I realize this is a little off topic and more suitable for TMZ but what else do we have to talk about? You might recall just yesterday it was announced a doctor had cleared Peyton Manning to play football. Today we find out the ever clever Jim Irsay saying 'Not so Fast!":

"Peyton has not passed our physical nor has he been cleared to play for The Indianapolis Colts. Team statement coming on Friday," Irsay posted on his Twitter feed early Friday morning.

He's not cleared to play for the Colts nor has he asked Mr. Irsay, in a very nice manner, if he can play!...lol Stay tuned for Manning's response via Facebook.

Seriously, I'm sticking with my Manning to the Redskins prediction. I think Synder would love to nab Manning and try to stick it to Irsay (and the rest of us for that matter).

As an update, I'm sticking with the Flynn to the Dolphins deal as well:

Pack can't afford to franchise Flynn
For all those who think the Packers can put a franchise tag on QB Matt Flynn and then trade him, consider that the Packers would have to fit in the $14 million one-year tender by releasing players. They also would need to have a deal in place with Finley so that he could not walk away an unrestricted free agent. So, to do the Flynn maneuver, they'd have to sign Finley (and the others) AND find a way to clear $10 million to $14 million off their cap. It's not going to happen.

From Green Bay to Miami..I'm sure Flynn's family will be happy!

After spending a week at the Senior Bowl new Panthers defensive backs coach Steve Wilks says this class is one of the best:

"From what I've been able to gather so far, it's probably one of the best classes they've had in years as far as corners and safeties," Wilks said. "As coaches, we're all selfish and feel like you can never have enough players, particularly with the way the game is today and how much passing there is. You want to have as many DBs and corners on your roster as possible, so I'm always lobbying for more guys."

With pass rushers at a premium I'm starting to back off of taking a CB early and instead look to the later rounds, maybe even the 2nd round, for a CB. One of the top DTs or DEs though I'm not unhappy with our current group. Brockers, Still, Coples or Ingram should get long looks.

Wilks also likes what he has on the roster right now:

"It's still a little early," he said. "But from afar, I feel like Chris Gamble is still one of the top corners in the National Football League, and there are also two good safeties here in (Charles) Godfrey and (Sherrod) Martin. I'm excited about a lot of the guys we have and am looking forward to working with those guys."

One player he didn't mention is already on the Wilks-train, CB Captain Munnerlyn:

"From talking to him, I'm ready to play now," Munnerlyn said. "Hearing some of the stuff he's going to have us doing, I'm ready to play. He's a great guy."

Well there you have it. Wilks is excited to be here; the players are excited to have him. He's excited about the DB draft class; I'm excited to who the Panthers add to the secondary.

Though the game itself left a lot to be desired there were several players that helped themselves including some I would consider Panther prospects. Let's start with the report from SI's Tony Pauline and and the big kahuna in the middle of the South defense:

Alameda Ta'amu/DT/Washington: If scouts were hoping to be wowed by Ta'amu, all they need to due is watch the Senior Bowl game film. The big defensive tackle was dominant every time he lined up and was a constant nuisance for opponents. He collapsed the pocket on several occasions, overpowering opponents to make plays behind the line of scrimmage or force the action. His quarterback pressure at the end of the first half ended what looked to be a potential scoring drive for the South. In the second half the South was forced to double team Ta'amu in the attempt to slow him down.

Sounds like the next Kris Jenkins to me. It'll be interesting to see how much he moves up draft boards because DTs like him usually don't get past #20... Rivera and Hurney will have to look long and hard at this guy:

Quinton Coples/DL/North Carolina: Coples flashed brilliance during the game, looking like a man among boys at times. His athleticism is incredible, as Coples beat opponents with quickness, speed and power. On several occasions he had Kelechi Osemele flailing in an attempt to slow him down. When he could not get to the quarterback, Coples got his long arms up to swat away passes. When he's on his game Coples is a difference-maker up front. The problem for scouts is determining how often Coples is willing to play at his highest level.

He has warning flags but the continuing questions about work ethic still scare me...Maybe this next guy might be there at the top of the 2nd:

Vinny Curry/DE/Marshall: Curry continues to impress scouts with his ability to get penetration across the line of scrimmage. He was constantly in the backfield and his quarterback pressures in the first quarter caused a lot of problems for the South. On one occasion Curry bull rushed the much larger Zebrie Sanders into the pocket which resulted in a loss of yardage. Curry has significantly improved his draft stock this week and a good combine workout could secure him a spot in the late part of Round 1.

Now the offense and a RB that I would want for his punt return skills:

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Unless the Panthers make some unexpected roster changes to free up some salary cap space they will not be big players in free agency. That doesn't mean the upcoming free agency period could not have a dramatic impact on the franchise. There area couple QBs out there who could end up at a couple QB starved teams that draft ahead or around the Panthers in April. I know many of you hope the Panthers can trade back from #8-9 to a QB starved team if there is a guy guy still on the board. Here's a couple free agents to keep an eye on:

Matt Flynn to the Dolphins

These rumors started almost immediately after the Dolphins hired former Packer OC Joe Philbin:

"It would be a slam dunk," Packers broadcaster and former defensive back LeRoy Butler said. "All of those guys would be on the same page from day one."

