Good Wednesday afternoon, Carolina Panthers fans. I've needed a couple days to calm down before being able to post family-friendly content for Paw Prints. I also want to publicly apologize for my comment in the game thread. I was not and am not happy that Matt Moore got a concussion. What I meant was that at the time he was playing one of the single worst games I've ever seen by an NFL quarterback. I know a lot of it was the O-Line and the playcalling inside the 10, but wow, just wow. Anyway, the word from the Panthers is that if Matt Moore is healthy, he will start this week against the Bucs. In my personal opinion, I agree with Steve Reed in the WFNZ interview with Mark Packer... The NFL is super conservative and cautious about concussions these days. Jimmy Clausen should be our QB this week. If Matt Moore is on the field against Tampa this Sunday, I don't believe there was an actual concussion. Feel free to flame me, but I really believe that. Here are your links for Wednesday June 15, 2010:

Great Foxism:

If healthy, Moore should start for Carolina Panthers. (CharlotteObserver.com)
Said Fox: "Day-to-day means kind of where we're at today is where we are. And we'll take it day-to-day." Um, right.

Gantt's take:

Moore might be back for Sunday's Bucs-Panthers game. (CharlotteObserver.com)
"I'm ready to go," Clausen said. "Obviously Matt's day-to-day right now, and I'll prepare just like I prepared last week, to be ready to be thrown in there. That's my mentality, how I'm taking it this week. "It's similar stuff, whether I'm in there or Matt's in there or Tony's in there, it really doesn't matter. We've got to run the same offense, and that's our job to learn the offense and go out and execute it."

More after the jump...

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Good Sunday morning, Carolina Panthers fans. The wait is over. Anticipation is at a fever pitch. The worthless wasteland from February to September is over. It's the Panthers first 2010 regular season game-day. I've got only one short link before the jump because I didn't want to clog up the main page with too much text. I've got some exceptionally good stuff after the jump today, so be sure to check it out. Let's just say I can't wait for some real football to start this afternoon. I can't wait to talk to you guys in the game thread later. For those of you who are insomniacs and always woke your parents up at 2:00 AM to try to open Christmas presents, feel free to consider this an open thread for Panthers discussion until the other threads go up later today. Here are your links for Sunday September 12, 2010:

Here are the new power rankings from Sports Illustrated. I don't mind being underestimated. I wonder what will happen to the Giants' #13 and the Panthers' #22 after we beat them this afternoon:

Bills in basement of NFL Power Rankings. (SI.com)
22) Carolina Panthers Their offseason of housecleaning sets up the Panthers nicely for the potential lockout next spring, but it's not entirely evident just yet what it means for their 2010 season. Carolina is young and homegrown (35 of its 53 players were Panthers draft picks) and there is talent in place. But can a Matt Moore-led passing game produce enough points to challenge New Orleans and Atlanta in the NFC South? I'm dubious.

More after the jump...

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Good Saturday morning, Carolina Panthers fans. This is a Panthers blog, so everyone must be in Matt Moore's corner, right? Well... I think some people need a reminder of the QB depth chart. Ever since April, I've heard nonstop Jimmy Clausen hype. I hear phrases like "heir-apparent," "eventual," "imminent," "waiting in the wings," "qb of the future." I'm as big a Clausen fan as anyone, and these may be accurate claims, but right now Matt Moore is our guy. He's easy to overlook with his sheepish blue collar personality, but by all accounts he's the real leader in the locker room and on the field. His stats from 2009 are impressive, and if they carry over into this season, the Panthers will be a real force in the NFC South. He gets little to no love in the national media and is frequently portrayed as a lame duck. Well here you go Matty, I can't wait to see you slice up the Giants tomorrow.

Here are your links for Saturday September 11, 2010:

NFL.com news: Team hopes Moore's strong 2009 a sign of things to come. (NFL.com)
But how will he fare? He looked sluggish and was inaccurate in the preseason, failing to lead Carolina to an offensive touchdown and posting a passer rating of just 56.1. But despite the lack of scoring, Moore won points with his teammates by unveiling a side he rarely shows in public. "He's definitely not the quiet type that you see walking around here sometimes. He's actually vocal and stuff," Williams said. "Whenever anybody's talking in the huddle it's, 'Quiet in my huddle.'" It's the kind of leadership the NFL's youngest team desperately needs. The Panthers are confident Moore is their guy, even if that's not a popular opinion. "I'd be disappointed in Matt if he paid much attention to what the outside says," coach John Fox said. "I feel very confident that he'll be just fine."

