Good Tuesday morning, Panthers fans. The downtime between OTA's and preseason is great for reflection on the state of the Panthers, past performance and future predictions. Pat Y wrote a detailed article about his choice for best all-time Panthers team. The Panthers have been from 1-15 to the Super Bowl and everywhere in between. I wasn't around for the 96 squad, but I can say the 2008 team should be in the conversation (except the AZ implosion). Who do you think is the best Panthers team ever? Here are your links for Tuesday June 29, 2010:
Part of a series of franchise-best articles at ESPN:
Best Panthers Team Ever: 2003. (ESPN.com)
Analysis: When owner Jerry Richardson talked about how the life had been drained from his franchise during a disastrous 1-15 season in 2001 under coach George Seifert, he couldn’t have expected how dramatic the turnaround would be. Nobody saw the Panthers going to the Super Bowl within two years, but that’s exactly what happened with first-time head coach John Fox.
More after the jump.
Ok, so I've always heard how well such-and-such back does in a zone blocking scheme, but I didn't know that much, technically, about how they work. Here's a great break down:
Rufio's Playbook: Zone Blocking in the Running Game. (DawgsByNature.com)
Announcers and TV personalities often do a lot of talking about the zone runs, but rarely ever say much. This leads to a lot of misconception, mystification, and flat out confusion about the zone runs and what the team is trying to accomplish. Furthermore, there is a lot of talk about "the" zone run or "the" zone-blocking system. There are no such things. There are two zone runs that pretty much every NFL team uses as a part of their own offensive system but they are endlessly tweaked. Here, I will explain the outside zone run and a little of what teams are trying to do when they run the outside zone.
I bet the soldiers that get to see these guys are going to be really stoked:
Fox to visit troops. (Panthers.com)
While many people will spend their summer vacations on sandy beaches, Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox will spend part of his on sandy desserts in the Persian Gulf. He will visit members of the U.S. military for several days later this summer as part of the NFL-USO Coaches Tour.
One highlighted question from each NFC South team:
Reviewing the film of Friday's chat. (ESPN.com)
Jeff (McLean VA) Pat, who takes Carolina's #1 WR reps with Steve Smith out?Pat Yasinskas: We'll find out in camp. My guess is they'll open camp with Kenny Moore as a starter and let the rookies try to work their way up.
Did I mention that I love optimism:
5 reasons to be excited about the Carolina Panthers in 2010. (RealBitsofPanthers.com)
Granted, there are a lot of questions heading into the 2010 season for the Carolina Panthers; but there’s also a lot to be excited about. Over the next few days we’ll look at the reasons to be excited, the reasons to be scared and the looming questions the Panthers have. Being the fan of optimism that I am today we’ll look at the 5 reasons I think Panthers’ fans should be excited for the upcoming season.
Haynesworth may go down as the all time biggest free agent acquisition bust:
7 points: Haynesworth can't carry his own weight. (Foxsports.com)
But knowing Smith's fiery competitive nature, don't count him out. He'll be working hard to make sure that his offseason error in judgment doesn't impact his team's win-loss record this season.
It's good to hear that the Panthers are environmentally conscious:
Panthers win Water Star Award. (Panthers.com)
The sound of sprinklers on an early summer morning is a common serenade across the Carolinas. At Bank of America Stadium, the fields and vast, beautiful landscapes require daily attention and plenty of water. But water conservation is not sacrificed for beauty. In fact the Carolina Panthers have been honored as a 2010 Water Star Award winner by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities. The organization was recognized for its vision and commitment to water conservation and the protection of the region's drinking water supply.
Hey, in June, any Panthers talk is news:
Mac Attack Hour 2 6/25. (WFNZ.com)
In hour 2 we spoke to former NFL coach Sam Wyche about Tim Tebow, Armanti Edwards, the old AFC North, and why he is coming to Charlotte this weekend.
Making the case that we're not starting to rebuild, but that we've already "arrived."
Are we there yet? (CatCrave.com)
By most accounts we are a team of untested youth and inexperience. This offseason has given us all in the Panther Nation reason to pause and ask questions. I still have a few myself. So I guess it would be an understatement to say the new era has begun. the real question is like the kids in the car on the long trip. "Are we there yet?" I guess we will find out. I will say this. I look forward to it. Not only that, I am actually truly more interested in the upcoming preseason games than I ever recall being in any preseason.
Fantasy Football Links of the Day:
Pretty solid analysis:
Fantasy Football 2010 Rookie QB Impact. (FantasyKunckleheads.com)
Jimmy Clausen, CAR - I like Clausen’s immediate NFL ready talents a bit more than I like Bradford’s, however, Clausen should probably sit most of, if not all of the 2010 season. If he does start, the Carolina Panthers give him an excellent running game with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, and a star receiver in Steve Smith to help his out. It’s unlikely Clausen would start the season either way, but he could take over down the stretch. If he does he could put up top 15 to 20 #’s. Still not a great fantasy threat in 2010.
In dynasty formats, the idea is to pick up players with high upside and staying power. Picking up a Peyton Manning or Phillip Rivers in their rookie season may not be an immediate help but could carry your team for years down the line. Here's a strategy for drafting quarterbacks in dynasty formats:
Building a Dynasty – Quarterback Strategy. (FantasyFootballHelp.com)
Say what you will about runningbacks, quarterbacks are the key to dynasty league success. There is no doubt RB production is hard to come by and there are many studies and many sites to prove that the value of RBs is premium in the fantasy world. But, all of those studies and sites are based on the redraft league format, they take into account neither time nor longevity. In the dynasty format, where you keep your players from year to year, production variability from year to year is an important component to consider when choosing players for your team. The QB position especially must have low variability if you will succeed in dynasty. Also, your QB has a longer NFL career span so picking the right QB can set you up for years.