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John Ellis
the212

EllisEye: 8.5.11

Friday's camp activity through the EllisEye:

• Will Spartanburg ever get any rain? After neighboring Greenville and Anderson counties saw their share of storms, Wofford College was spared Friday night. Heavy clouds blanketed a muggy night.  
• Ron Rivera is intense. Spend a few minutes with the man in a simple conversation, and you’ll see he is all business. Friday night, Rivera, in a controlled manner, let his defense have it after allowing an easy completion.
• After Rivera’s loud directive, the defense played much tighter and was more vocal in terms of alignments and communication.

• A decent crowd gathered on “The Hill” at Wofford, but did not get the best view of Friday’s practice. The team moved to the field on the far side of the facility, due to some minor turf issues on the main field.
• This move meant practicing without the benefit of lights, which led to—in this writer’s view—a rather sloppy ending to a good practice.
• Team officials were mum on both injury and personnel situations. We’re told both will be addressed by Rivera on Saturday.
• One mystery remains: Derek Anderson. The veteran that signed this week with Carolina has still not thrown one pass in pads since his arrival. Under the 2011 CBA rules, he was eligible to practice on Thursday night and all day Friday, but was not a part of the team’s standard 7 on 7 and full contact drills.
• Legedu Naanee, a WR who was signed to the team Thursday, was expected to participate in Friday’s practice. However, he did not suit up. Expect to see him Saturday in his first round of action.
• Cam Newton continues to do the right things. Well past the end of practice, Newton was dropped off by team officials on a golf cart, and spent 10-15 minutes signing as many jerseys, helmets and footballs as possible. Authentic? Time will tell. But, give it to the guy—he’s making an effort.
• Olindo Mare missed an extra point tonight after a touchdown. Not a great sign, but not worth panicking over.

X's and O's du jour:

• Eric Norwood is showing a nice first step on his pass rush as a DE. The one-time LB is now rushing with his hand in the dirt, and told me Thursday that he’s happy about it.
• It may sound overstated, but the play of all three TE’s (Shockey/Olsen/Barnidge) have been stellar. Olsen, in particular, has shined, pulling in some nice catches in traffic. This trio will help either Clausen or Newton a ton.
• Went back and studied some tape on Chicago from 2010. Mike Martz was doing a good bit of movement with Olsen, but had him lined up in the slot position most of the time. This is the same concept that Norv Turner has utilized with e perennial All-Pro Antonio Gates. Both Norv’s son, Scott, and former Chargers’ TE Coach, Rob Chudzinski, are now with Carolina’s staff.
• SS Sherrod Martin is showing versatility. He has picked off three passes, all from Newton, this week. He was also engaged with Steve Smith in man coverage near the goal line and played a beautiful trail technique, using his reach to knock the ball away from 89.
• With the lack of veteran depth at CB, and Sean McDermott’s inevitable blitz packages, moving Martin to CB opposite Gamble may not be a bad idea. You will need at least two physical CB’s that can jam WR’s off their route tree while additional defenders pressure the QB.  Martin has the skills to pull that off.
• Ryan Kalil was seen spending a ton of time with conditioning coach Joe Kenn, working on flexibility and conditioning. Kalil did not practice Friday night.
• A fight broke out—again. This time, two rookies: OT Lee Ziemba and DE Malcom Tatum got into a quick scuffle. No injuries sustained.
• One defender that could not be identified by the media was overheard, playfully, taunting Chudzinski during the huddle. Defense got some of their confidence back.
• Jason Baker, punter, with perhaps the driest wit on the team. Walks by a few reporters, looks up (deadpan) and says, “Guys, not tonight…no time to talk”. Funny moment.
• Hurney and team president Danny Morrison were both at Friday’s practice, but neither were in a position to spend much time speaking with the media.

The Panthers will practice on Saturday morning, 9:45am, at Wofford College. At 4pm, the team will be back in Charlotte at Bank of America Stadium for Fanfest. More information is available at www.panthers.com. I will be with the media pool again on Saturday in Charlotte, and will continue to provide as many live updates (relevant to the action on the field) as possible.