Moore opening at QB is no accident. (CharlotteObserver.com)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Moore, for some reason, was walking down the hall Thursday with the tail of his T-shirt pulled up over his face. Defensive end Everette Brown, his 260-pound teammate, was coming around a corner toward him at the same time - a potentially painful blind-side hit. At the last moment before they collided, Moore sidestepped quickly, got away cleanly, laughed and asked Brown, "I bet you're wondering how I did that?"

GAMEDAY FEATURE: Despite 6-2 record, respect has been hard to find for QB Moore. (CarolinaGrowl.com)
It seems that almost anywhere you look outside the organization Moore is viewed as a temporary babysitter who'll be gone soon despite a 6-2 record as the Panthers starting quarterback. Inside the organization, however, there’s a completely different sentiment. It is here, at Bank of America Stadium, where Moore’s burgeoning leadership skills have taken root and has given him the backing of the two men that matter most – general manager Marty Hurney and coach John Fox. And, when it comes right down to it, that’s all that really matters, isn’t it?

More after the jump...

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Good Wednesday morning, Carolina Panthers fans. Yesterday and this morning, there were quite a few posts and articles about the Panthers first cuts of 2010. I feel like the topic was fairly well covered with my post yesterday and a couple fanshots, so I didn't include most of them here.

If you follow my paw prints articles, you know that I have a crush on the stats and articles from footballoutsiders.com. This gem was quietly posted up yesterday, and I think it's one of the most insightful articles I've seen from them. It's "a summary of research from [their] first seven years." They could sell this essay. Seriously. I think this essay should be a required read for all NFL fans, players & coaches. Let me know if you think I'm going overboard, but I think this is really great information:

FO Basics: Seven Years of FO Research. (FootballOutsiders.com)
By and large, a team built on depth is better than a team built on stars and scrubs. Connected to the previous statement, because teams need to go into the season expecting that they will suffer an average number of injuries no matter how healthy they were the previous year. The Redskins went into 2006 with a Super Bowl-quality starting lineup, and finished 5-11 because they had no depth. You cannot concentrate your salaries on a handful of star players because there is no such thing as avoiding injuries in the NFL. Every team will suffer injuries; the only question is how many. The game is too fast and the players too strong to build a team based around the idea that "if we can avoid all injuries this year, we'll win."

Here are your links for Wednesday September 1, 2010:

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With the addition of OL Tim Duckworth (formerly of the Saints), Monday, the Panthers roster sits at 80 players. Today the cuts start, and the roster needs to get trimmed to 75. Who do you think will be the first to go? I apologize in advance if one of these guys is your cousin, went to your alma mater or shares the same barber, but these are the guys who, in my view, aren't likely to survive the day.

Here's the list of players that I think the cuts will come from:

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Good Monday afternoon, Carolina Panthers fans. I would have had this post up earlier in the day, but we didn't want to saturate the front page with posts. I know it's been talked about a few times, but wow our defense looked solid. I was seriously impressed by their play against the Titans (as mentioned in earlier posts today). Also, trying to look at the bright side of all the 3 and outs, Jason Baker looked really good. I know punters rarely get any love, so I included a link about him below.

The CSR fantasy draft was last evening, and the opening rosters will be included in an upcoming post. All I can say is, wow, the fantasy IQ of the participants really impressed me. My biggest take-away (besides my newfound nightmares about koalas with lasers) is that everyone seems like a legitimate contender at this point. I already feel like an underdog and the season hasn't even started. Here are your links for Monday August 30, 2010:

I really hope so:

Is this young Panthers D for real? (CarolinaGrowl.com)
"It’s not that I’m surprised because we see it in practice," cornerback Richard Marshall said of the team’s defense. "We have guys that are fast, guys that run around and guys that play with good technique. So to me it’s not a surprise. For the public it might be a surprise because a lot of people are probably thinking, wow, we didn’t know they had this." Added linebacker Jon Beason: "I wouldn’t say I’m surprised, but I would say I’m happy with the way we’ve played." And why not?

More praise for the Panthers' D:

Panthers’ defense a preseason smash hit. (CharlotteObserver.com)
"I think we're having fun – any time you're dominating it's always fun," Beason said. "The good thing about it is, guys are not getting tired of being great. Every play is a new opportunity for guys to go out and keep proving why they belong. "It's a lot of competition like it's been all camp, and I'm really liking what's going on so far." The Panthers have to like it, especially because they couldn't have honestly expected it.

