Panthers Paw Prints: Where do the DB's rank?

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.

It sounds like Wright is trying hard to get reps on offense, not just ST:

Wright hopes to be more than special teamer.(CharlotteObserver.com)
But the player with the best chance to contribute immediately might be the least-discussed among the new guys. Former North Carolina standout Wallace Wright figures to be one of the core players of the Panthers reconfigured special teams, but he isn't limiting himself to that role. ...

The Panthers haven't signed any veteran free agents to need positions this offseason, so it's ridiculous to think they'd buck that trend to sign the 36-year-old Owens, who caught 55 passes last year in Buffalo. ...

Davis, who blew the knee June 8 and had surgery June 12, said last week he's still in the early stages. He's started running in a pool - which keeps any impact or weight off the repaired joint - but doesn't know when he'll begin running on dry land.

In case you still aren't sold on how unlikely it is that T.O. will be coming to Carolina:

He's on the wrong side of ... (Darin Gantt via Twitter)
He's on the wrong side of the street at the intersection of declining and expensive, and exactly the kind of player they've avoided all year

Lots of topics in this story, but I highlighted the two on the Panthers. Glad to hear these guys are all healthy going into camp:

Owens has only himself to blame for his struggles finding a team. (NFL.com)
That both Carolina Panthers offensive tackles are healthy and will be ready for the start of the season. Jordan Gross and Jeff Otah are back, and from what I hear, Otah might be in the best shape of his life. ...

Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart is finally healthy from all his injuries, and will have a great year. I spent some time with him last week, and he is excited about the season.

I've already shared my thoughts on these videos:

Videos: Camp Preview: Offensive Line (Panthers.com)
Camp Preview: Offensive Line

Pat Y will be starting the NFC South Mailbag and Friday chat again this week:

NFC South mailbag. (ESPN.com)
Ricky in Los Angeles writes: Hey Pat, are you going to have training camp reports? Especially for the rookies?

Pat Yasinskas: Yes, sir. I’m working on my travel plans for training camp today. But I’ll be spending about three days in camp with the Saints, Falcons and Panthers and even more time with the Bucs because they’re in my backyard. Plus, I’ll be monitoring what’s going at each camp from wherever I’m at.

I don't post much from Bleacher Report, but this one was unusually optimistic (especially from a non-Panthers fan):

It's Not All Hate: Carolina Panthers. (BleacherReport.com)
In my opinion, Carolina is better than a middle-of-the-road team, and there is a very good chance that they will enjoy a winning record this season. You heard it from a die-hard Miami Dolphins fan. The Panthers should be a dangerous opponent for every team on their schedule in 2010. There—we may recommence hatred for one another at this time.

Not thrilled about this article, but hey it's fifth down blog at the New York Times:

Carolina Panthers 2010 Season Preview. (fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com)
Bottom Line The Panthers are about to learn that saving money is usually a great way to lose games. Normally, teams in this position can build for the future. But with John Fox most likely gone in 2011, it’s hard to know how to build.

I think I've read these quotes elsewhere before, but I can't seem to remember:

Armanti Edwards a big question mark for Carolina Panthers. (IndependentMail.com)
"The versatility he brings … he’s an athlete, a football player," Hurney said. "He plays the game with an intensity and a toughness that you like. He’s got speed and he’s just a competitive, tough football player. "Time’s going to tell with him, but you just get a feeling he’s got something." The time could be now based on the way Edwards worked during mini-camp. He caught the ball, ran the ball and fielded punts and kicks. Although playing positions he didn’t play with the Mountaineers, he was a quick study. "It was an adjustment getting the routes and cuts down," Edwards said. "But at the same time I had a little bit of knowledge from playing quarterback; I can get the coverages down pretty quickly."

I linked to their post on outside zone runs a few weeks ago, here are inside zone runs (great story):

Rufio's playbook: The Inside Zone Run. (DawgsByNature.com)
Once teams establish the Outside Zone runs as successful plays, defenders usually overreact to the offensive linemen's first steps. The defense sees the offensive line trying to "reach" the defenders, the defenders usually fly toward the sideline. That's the perfect time to dial up the Inside Zone. The idea with the Inside Zone is mimic the first few steps of the stretch play almost exactly, but then to cut the run back up the middle or to the weakside when the defense reacts to the sideline to stop the stretch play.

Fantasy Football Link of the Day:

It's a long quote, I liked the 1300 or so yards and 10-12 TD's, so I had to share it.

Article - DeAngelo Williams, RB, Carolina Panthers. (KFFL.com)
2010 Projected NFL/Fantasy Football Statistics

Run Att    Run Yds      Run TD     Rec      Rec Yds    Rec TD    Tot TD

Lo Hi        Lo Hi           Lo Hi        Lo Hi    Lo Hi         Lo Hi        Lo Hi

232 272    1248 1398   10 12        26 32   203 250      0 2          10 14

Pros: The Memphis product has enjoyed two straight seasons of at least 1,100 rushing yards in a split backfield. A career average of 5.1 yards per carry is impressive, and Williams is a threat to take it the distance on any play. He missed three games last year and still racked up 1,117 rushing yards and seven scores, giving him 25 TDs in his last 29 games. He underwent ankle cleanup surgery and is expected to be at 100 percent for training camp. The Panthers have a strong offensive line and a power-running mentality. With a rather inexperienced quarterback in Matt Moore likely to start, head coach John Fox will probably rely more on the run than usual. Williams is in a contract year and wants a big deal.

Cons: Will defenders focus solely on stopping the run? Williams shares the backfield with Jonathan Stewart, who has shown to be beastly at times. Ankle injuries can be tricky to recover from. Williams averaged less than 3.0 yards per carry in four games last season and failed to score in his final five games. He is just an OK receiver and isn't generally utilized much in the passing game.

Fantasy tip: Consider Williams a nice consolation prize after all of the more sure bets come off the board. We're probably higher on him than most services are. His average draft position is 13th overall, but we wouldn't have a probably drafting him ahead of Steven Jackson in non-PPR formats. Williams is borderline undervalued, but it is understandable given the risks involved.