Camping in August--Next man up

Injury news overshadows an intense, productive practice

John Ellis

the212

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – On a cooler, overcast Friday night, an otherwise routine practice for the Carolina Panthers ended with the unofficial presentation of some unsavory news.

It’s the type of news that nobody wants to hear about, and that every coach/GM/fan of a team dreads.

The “I” word: Injury.

First came word from a team source that 6^th round pick Zach Williams would miss his entire rookie season after sustaining a torn ACL in his left leg. The injury occurred during Thursday’s practice, and will set the rookie back in his progression, also leaving somewhat of a void for depth on the offensive line.

To follow, the same team source confirmed that Ron Edwards, a NT that was signed away from the Kansas City Chiefs, had torn his triceps. Although the team has yet to confirm the length of recovery time needed, the injury has historically sidelined players for a full season.  If that is confirmed by head coach Ron Rivera on Saturday, it leaves Carolina with a considerable problem for arguably the team’s thinnest position—interior defensive lineman.

Edwards, who arrived in Wofford excited about the opportunity to be a “space-eater” in the middle of the line, had received rave reviews from Rivera just two days prior.

“We wanted a big body in front of our linebackers to run and get a chance to make plays downhill,” said Rivera of Edwards.

That responsibility, for at least the foreseeable future, will now rest on the broad shoulders of DT’s Sione Fua and Corvey Irvin. Fua, a rookie from Stanford, was drafted to fill this role initially, whereas Irvin—while showing progress in this 2011 camp—has appeared in just two regular season games in two seasons.

Rivera was unavailable for comment following Friday evening’s workout, but will reportedly address the media sometime Saturday when the team heads to Charlotte for Fanfest, a 4 pm scrimmage at Bank of America Stadium.

Given the fact that Carolina has limited salary cap space after taking care of many of their own free agents, General Manager Marty Hurney  faces a potential conundrum.

Cornerback is another position of relative inexperience. Taking reps tonight with the first team were Cletis Gordon and CJ Wilson. Chris Gamble, the team’s lone proven veteran at the position, has yet to practice this week, due to an undisclosed illness.

So, how does Carolina attack their sudden defensive weaknesses? It’s a question that Hurney will need to address, and quickly. Speculation earlier this week had the Panthers interested in looking into a potential trade with Philadelphia for Pro-Bowl CB Asante Samuel. Those rumors have cooled, primarily due to Samuel’s high-dollar contract that would need to be restructured.

Carlos Rogers from Washington was another name mentioned, but ended up signing with the 49ers earlier in the week.

It would appear that Carolina is poised to stick with what they have at CB, and hope that Gamble’s health issues won’t stunt his otherwise steady presence at the position.

Gordon is a player to keep an eye on. He played under Rivera in San Diego, and could very well end up as the 3^rd corner, or, depending on the play of the suspected #2 corner Captain Munnerlyn, Gordon might find himself in the starting lineup.

As for DT, the logical bet is the Panthers will shop around the thinning free agent market for an interior lineman that fits Edwards’ skill set. One name to keep in mind is former Charger NT Ian Scott, who last played in 2009. A native of Greenville, Scott would come in with tangible experience in Rivera’s system.  Ma’ake Kemoeatu, the former Panther who was just released by Washington, could also be considered a candidate for replacing Edwards.

There will be plenty of speculation, and as soon as news breaks on a replacement for both injured players, we will bring you the latest.

EllisEye - 8.4.11

Irreverent observations of the day:

• Left Greenville for Wofford at 5:43pm. Arrived at 6:50pm. Why? I still don’t know, but three lanes of traffic from exit 55 to exit 65 were crawling at 15-30 mph.
• Was a cool, pleasant night. Clouds rolled in, no rain fell, nice break from what’s been one of the hottest camps ever.
• Hung out with Pete Iacobelli, writer from the AP. One of the funniest, laid-back guys inside the ropes. Google his name and follow his work. He’ll be on the AP beat for the Panthers in 2011.
• No celebrity sightings a day after the commissioner, team owner and political pollster Frank Luntz (WTF) were hanging out.
• Special thanks to Ryan Anderson, Communications Assistant with the Panthers. He works for Charlie Dayton, one of the best in the biz, and Ryan has been a great resource for interviews and access this week.
• Speaking of Dayton, major congrats in order, as he was recently honored by the National Association of Black Journalists. Big award for a big time talented guy.
• Strong crowd presence again, despite the threat of bad weather. Vocal, as well.
• Armanti Edwards has changed his jersey number from 10 to 14, trying to evoke some good vibes from his days in Boone.
• Olindo Mare, the poor bastard who gets to replace John Kasay, has taken number 10 from Edwards
• Autographs galore for our troops traveling with the USO tour, many of whom were lined up outside the Richardson Building after practice. Players who swung by to sign included:
• Jeremy Shockey
• Steve Smith
• Jon Beason
• Jordan Gross
• Thomas Davis
• Many more….
• Speaking of Beason, the Pro-Bowler stopped to speak to me on the way up the hill. Exceptional man, off the field. Told me to “seek him out” next time there was a press break during morning practices and we would “chat”. Awesome guy, and if I might take my journalistic hat off for a moment, I hope he achieves his stated goal of winning defensive player of the year in 2011.
• DE Eric Norwood also spent a brief minute with me after practice. Looked tired, but not out of shape. Said he loved getting all the reps at DE now. Hand in the dirt, rushing the passer. Keep an eye on 92 this year.

X's and O's du jour:

• Mare looked good on a couple longer FG attempts, blasting one from 45y with room to spare.
• Ron Edwards, newly signed NT from Kansas City, looks larger than his listed dimensions. Has that “Vince Wilfork” thing going on.
• Rivera commented on Edwards, saying they got him to let the LB’s “run downhill and make plays”
• Tight Ends-ville. The position, so much ignored from a passing perspective by this team since 2002, will now (possibly) sport the most athletic trio of TE’s in the NFL (Olsen, Shockey, Barnidge)
• Speaking of Olsen, not only a tall dude, but well-spoken and a great interview. And he can catch anything. (Somewhere, Jake is like, “WTH?)
• Derek Anderson, newly acquired from Arizona, did not practice. Should be ready to roll Friday night.
• Steve Smith, Brandon Lafell and David Gettis all sat out last night (Smith is fine, Lafell and Gettis are nursing minor injuries.
• These absences opened up the door for others, including West Texas A&M’s very own Charly Martin, who made a spectacular catch on a very well thrown post route from Newton during 11on11’s.
• Ron Meeks, the defensive coordinator of the Panthers from 2009-2010, is going to turn out to be a great “retention” hire by Hurney. Meeks is a DB coach by trade, and his 1v1 ability to teach the nuances of playing in the backfield will serve a young secondary well.   
• Meeks and McDermott have been very conversational this week. Almost joined at the hip, at times. They will work well together, given their personalities and approach.