More after the jump.

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Good Friday morning, Carolina Panthers fans. A few weeks ago, I figured heading into the third preseason game we'd be talking about a big splash by the Panthers' offensive rookies. Through two games, the offensive rookies have gotten off to a slightly rocky start. In terms of the defensive rookies, Greg Hardy certainly impressed week one, but it sounds like fellow 6th-rounder Jordan Pugh may be the real surprise heading into week 3. Don't forget he's a 4.40 40 guy with a 40.5" vertical leap. There's no questions about his athletic ability, but the talk lately is all about his ability to adapt to NFL game speed. Here are your links for Friday August 27, 2010:

It's suprising to hear Fox praise a rookie like this in the preseason:

Panthers like rookie's football IQ. (CharlotteObserver.com)
Panthers coach John Fox said he's been impressed with how quickly Pugh has adapted. One of the qualities Fox falls for in players is the swagger that comes with understanding assignments, that "game isn't too big for them," confidence that not many rookies possess. It's something Pugh demonstrated early on. "He's adapted to things pretty quickly," Fox said. "He started last week against the Jets, and I thought he had a good performance. He's a guy that early on showed a pretty good innate ability to learn our systems and be able to do it under pressure. He's a good, young player, a guy that's had a good camp."

And here's what Beason had to say:

Rookie SS Jordan Pugh turning heads with his play and leadership ability. (CarolinaGrowl.com)
But what really struck Beason about Pugh was the 22-year-old’s maturity. "He seems like a savvy vet already," Beason said. "He’s smart and he kind of reminds me of (ex-Panthers safety) Chris Harris a little bit. I think he can be more vocal, but he's still a young guy so that’s understandable." So confident were the Panthers in Pugh’s ability they had making the calls for the secondary in his first NFL preseason game against Baltimore. And with starter Sherrod Martin out of the lineup last Saturday night, Pugh was thrust into a starting role at strong safety. He played most of the first half and was a member of the first-team defense that limited Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets to 45 yards (and only three first downs) on 33 plays.

More after the jump.

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Good Wednesday afternoon, Carolina Panthers fans. I hope everyone's been well. No I was not abducted by aliens. (Or was I?) I've had some personal things to work through lately, which is why I haven't been actively participating at CSR. Although my first post or two may be a little rusty, I watched both preseason games and I've been actively following Panthers news - so don't go easy on me. I'm pretty psyched about the game against the Titans this Saturday. I won't be at the game, but I'm sure I'll be at a local watering hole (Fox & Hound? Suggestions?). Sorry if any of these links are a little stale. I will be spending a bunch of time tonight finding the latest & greatest and I will have another post up tomorrow AM. Here are your links for Wednesday August 25, 2010:

I know one of the main focuses of their draft and OTA's was the passing game. It's gotten off to a rocky start, but It sounds like they're headed back in the right direction:

Panthers working to repair pass game. (CharlotteObserver.com)
“Speaking after practice today, things are good right now,” said Moore, whose preseason quarterback rating is a lowly 34.9. “I think today was one of the better practices we had all camp. I think guys had the right attitude... The capability is there, but the production wasn’t. That’s not the way it should be. Guys I think took the right approach today and we’ll see where we’re at Saturday.”

More after the jump.

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I, for one, am relieved Clausen and the Panthers got this deal done on time. This is one distraction the team could certainly do without. The tough part of Clausen's deal is trying to get him slotted in as the 48th draft pick, but still compensating properly in the event he becomes the starter. (FWIW, 432 people voted correctly at the link above).The interesting thing I noticed was the higher than expected max value. Here's what Darin Gantt had to say:

Max value of Clausen deal ... (Darin Gantt via Twitter)
Max value of Clausen deal $6.3 million over four years if he hits escalators and incentives.

Clausen's deal includes ... (Darin Gantt via Twitter)
Clausen's deal includes escalators he'd hit with play time incentives, and includes $2.533 million guaranteed, according to a league source.

Based on my calculations earlier this offseason, I had predicted:

Jimmy Clausen Holdout: A Real Possibility?

Jimmy Clausen's slotted contract should be between $4.227-$4.582 million with between $2.245-$2.412 million guaranteed.

That's based on previous #48 overall picks and recent 2nd and 3rd round QB's. (FWIW, 432 people voted correctly at the link above).

