Any news during the dead period is news that gets reported. In this case the Panthers claimed a center off of waivers in exchange for one of the UDFA guards on the roster.

Pat Ross, a product of Boston College, spent the last month of the 2007 regular season on the Colts' practice squad.  He also spent 20 days of the New England Patriots' practice squad earlier in the season after being waived by the Seattle Seahawks at the final roster cutdown last September.

He spent the entire 2006 season on Seattle's practice squad after being signed as an undrafted free agent following the 2006 draft.  He then went through the entire 2007 offseason and preseason with the Seahawks before being waived.

I don’t see any reason to read too much into this. I think centers Ryan Kalil and Geoff Hangartner are secure in the #1 & #2 center slots. I think this guy Ross is an upgrade on the guy we cut and that’s it. GM Marty Hurney stays ever vigilant for more talent.

Smitty Says Panthers are Better

Steve Smith is echoing what many others are saying , that the Panthers will be a much better team this season.

"With those two (receiver) acquisitions and with some of the big guys on the offensive line -- the rookie (tackle Jeff Otah) -- offensively I think we finally made an upgrade," he said, pausing as he left the Bank of America Stadium practice fields Thursday.

"Compared to the years prior when we had some guys come in, and as those guys have left we really hadn't replenished. And we have finally, and I can honestly see a big difference."

I was just lamenting the key free agent losses the Panthers suffered.

Smith also thinks Moose is aging like fine wine.

"With age comes things that you lose and gain," Smith said. "I was told the things I can do at 25, when you're 30, 34, you'll be able to do a little bit better. Because you've been in the game for so long you'll be able to just manipulate routes and stuff like that.

"So I don't really see any loss. I think he's gained a lot of knowledge."

I’m sure he’s gained an appreciation for an accurate QB too. Jake’s passes are surely a welcome sight. I likes the idea of the power running game as well.

"There were times in the game where if (running back) Stephen Davis was in his way, he would run him over. We've got guys of that caliber, outstanding, that I like watching play."

 The Panthers line will be hard to run over for our height-challenged RB’s. D-Will will counter move his way to daylight while J-Stew will wedge his way between their big behinds. I can see many a Panther scrums turning into five yard gains as the pile can’t help but move forward

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 Jason Peter  Pans His Book

I would probably find Jason Peters book compelling if he wasn’t a former Panther . He cost the Panthers a 1^st round pick and lots of money before being cut loose.

This is more than a book about a druggie who had a failed pro football career. It's a good look into the sordid world of how a pro football player survives when he feels pain every day of his life. And Peter doesn't blame Nebraska, the Panthers, the NFL, or his family.

"I didn't want to put the blame on anyone for my drug use -- anyone but me,'' he said. "I've got great parents. I had all the advantages any kid would want growing up. I take all the blame for everything. There are guys who come out of the surgeries I had and they don't get addicted.''

At least he is manning up and not blaming someone else like so many before him. I may not buy his book but I’ll give him a break. I can’t say for sure if I was handed a couple million bucks at 21-22 yrs old I wouldn’t turn into a party animal. Hell in college I could get in trouble with just $50.

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Mason’s Minutes

 Here’s links to the latest Mason’s Minutes. I have found Andrew to be a good addition to Panthers.com as he gives good detail and seems to focus on topics of importance.

Mason Minutes 1

Masons Minutes 2 

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Catfight: Jags vs. Panthers

 The Panthers and the Jaguars will always be linked given they came into the league together in 1995; ‘sister’ franchises if you will. I found this little comparison on Jaguars.com comparing the two franchises on and off the field.

 Michael from London, UK

At this point, how would you compare the Jaguars franchise to the Carolina Panthers, since they came into the league together? Although the Jags are a better football squad on paper, Carolina is having absolutely no problems selling tickets or finding a corporate sponsor for stadium naming rights.