• Offensive Notes:
• Upon my arrival, the offense was running a series of 4-play, hurry-up drills, starting from their own 20 yard-line.
• Newton’s first “series” was impressive:
• Two consecutive completions to Barnidge (82) for a combined 50 yards.
• Next play, beautiful strike on post to aforementioned Charly Martin right at the goal line.
• Clausen’s first “series” was marginal:
• Broken play-miscommunication between Clausen and Wallace Wright.
• Two consecutive dump-offs to Jonathan Stewart followed
• Deangelo Williams did return to practice, and looked sharp out of the backfield. Caught several passes, as well, including the famous “Dan Henning Smoke Route” from 2005-fame.
• Greg Olsen, in one practice, has convinced me that this team may have found this decade’s Wesley Walls.
• Olsen was lined up on the line and in the slot. Antonio Gates has made a living out of that alignment for years while working with current Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski.
• Marty Hurney, in a casual huddle with several reporters during practice, looked like a proud father when asked about the TE’s. Just softly said “good to see”.  
• Rookie WR Kohola Pilares, a 5-11, 200lb fireball, ignited the crowd with a sensational over the shoulder catch from Newton—a 35-yard laser on a skinny post. Well executed
• Offensive line looks very much in step, particularly in the running game
• Mike Goodson, RB, is going to have an opportunity to start somewhere, someday. The fumbling has not been an issue thus far at camp, and coming off a strong finish to 2010, look for many opportunities for 33.
• Goodson was fielding kickoffs two nights in a row.
• QB’s: as stated in today’s column, my feeling is Clausen senses that he has a small edge over Newton/Anderson right now, and he’s doing all he can to protect it. Not taking ANY shots downfield, as that’s not his game. A ton of check downs, flats, screens, slants and shallow crosses. Not even that many outs. Get the sense that Clausen knows his limits with his arm, and is not going to make a spectacle out of himself in practice by forcing throws where they don’t belong. To his credit, his efficiency is very high in these full contact drills. To his detriment, he’s not throwing anything vertical. This offense, conceptually, is based on success in running the ball and vertical attack with play action. Newton, without question, has shown enough velocity+accuracy on throws over 20 yards to fit this offense like a glove. The missing ingredient is experience. He has made several mental errors on reads, and has thrown two interceptions in two days, with several more that could have been picked. Again, my feeling is Cam is running the offense as it’s meant to be run, whereas Clausen is running it as if it’s a Gruden system. My feeling, also, is that Rivera—the ONLY man that will make the final call on who starts on 9.11.11, wants this offense to move, even at the occasional expense of a downfield turnover. Better to be dynamic with occasional mistakes than to be stagnant with no mistakes and engage in a punt-off. Anderson gets his shot this weekend, and don’t sleep on him. Things change in the NFL—fast. Don’t underestimate his success with Chudzinski in Cleveland. There’s comfort on both sides there.

• Defensive Notes:
• Jon Beason and Dan Connor were both sidelined with injuries.
• During contact drills, defense was almost exclusively in nickel, with Thomas Davis and Omar Gaither getting the bulk of reps at LB
• In the standard 4-3 alignment, it was Gaither/Davis/Anderson
• Since contact on QB’s is limited, hard to evaluate the pass rush. There were several occasions where both QB’s were flushed out to the right and had to throw the ball away. Everette Brown, Eric Norwood and Charles Johnson all look fit. Johnson is strong with a nice bull rush. Brown/Norwood both play the speed-rush game, similar to Dwight Freeney—just not at that level to this point.
• Corner remains a concern. Hurney would not address it with me directly.
• Cletis Gordon, who played under Rivera in San Diego, was lined up on the first unit opposite Captain Munnerlyn.
• CJ Wilson also saw considerable action in passing situations as the 3^rd CB
• Safety has been a strong spot, and it appears to be getting stronger.
• Charles Godfrey is now a veteran at FS, entering his 4^th year as the starter. Has missed 4 starts in 48 games as a pro. In 2010, racked up 82 tackles with 5 interceptions. Looks bigger this year, and does a nice job coordinating the secondary.
• Sherrod Martin is in his 2^nd season as the starter at SS. Played well, at times, last year. Was strong in run support, and when in coverage, shows tremendous range.
• Undercut a Newton deep ball for an athletic interception, and ran the pick back 40+ yards for a good return. Rivera was pleased to see that, and emphasized to the press earlier in the week the value of takeaways, but also “scooping and scoring”.
• Remember, despite the woes in 2010 overall, the pass defense was ranked 11^th overall in the NFL. Seldom did the team get “burned” with the deep ball. Also remember, that was a Cover-2/Cover-3 scheme, designed to eliminate big plays. Rivera/McDermott want to play things differently. How so? Go find some footage of Philadelphia’s defense from the 2001-2008. You will see the precise blueprint with which this staff will work. Attacking—multiple fronts, stuns, blitzes, single safeties. It will be a different game for Martin/Godfrey in 2011.

More reports from the212daily on Saturday morning. The Panthers will hold another practice Saturday morning at 9:45am before departing to Charlotte for FanFest at Bank of America Stadium. For more information on FanFest, visit www.panthers.com

NFL Media Guide--KICKOFF 2011

http://nfllabor.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/2011-kickoff-information-guide.pdf

Enjoy this link, courtesy of the folks  from the NFL media dept. Very good reading material.

-Ellis