should we think about moving Wharton to RG and MacBurn'd to LG, where he played a bit better last season?  Maybe a better solution would be to bring back an old friend.  More after the jump.

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