Panther Paw Prints - Weekend Edition

I must say the CSR readership is doing such a good job of linking up Panther posts lately that its leaving little for my Paw Prints piece. Keep up the good work! I did find a few morsels though starting with the most logical replacement for DE Julius Peppers. This time of year the excitement centers on the draftees and their certain future stardom that is sure to come immediately. I enjoy the speculation as much as the next fan but the truth is its the draft picks from a few seasons back that are ready to make their mark on the 2010 season:

Rookie GM Schneider key to a turnaround in Seattle
The Panthers are going to have to replace Julius Peppers by committee, but of the group of four youngsters who will be called on to add pass rush, fourth-year pro Charles Johnson is the one to watch. The Panthers are enthused about his offseason and believe he could break through this season and make an impact. Johnson was chosen in the third round in 2007 and has eight career sacks.

Johnson will start and finally get his opportunity to play three downs and make his mark...Along these same lines, for all the pundit speculation that Fox will select the rookie QB to start the season I'm sticking my hopes behind the guy that already has the confidence of management:

Panthers QB Moore still expected to open season as starter - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
The scenario that appears likely to play out is that Moore, who went 4-1 as a starter last season, will open the season as the starter. How long he continues in that role is up to him. As long as he plays well and the Panthers are in the race for a playoff spot, Clausen will be watching from the sideline.

Let's give the pundits their opportunity just for kicks, even if it is total bunk:

Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears among teams headed for rocky 2010 - Don Banks - SI.com
The Panthers are suddenly a pretty young team in a host of spots -- just four players on their roster are 30 or older, and two of those are kicker John Kasay and punter Jason Baker -- and that's not really the blueprint for success that the veteran-loving John Fox has used in Carolina the past eight years. Some speculate Fox will coach free and easy this year, with little to lose, but it looks to me like the Panthers decided to go lean and mean this season, and hope that will pay dividends down the road. In other words, this is a classic rebuilding year, even though it may be some other head coach in 2011 who winds up inheriting the fruit of Carolina's 2010 labor.

Now lets finish up with some humor:

Carolina Panthers Should Take a Serious Look at Terrell Owens | NFL Spin Zone
Terrell Owens, who would be willing to play on a one-year deal, would be a fantastic addition as a stop-gap while the Panthers work on Edwards and allow LaFell to develop. Both of the rookies could see time subbing in with T.O. or in a flanker role while Jarrett sees minimal time wherever they decide to toss him in. And not only does he help the young receivers, he instantly becomes a great target for whichever young quarterback takes over the offense. Then, once the passing game gets on track, it opens up an already-explosive running game and creates a difficult offense to stop. There haven’t been any reports of the Panthers showing any interest in T.O., but it’s a move that makes far too much sense to ignore. T.O. needs a place to play, the Panthers need a receiver, and John Fox would probably like to keep his job for at least a few more seasons.

I guess I don't need a picture of a dog to tell you how I feel about that....Now lets finish with an attempt at humor:

Kissing Suzy Kolber
Loose emu runs wild in the Carolinas. "The bird ran around more than 10 square blocks south of East Main Street and Black Street, dodging into back yards, jumping fences and avoiding tackles, until 70-year-old Bobby Mangrum was able to corral the bird using a fishing net." Jimmy Clausen is said to be resting comfortably following his ordeal.

I guess that was supposed to be funny.