 Vic: I’ve answered this several times but I’ll do it again. The big difference between the Jaguars and the Panthers is that the Panthers solid Permanent Seat Licenses (PSLs). That’s what has allowed them to sell their tickets; the threat of forfeiting their PSLs if they don’t buy their tickets. The naming rights thing is a function of the difference between the two cities. Charlotte is a banking capital. It has a far bigger corporate community than Jacksonville does. On the field, the Jaguars have the edge in wins. The Jaguars are ninth in the league in winning percentage since the team began playing. If you eliminate the first season, the Jaguars are sixth in the league since 1996. The Panthers are 21st since ’95 and also 21st since ’96. Carolina, however, has done something the Jaguars haven’t done: They’ve won a conference title and played in the Super Bowl. Both teams built stadiums that are too big for the markets, but the PSL concept has kept Carolina’s stadium sold. Could you sell PSLs in Jacksonville? I don’t think so. That’s the big difference.

 I do hear a lot of fans bitch about the PSL cost and price of tickets but hey, it’s worked. The Panthers always have fans in the stands. If you put out a winner then the bitching will subside. Both franchises have fared well and both should be very competitive again this year. How about a Panthers vs. Jags Super Bowl?  The biggest  cat fight in history.

For the first time in the last 9 months I’m not talking about Jake Delhomme’s elbow. I’m actually referring to his brain. Jake had this to say about continuing his work with Panthers Offensive Coordinator Jeff Davidson.

 "I've only played 2 1/2 games with him, and some in the preseason, but I know what he expects," Delhomme said. "He puts more on the quarterback which I think is great. And we have some pretty sharp guys receiver-wise, tight ends-wise and running back-wise. You look at a team like New England and they have a lot of smart football players. That is the key. You have to have smart guys who love to play and want to compete. And I think we are really getting a lot of those guys."

By saying Davidson ‘puts more on the QB’ I assume that means making more decisions at the line of scrimmage based on what the defense is showing. So that got me to thinking about the 2006 season and the couple games where Jake threw some bad INT’s. The Philly game comes to mind.

So does Jake have the mental capacity to handle more decision-making?

 He doesn’t come off as a Rhodes Scholar that’s for sure. I’m not calling him stupid either because I think a person has to be at least semi-intelligent to lead a team to the SB as a QB. I think there is a chance of over-loading Jake and causing him to make bad decisions. He has shown of tendency to do that in the past.

This will be something to watch in the pre-season. Be ready for some obvious confusion by the offense as they learn the system and each other.

Charlotte.com summarizes the lessons learned from OTA’s but doesn’t really break any new ground. Before I recap that piece of rice cake I have to mention I’m more focused on signing our rookies now. Given the way the Panthers have negotiated rookie contracts in the past they will probably start with the late round guys and work their way up. If history give us any lesson it’s that we can expect Jonathan Stewart, Jeff Otah or both (please no) to at least miss the start of training camp trying to work out a contract.

 All I want for Christmas is a rookie salary scale!

 How many days of camp did Jon Beason miss last year? Seems like 8 to10 or so off the top of my head. The last thing we need is for either of them to endure a lengthy contract dispute. Much of it depends on the agent of course.

 Here’s the ‘reality’ section from each key lesson learned:

1. Jake Delhomme’s elbow will be on a pitch count come training camp.

 Reality: It likely won't be until Delhomme plays in an actual game – with defenders slapping and tugging at his arm – that he knows how sound it actually is.

 Ok, that makes sense as it’s like most other injuries. We’ve talked about that a good bit.

2. The Offensive line needs to come together

 Reality: Otah seems to already have been installed as the starter at right tackle and free-agent pickup Toniu Fonoti (a former Pro Bowler) looked impressive at right guard during OTAs.

 I like the sound of Fanoti winning the RG competition. We’re talking close to 700 lbs on the right side of the line. There’s no doubt where the Panthers will be going on those key 3^rd and 1’s.

3. Focus on the running game

 Reality: Stewart is recovering from a toe injury and hasn't practiced. But he's out of a protective boot and Fox said he expects him to be ready for training camp.

 Now that he’s out of the protective boot he needs to go get some real boots and jog on the beach like Sweetness used to do, so the legend goes. Better yet, he can come down to my house and run through the pluff mud in the marsh. That will build up those thighs even more.

4. Finding a true #2 Receiver

 Reality: Musin Muhammad and Hackett both had strong OTAs and Dwayne Jarrett (a disappointment as a rookie) showed improvement.