As far as I can tell, it certainly sounds like the Panthers gave him much higher than expected escalators and incentives that he would be due based on his draft position. It sounds like the Panthers gave him more money than he was due (based on draft position) to get him into camp on time.

What does this mean? In an offseason full of thriftiness by the Panthers, Clausen was more or less the only player to get a "big" payday, and he didn't have to hold out to get it. I believe the Panthers made this move to send a message that there's a real possibility for him to start by season's end, and if that happens, he will be paid accordingly. What do you think?

Update 7/28 2:40PM:

It sounds like the biggest escalators come in the 4th year (highly unusual outside of the first round):

Panthers reach deal with 2nd-round pick Clausen. (Sports.Yahoo.com)
Agent Gary Wichard and the Panthers worked through the night to reach a deal, which was struck after a fourth-year escalator—a rarity for a second-round pick—was included that tops out at $2.85 million

Good Monday afteroon, Carolina Panthers fans. Sorry for the weekend disappearance. I drove out to Wilmington to visit family, and I did a 22 mile hike on Saturday. I won't give a whole bunch of details on that here, we'll just chalk it up to very hot and very grueling. So it's Monday... back to reality, back to Charlotte, back to work. Training camp is only two days away and I'm so excited. I've got (possibly) a record number of links for you today. I challenge your Panthersliness to read or view them all. If you're in a rush and don't have time right this second to continue after the jump, here are two articles covering most of the top Panthers story lines heading into training camp. Here are your links for Monday July 26, 2010:

Here are two good one-size-fits-all Panthers training camp preview articles:

Countdown to camp -- seven days. (HeraldOnline.com)
In DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, the Panthers have arguably two of the NFL's top 10 backs. In fact, there's a legitimate argument as to which is better here. Remember, it was Stewart who led the Panthers in rushing last year (1,133 yards), when Williams (1,117) finished the season hurt. And while Stewart gets dinged for rarely practicing, he hasn't missed an NFL game yet.

ANALYSIS: Breaking down the Panthers roster with training camp a week away. (CarolinaGrowl.com)
So we thought we'd trot out an early position-by-position breakdown of this year’s team a little early. Listed below is each position with likely starters and potential backups, which doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll make the team but certainly have a chance. Those listed as "others" basically indicate those players who, how do we say this politely, face an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster.

More after the jump.

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Good Wednesday afternoon, Carolina Panthers fans. I've got quite a few links for you today. There were actually so many I had to leave a few out (particularly redundant posts about the Brandon LaFell signing).My favorite link of the day is probably the one below the jump from bloggingtheboys.com, but my favorite Panthers' link is the one by Steve Reed about ten burning questions heading into training camp. The Panthers seem like they are creating more questions than answering them this offseason. I trust the leadership of Richardson, Hurney, Fox, but there really are a lot of question marks in key areas on this team. If you're new to the site, don't forget to get involved in the conversation below the jump. What are your thoughts? Here are your links for Wednesday July 21, 2010:

There really are quite a few unanswered questions for the Panthers heading into 2010:

Ten burning questions with training camp a week away. (CarolinaGrowl.com)
4. Is this Fox’s last season in Carolina? Ever since owner Jerry Richardson decided against giving Fox a long-term contract extension I’ve felt like this year would be his last here in Carolina. And, for what it’s worth, a long-time team employee recently told me there’s "a 100 percent chance" Fox will be gone. But the Panthers will get Fox’s best for sure. After all, if the team has a big season and makes a run in the playoffs – especially given how young they are – he can write his own check next year and could bolt for a bigger market. Teams can’t use the franchise tag on coaches.

More after the jump.

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In case you were on a different planet in April, the Panthers drafted two wide receivers in the third round of the NFL draft: Brandon LaFell (78th overall) and Armanti Edwards (89th overall). I've heard various predictions for both of these receivers for this year. If you ask the right person on CSR, they will both be pro-bowlers with 75 receptions, 1,000 yards and double digit touchdowns in 2010.

I figured I'd do a little research to find out how third rounders generally fare in their rookie seasons. In the decade from 2000-2009, there have been 47 wide receivers drafted in the third round. That's a lot of data to draw many possible conclusions from. For the purpose of this article, I stuck to the stats at the WR position (excluding special teams stats). When giving averages and predictions, I excluded the five players that didn't get any playing time in their rookie seasons.

