Carolina @ New Orleans

Drew Brees and Cam Newton both wrote their names into the NFL record books in Week 16, adding acclaim to what have been fantastic campaigns from each.While Newton looks to conclude his tremendous rookie season on a high note, it remains to be seen if Brees will take the field at home Sunday against the Carolina Panthers with the playoff-bound New Orleans Saints possibly choosing to err on the side of caution.Brees threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns - breaking Dan Marino's mark of 5,084 passing yards set in 1984 - and the Saints clinched their second NFC South title in three years with Monday night's 45-16 rout of Atlanta.

"This record isn't about one person. There might be just one name that goes in ledger under the record, but it's really about the team," Brees told his teammates. "I want everyone to feel a huge part of this, that this record would not have been possible without them." New Orleans (12-3), which has the third seed in the NFC locked up, can only improve its postseason position with both a victory over the Panthers (6-9) and an unlikely San Francisco loss to St. Louis. Given the circumstances, coach Sean Payton could choose to rest Brees for most - if not all - of Sunday's game.

CARRY ON

Carolina @ New Orleans

                                                               

Newton's Rookie Season Goes From GREAT To HISTORIC / Carolina 48 - Tampa Bay 16

Tampa Bay @ Carolina

Carolina 28 Houston 13

Panthers Don't Play 60 And Fold To Falcons 31-23

CHARLOTTE - On the day that the Carolina Panthers recognized the NFL Play 60 initiative, the Panthers came up significantly short in that regard.The Panthers steamed to a 23-7 halftime lead, but the Atlanta Falcons rallied to a 31-23 victory at Bank of America Stadium.The Falcons (8-5) took the lead with 17 unanswered points in the second half, but Carolina's offense appeared to re-awaken just in time to possibly pull out the victory. The Panthers (4-9) drove into the red zone with just over five minutes to go, but Olindo Mare missed a 35-yard field goal wide left.On the second play of the ensuing drive, Falcons rookie wide receiver Julio Jones got free for a 75-yard touchdown reception with 4:17 left for a 31-23 lead.

CARRY ON

Panthers Pillage Buccaneers 38-19

TAMPA, Fla. - The Carolina Panthers couldn't fully shake free from Tampa Bay in the first half Sunday thanks to the Buccaneers' field goal kicker, but the Panthers put their foot down in the second half and rolled to a 38-19 victory at Raymond James Stadium. The outcome secured wins in consecutive games for Carolina for the first time since the final three games of the 2007 season. The victory also moved the Panthers (4-8) ahead of Tampa Bay (4-8) into third place in the NFC South.

CARRY ON

Carolina 27 Indianapolis 19

Detroit 49 - Carolina 35

Titans Slaughter Carolina 30-3

Titans @ Panthers GAMEDAY Preview

The Carolina Panthers have just a pair of wins through eight games, but with rookie quarterback Cam Newton keeping them competitive, they're confident there will be better second-half results.The Tennessee Titans have the same hopes as they sit at .500 at the season's midpoint. Coming off a bye, the Panthers close out a three-game stretch at home Sunday when they face a Titans team opening a road-heavy portion of its schedule. With Olindo Mare missing a 31-yard field goal with 26 seconds left in a 24-21 loss to Minnesota on Oct. 30, the Panthers limped into the bye week at 2-6 - far off the 10-win pace first-year coach Ron Rivera said his team was capable of in training camp."To be 2-6 is not acceptable by any means, and it's disappointing," Rivera said. "But what we can do, and what we have the ability to do, is more important to our guys right now."

CARRY ON

Davis Has Torn His ACL 3 Times, Willing To Restructure His Contract To Return

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Thomas Davis loves football so much he isn’t about to let three knee injuries force him out of the game. The often-injured Carolina Panthers linebacker refuses to put his shoulder pads on the shelf and plans to keep playing despite tearing the ACL in his right knee three times in the last two years.

Davis’ latest knee injury came in Week 2 against Green Bay and he’s been on injured reserve since. But the seven-year NFL veteran hasn’t given up the dream of playing again. Davis, 28, said he has some good years left and will do anything to play again — even if that means volunteering to restructure his contract and take a pay cut.

CARRY ON

THERE IS NO DOUBTING CAM

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- On a recent afternoon, after heavy rains nearly thwarted a Carolina Panthers practice, rookie quarterback Cam Newton glumly trudged into a half-empty news conference room beneath Bank of America Stadium. It surely wasn't the dismal weather that had him so down. Instead, his sour face probably involved facing more questions during a season in which he already has lost more games than in his entire college career. As Newton leaned against a tiny lectern, he looked about as cheery as a 10-year-old who'd just learned his new bike had been stolen.