 We know Jarrett’s issue was mostly mental so maybe his second round of OTA’s will do the trick. Between Moose, DJ Hackett and Jarrett we should be able to sustain a threat across from Smitty.

5. Get Julius Peppers Re-energized

 Reality: Although Peppers might be more comfortable on the right side, that means he'll often face an opponent's left tackle – usually a team's best offensive lineman.

 The positive though is that they will not be used to facing him. It probably be most effective to move him around if he can handle it mentally. I think Pep is going to be alright. I expect him to reach double figures again this season and I won’t be happy with less given how much he’s probably going to cost us to resign him.

 The real lesson here is will there be anyone else to compliment Pep? How about more ‘Mike’ LB blitzes for Beason? Will either Charles Johnson or Stanley McClover emerge? I was really high on McClover after TC last season but he never put it together playing the right side. He’ll be behind Pep now more than likely and it will be Johnson and Brayton rotating on the other side.

One lesson that I never heard discussed was whether we learned to block on kick returns. Special teams was a huge weakness the past two season and OTA’s seems like a good time to work on that stuff.

 Anyone else have any lessons they hope the Panthers learned during OTA’s.

Brad Thomas with Scout.com has a nice post about why John Fox has not met the same fate as his two predecessors.  I’ll cut straight to the chase and come back to the history lesson. His theory is that Fox has not made any critical mistakes like those of Dom Capers and George Seifert.

The fact that many people are missing is that Fox hasn't done anything to give Richardson a reason to fire him, unlike Capers and Seifert before him.

 Let’s visit Thomas points about the two previous coaches.

 Dom Capers

 1998 was the year it went sour. Kerry Collins suffered a near nervous breakdown, which ultimately led to the team releasing its franchise QB early in the season. During the offseason, Capers gave up two first-round draft picks to sign Redskins defensive end Sean Gilbert -- a move which started the dark period of the Carolina Panthers' short existence. In the draft, Capers selected defensive end Jason Peter in the first round. Peter never realized his potential due to injury and drug dependencies. 1998 was also the year where Kevin Greene, the standout linebacker, snapped and attacked assistant coach Kevin Steele on the sidelines. Greene received a game suspension, but the tone it set and the way Capers handled it might have been THE moment when Richardson realized a change had to be made.

The panthers finished 4-12 in 1998 and the team had given up on Capers and his staff. 4-12 was the worst finish of the team's short life, and there was no sign of Capers being able to right the ship. Capers had lost the team and made tremendous blunders as a GM, and owner Jerry Richardson had to do something to set progress in motion

 I will never blame Capers for Kerry Collins immaturity but certainly the Sean Gilbert trade was and still is the worst move in franchise history. Capers did have it coming. By the way, I will have to put up a post soon on my wife’s Kerry Collins rant, she hates the guy

 George Seifert

 Seifert, however, was not an astute general manager and made several poor decisions. The decision to bring in a broken-down Chuck Smith under a high-dollar contract put the Panthers behind the 8-ball financially. Seifert also presided over some of the worst drafts in Carolina Panthers history. Seifert went 8-8 in his first season with the Panthers and 7-9 in his second, however, it would be perhaps the worst decision in Carolina Panthers football history that would send him to the unemployment line in 2001 and ultimately change his legacy from that as a sure-fire hall of famer to that of an inept and aloof head coach. Despite Steve Beuerlein being the team's leader in the locker room and on the field, and his coming off a year in which he threw for 3,730 yards, 19 TDs and 18 interceptions, Seifert decided to cut Beuerlein outright and put all his faith in his unproven understudy Jeff Lewis in 2001. Lewis didn't make it out of preseason due to his lack of knowledge of the playbook and his horrible decision making ability on the field. Seifert then turned to fourth-round pick Chris Weinke, who led the team to a 1-15 season -- the worst in the franchise's history.

 These are good points but didn’t Seifert also oversee the Panthers best draft ever in 2001? Of course 1-15 will get anyone fired.

 John Fox

 Thomas supposes that Fox came to Carolina with great street cred:

 Fox was recommended by Giants co-owner Wellington Mara -- one of the most influential icons in the history of the National Football League. People must keep in mind the mindset and professional outlook of Jerry Richardson. This is a guy who wants to model his team after the Pittsburgh Steers; a team that doesn't change head coaches every 3 years, and a team that is known for its toughness.