Here's a hint. The best rookie season by a third round pick happened in 2009 - see if you can guess the player...

More after the jump.

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I was reading this post over at rufusonfire.com, and I realized it's been a little while since there was a post like this at CSR. If you're new to the site, read on...

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Good Monday morning, Carolina Panthers fans. I've actually got quite a few links today after the jump. Training camp starts next week, so hopefully Panthers news will start to ramp up over the next few days. I'm eager to see what the new Panthers team identity will look like (in terms of playing style and named-starters). I'm not (and most readers at CSR aren't) a big fan of Jason Cole, but he finally gave a slightly accurate review of the Panthers, so I included it here. Also, it sounds like some of the guys still rehabbing injuries are returning to full health. Also, there's a fantasy link after the jump on DeAngelo Williams (projecting 10-12 TD in 2010). There isn't one cohesive theme of the links today, but that's probably a good thing because big news at this time of year is usually bad news. Here are your links for Monday July 19, 2010:

Jason Cole finally ranks a Panthers position in the top half of the league:

DB rankings: Here's why Jets top the Pack. (Sports.Yahoo.com)
14. Carolina Panthers: The combination of CBs Chris Gamble(notes) and Richard Marshall(notes), FS Charles Godfrey(notes) and whoever fills the spot vacated by Chris Harris(notes) (Aaron Francisco(notes), Marcus Hudson(notes) and rookie Jordan Pugh(notes) will compete) has generally been a group that plays better than its individual talent. This unit isn’t bad, but it isn’t great. That said, the results are really good. Gamble and Marshall both do a good job of forcing turnovers, but neither is a shutdown guy. The secondary’s depth is good, but the primary concern is whether the lack of a great pass rush is going to expose this group. Generally, coach John Fox’s staff successfully does a nice job of mixing coverages from week to week. They better be great at it this season.

More after the jump.

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I don't know how much weight this comment holds, but he is one of the best QB's ever himself...

Bradshaw rips Clausen. (WSBT.com)
"I didn't like him in college and I don't like him now", Bradshaw said to a crowd at EverGreen RV in Middlebury. When asked about Clausen's potential as a pro, Bradshaw gave his opinion. "I don't like his delivery. He's slow. I don't know how many big games he's won (at Notre Dame). As far as I can count, not many. A lot of guys can throw the ball and pile up stats, but are you a difference maker?"

Good Saturday morning, Carolina Panthers fans. It's been six days since my last Paw Prints post. Why have I been depriving you of your consolidated Panthers news fix? I've just finished moving and they've changed my schedule at my day job, so it's been an unusually hectic week. I will try to get back on track posting up the Paw Prints on a daily basis. If you don't see them up at a reasonable time in the AM, feel free to heckle me in the comments section or send me a tweet. Today's also a trial run of the logo over on the right-hand side. What do you think? I look at it as a challenge to write enough in the opening segment to be able to wrap the photo with text. Anyway, back to the Panthers... There's less than two weeks until the start of Panthers training camp. Are you getting psyched? Here are your links for Saturday July 17, 2010:

Today it's Jon Beason video city. It looks like he was hanging out at the NFL network studios for a while (please ignore the bottom banner in the first video that says the Panthers are an AFC South team):

NFL Videos: Jon Beason in studio. (NFL.com)
Panthers LB Jon Beason joins NFL Total Access to discuss the many changes in Carolina.

NFL Videos: Beason field demo. (NFL.com)
Panthers LB Jon Beason analyzes some of his best plays from the 2009 season.

 Here's a live online chat with Jon Beason where fans can submit their own questions. There's a current fanpost about this, but in cased you missed it:

Jon Beason: NFL Live Chat. (NFL.com)
joe, mass

whos harder to tackle deangelo or johnathan? and who do you think is the best RB in the league?

Jon Beason, Carolina Panthers

Jonathan Stewart, just because he's a complete back. He has has speed, power and he's elusive.

 More after the jump.

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In case you haven't heard of Football Outsiders, they do great statistics (DVOA) adjusting statistics offensively and defensively based on what plays are being called, personnel on the field and quality of the opponent. Their statistics are top notch and fairly innovative to compared to some of the other stuff that's out there. Bill Barnwell of Football Outsiders (FO), wrote an article grading teams based on the quality of players aged 25 and under. The Panthers ranking shouldn't surprise anyone here at CSR, but may be a surprise to the national media. See his ranking and reasoning after the jump.

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