If the Dolphins don't land Flynn then they would be a good candidate to move up for RG3. Even if they land Flynn I don't see the Dolphins competing with us at a defensive position since run a different scheme and they are strong in the secondary.

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Hat tip to James Dator for correcting calling the Panthers need for a back-up QB with a skill set more like Cams. HC Ron Rivera confirmed that in an interview at the Senior Bowl practice:

"You have to look at it in those terms and say, 'How much does the offense change if (Newton) is in or if he's not in?' " Panthers coach Ron Rivera said at a Senior Bowl practice this week. "It's one of those things that you're going to discuss and talk about as we go forward."

James made this exact point in his post and as it turns out zeroed in on a player they are evaluating this week:

"You want a skill-set that somewhat resembles your starting QB in order to switch players as needed, but not experience a major drop-off in production."

That obviously isn't Jimmy Clausen who i don't expect to last long in the Panther roster once March rolls around. So the Panthers have a 3rd QB spot to fill and could very well see a QB in the 6th or 7th round that fits the bill, like say former NC State QB Russell Wilson. Wilson didn't appear hesitant about being a back-up to Cam Newton:

"Every opportunity you get, no matter if you're the starter or the backup, you're always competing against another guy that's on your team," Wilson said. "But you're also competing against other quarterbacks across the NFL. And my goal is to be one of the great ones one day."

Outside the height issue (which is why he would be available for such a low price) Wilson looks like a good compliment to Newton. He always played well when I watched him play.

Man I love this modern age we live in! We've got notes from the Sr. Bowl weigh in ... Why do I find these things interesting? maybe I'm a draft junkie?

The guy in this game most likely to be first off the board in April and solid Panther 1st round prospect:

North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples is likely to be the first player participating this week to be selected come April’s draft. Coples had a disappointing senior season, but he is said to have all the physical tools and they were obvious to see on Monday. Coples was measured to be just under 6-6 and he weighed in at 281 pounds. Because the South team doesn’t have any standout tackle prospects, Coples will be expected to dominate in practice. Anything less will be an extreme disappointment for a potential top-10 pick.

The fact most of us are not very high on Coples will probably mean Hurney and Rivera will openly love him after the combine (smokescreen of course). Moving on to a couple LB prospects that might be involved in a trade back scenario:

Zach Brown weighed in at 6-1, 236, and looked the part of the athletic linebacker he’s purported to be. The question on Brown, supposedly, is his tackling ability, and he’ll be tested in practice. Another linebacker who impressed before practice began was Sean Spence of Miami (FL.).Spence, 5-11, 228, was overheard to be described as "rock hard" and is a stout tackler. He likely projects as a WILL linebacker.

Spence is a 2-3 round prospect that I wouldn't rule out just because of his size. I've seen both these guys play multiple times and they are players, they hit and they cover the field. I'd love to have either one, Brown in the 2nd or Spence in the 4th.

Are you hoping for a Panther trade back? There's another potential catalyst that might entice a team to trade up, a QB of course that I will discuss ...after the jump...

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If you plan to watch the East-West Shrine Game this Saturday you might want to read this primer from Wes Bunting on the top 10 prospects playing in the game, including a couple I think would be good fit for the Panthers. If you are unfamilar with the Shrine game it is basically college seniors who did not get invited to the Senior Bowl. But don't let that fool you, there will still be some good players in this game. Former players include Hall of Famers like Johnny Lujak, Dick Butkus, Alan Page, Bob Lilly and Gale Sayers and legendary coaches like Bear Bryant and Steve Spurrier. Plus its a great cause as the Shriner's Hospital for Children is an amazing organization worthy of our support.

Bunting lists a smallish but super-fast WR as his top prospect, who is projected as a 4th round pick by CBS Sports.com:

1. Arkansas WR Jarius Wright (5-10, 176)
The undersized wide out didn’t have the type of dynamic week of practice I expected. However, a lot of that had to do with the quarterbacks on the west roster. Nevertheless, he was the one guy on the field who opposing corners were terrified of on the outside due to his ability to run vertically down the field. He showcased a real snap out of his breaks working the comeback as well and looked like a receiver in the Titus Young mold. But, he needs to continue to work on his hands when plucking the football.

Though the Panthers seem to have a glut of slot receivers in Armanti Edwards, Keoloha Pilares & Steve Smith (at least this is where I like to see him lined up) you never know who Hurney might take a flyer on in the middle rounds. Wright seems to offer a little more speed than Edwards or even Pilares which allow Smith to stay on the outside.

I've got a couple more...after the jump...

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Panthers rookie QB will be reporting to camp on time after signing his deal, which is fully guaranteed:

"I expect him to be here," Rivera said.

Newton had been in Charlotte during the negotiations.

Panthers general manager Marty Hurney praised Newton's agents, Bus Cook and Tony Paige, for their approach.

"Their approach has been terrific," he said.

It's $22M over 4 years, about $56M less than last year's #1 pick Sam Bradford. That leaves 3rd round pick DT Terrell McClain as the only draft pick unsigned:

Negotiations with defensive tackle Terrell McClain have not progressed well, Hurney said, but he didn't elaborate. Other than McClain, all the Panthers draft picks have reported.

I'm not going to read too much into this just yet but it is worrisome.