In John Fox, Richardson knows what he has: a great manager and motivator and a relatively low-maintenance tactician that never gives too much away.

 Surely good points but I don’t think John Fox is without his mistakes, they just don’t seem to be sticking to him, hence the ‘teflon’ moniker I’ve assigned in the title of this post.

 Fox and Hurney obviously missed most recently with signing David Carr. No need to argue that point I’m sure. I also think they cut Keyshawn Johnson a season too early. I’m sure some will argue he was a negative locker room influence but I thought he had mellowed some with age. He was already gearing up for his after-life as an announcer. I think we could have used him last season but I understand a lot of Panther fans despised him. One last point is I think the Panthers let some key free agents walk that the Panthers never adequately replaced until now: Will Witherspoon, Deon Grant and Moose (who’s now back).

 Maybe these are not as serious infractions as the ones made by Capers and Seifert. I’ll agree with that but I also don’t think Fox is above making those kinds of mistakes. If Jeff Otah should somehow end up a bust (I’m not predicting that) I bet that would do. Also, if the Panther remain injury free but miss the playoffs, lets say win only 6 games, that would probably do it. My point is that maybe Fox will never make a huge mistake like those of his predecessors but even little mistakes can add up. This is the NFL and even I guy with the resume of a George Seifert (prior to coming to Carolina) can quickly find himself out of the league.  The pressure to win is only getting stronger and once again expectations are high in Carolina.

 Ok, I promise more positive topics in the next few weeks.

TE Dante Rosario Working the Middle

TE Dante Rosario is playing hard and trying to protect his spot on the depth chart form any upstart rookies.

The Panthers ran several plays for tight ends during Tuesday's summer school practice and backup Dante Rosario made the most of them. Rosario looked athletic and fast as he went up high to grab a few passes over the middle. With catches like that, Rosario might become a go-to guy on third downs, although Jeff King will likely continue to start and rookie Gary Barnidge could also see playing time.

 The Panthers need a player that is not afraid to go over the middle. Of course we know Moose falls in that category but he won’t be matched up on a LB. Rosario on the other hand should be able to shake loose in a hurry and present another option.

 On another note, I doubt rookie Gary Barnidge will see much playing time barring injury to those in front of him. I just don’t think there are enough TE plays to go around.

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Jake Inspires his Teammates

Having QB Jake Delhomme under center and zipping passes has his teammates feeling good.

"It's awesome to have your leader back under center," tight end Jeff King said.

"Having him back out there, his enthusiasm, is a joy to watch for sure," added coach John Fox.

So why does Jake & Company think his arm is stronger?

"I think a lot had to do with my rehab routine," Delhomme said. "I have become more specialized, I guess you can say in my lifts. So that has strengthened up everything in the arm, the fingers and the shoulder. But I do feel real good. Now it's easy to come on a one-a-day and do it. When you get back to back in training camp... But I anticipate not really having too many issues."

 "That's what they say about baseball pitchers, they come back stronger," King said. "The way he's been working, the way we've seen him work, I wouldn't doubt it."

 I think Jake will be a shew in for Comeback Player of the Year with his shiny new, extra strong elbow.

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Terrence Holt Continues Looking into the Future

Panthers S Terrence Holt continues to fantasize about playing NFL football on the same team as his brother Torry Holt. Apparently Torry is already thinking about his move away from the Rams.

"I think he just said something that he felt passionate about - that he has two years left and after that he's going to see where he can land, or if they don't re-sign him, see if he can get back here to Carolina."

 "I think that would be the ultimate," Terrence Holt said after Carolina's optional workout. "I think that would be the capper on our careers, or his career, since he's older than me."

 Of course I think Terrence might be taking things a little for granted. Rookie S Charles Godfrey is already running with the 1^st team so Terrence is looking at the back-up spot at best. Assuming he’s going to be with the Panthers two season from now is no sure thing.

 "I'm just trying to make it hard on the coaches, to make that decision tough," Holt said. "Hopefully I can put myself in the best position to be out there on Sundays."

 I hope so Terrence but in the mean time I wouldn’t help your brother burn any bridges in St. Louis. If you guys want to play together your best chance may be there.

I’ve been waiting with baited breathe for a report on the progress of WR Dwayne Jarrett. Well we finally get some details on his performance at OTA’s. I think the most important part of this report is that Jarrett is starting to get confidence in himself:

 "I'm paying attention to detail," he said. "Everyone is talented at this level, so you definitely have to take care of the little things and that's what I've been doing this off-season, just getting better, working out and definitely (studying) the playbook."

 It’s well known WR’s usually take time to develop in the league as a rookie’s that put up big numbers like Randy Moss only comes around every so often.

 "He's a young guy and I think he's got a lot of room to grow," Muhammad said. "All the physical talents and tools are there.  I think that he just has to mature and take this job real seriously, get in that playbook and study."

 I think we can rest assured Moose is going to do his best to have a positive impact on the kid. No doubt the Panthers are going to need a WR other than Steve Smith to step up this season and make big plays. I’m hoping Dwayne Jarrett makes the most of his opportunities to get on the field and be that guy.

 "That's like the chip on my shoulder.  I've got something to prove," he said. "I've got that in my back pocket, but it doesn't affect me.  All I can do is continue to work hard, try to make the team better and make plays and just do what I can do and hold myself accountable."

 This is certainly what I wanted to hear from him. He should have a chip on his shoulder since outside of David Carr he took the most flack on the blogs about his essential no-show during the season. I find myself really pulling for this kid to put it together.

But is Steve Smith impressed? CSR user Usana reports that Smitty is still safeguarding his praise for the 2nd year player. Thanks for the link Mr. Gaines.

It hasn’t taken long for one veteran newcomer and one returning former Panther to become impressed with second year QB Matt Moore.

 "He sounds like he belongs there," said wide receiver D.J. Hackett, "and I think he's gotten that from last year, being in the games, so to me, it seems like he's been there."

 "He has a really good arm," (Musin) Muhammad said. "He throws the deep ball.  He's got a nice touch on his passes.  He's learning a lot more as he gets a chance to watch Jake (Delhomme) and come out here and play."

 Added Muhammad: "He seems to be real comfortable out there.  I like his whole personality on the field.  It's good."

 These guys are realizing in a hurry what the rest of us saw last season; this can play at this level. I particularly like Moose’s comments about his on-field personality. There have been plenty of good arms and shiny college stats that have entered this league only to fall flat due to the pressure and speed of the game. If you take the time to look Matt Moore possesses all of the intangibles needed to succeed in this league.  

Sure, Moore wasn’t too good coming off the bench at first but he really shined later in the season in his three starts. Moore has taken that experience and is building on it this off-season. All he needs is more live action and repetition, something many of us are looking forward to seeing, including HC John Fox.

 "It's just going to be part of what we think is a talented young guy's improvement," Fox said.

 So if you hear anyone saying the Panthers missed the boat by not drafting a QB you know the truth: Moore is better when it comes to the Panthers back-up QB. He will be ready if the Panthers need him.

As many people are reporting, including Panthers.com staff writer Andrew Mason, Panthers WR DJ Hackett has returned to practice . Like many Panther fans I was relieved to hear this news until I read the following quote from DJ:

 "It feels good. I just had some swelling in my knee, so I just take it easy when it swells up.  There's nothing hurt, nothing injured."

 I’m not trying to be an alarmist, but how often does your knee swell up DJ? Though nothing is hurt or damaged, it swells up simply from running routes and cutting? I’m getting a sinking feeling about this. If you take DJ Hackett out of the Panthers WR mix I’m suddenly not feeling so good about our WR corps.

Maybe I’m reading too much into his comment, it’s certainly possible. I realize all the players are coming back from a layoff and their bodies need time to adjust. Yet that’s the reason I would think his knee would be in good shape. A knee joint isn’t something that strengthens through heavy use. I just pray this isn’t portending what will be a chronic problem throughout the coming season. In my view DJ was one of our key off-season signings and I’m counting on him to be the main threat opposite Steve Smith. If his knee is acting up already then that is not a good sign.

 So, does anyone have any positive reports from OTA’s about Dwayne Jarrett? Please?