The hardest thing for Newton to grasp -- even in the midst of a season where Carolina is now 2-5 following Sunday's 33-20 win over Washington -- is that there should be plenty of optimism stirring in this franchise. In just seven weeks, he has gone from being the most scrutinized No. 1 overall pick in NFL draft history to being hailed as a burgeoning superstar.

CARRY ON

Carolina 33 Washington 20

Washington @ Carolina GAMEDAY Preview

Despite being a half-game out of first place in the NFC East, the Washington Redskins are making a quarterback change. The Carolina Panthers have been generally pleased with their rookie quarterback, but they're facing a sizable deficit in the NFC South. John Beck will make his first start in four years for the Redskins on Sunday when they visit Cam Newton and the Panthers, who are coming off yet another disheartening loss.

Rex Grossman beat out Beck for the starting job during the preseason, but he fell out of favor with coach Mike Shanahan after throwing four interceptions in a 20-13 loss to Philadelphia last Sunday. The defeat dropped Washington (3-2) just behind New York for the top spot in the division. Beck replaced Grossman at the start of the fourth quarter and led the Redskins to their only touchdown. In two series, he went 8 of 15 for 117 yards and scored on a two-yard run. The 30-year-old former second-round pick is now set to make his first start since he was a rookie with Miami in 2007. He went 0-4 as a starter for a one-win Dolphins team.

"Definitely excited. There's been a lot of hard work that's gone into this," Beck said. "You never know when your opportunity's going to come, and you've always got to stay ready. I've tried to do that."

CARRY ON

Newton Prepares For Trip Home To Atlanta

The Carolina Panthers have embraced all of what Cam Newton can do. The rookie quarterback has not only put up record numbers passing, but also has been the Panthers' primary weapon in the red zone. He has rushed for five of the team's six touchdowns leaving him one shy of Chris Weinke's single-season franchise record. Newton will get to showcase his NFL versatility in front of family and friends when he returns home to face the Atlanta Falcons Sunday at the Georgia Dome — not far from where he grew up in College Park, Ga., and later arrived on the national stage at Auburn.

When asked if he's been bombarded with ticket requests for his return home, Newton simply smiled and said, "StubHub."

CARRY ON

New Orleans @ Carolina

Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints have had little trouble piling up yards, points and victories. The Carolina Panthers have been almost as efficient at moving the ball down the field behind rookie Cam Newton, but costly mistakes have subsequently resulted in fewer scores and wins. In a matchup between two potent offenses from the NFC South, Brees looks to lead the Saints to a fourth straight victory Sunday against Newton and the Panthers, who are coming off another disappointing defeat. New Orleans (3-1) is second in the league in offense, averaging 471.5 yards, while Carolina is third with an average of 451.8. The Saints, who swept the season series from the Panthers last year for the first time since 2001, are also near the top of the NFL in scoring, ranking fifth with an average of 31.8 points. The Panthers (1-3), however, are well off that pace at 17th with an average of 22.3 points.

CARRY ON



Carolina's offensive shortcomings were on full display in last Sunday's 34-29 loss to Chicago.

Grin & Bear It, Mistakes On Special Teams Cost Carolina In 34-29 Loss To Bears

Mistakes on special teams play proved costly today as the Carolina Panthers lost to the Chicago Bears 34-29 in Soldier Field. Devin Hester had two long returns -- including a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown -- as the Bears handed the Panthers' their second road loss of the young season. The Bears decided what had been a tight game with a three-yard touchdown run by Marion Barber with 1:23 remaining. We were trying to limit (Hester's) opportunities and we didn't do a good enough job," head coach Ron Rivera said. "We have to get better at that. That falls on me personally. We had a plan and felt good about the plan but unfortunately we didn't execute the way we needed to.

CARRY ON

Carolina Holds Off Jacksonville 16-10 For First Win Of The Season

CHARLOTTE - The Carolina Panthers slipped in the rain that pelted Bank of America in the second quarter Sunday, but they refused to let it rain on their parade, rallying for an 16-10 victory. The Jaguars took their first lead with no time left on the first-half clock, when a 39-yard run by Maurice Jones-Drew set up a 36-yard touchdown pass from rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert to wide receiver Mike Thomas as time expired for a 10-5 lead. The rain relented in the second half, and eventually the sun came out from the Panthers' perspective. Olindo Mare pulled Carolina within 10-8 with a 32-yard field goal late in the third quarter, then the Panthers pulled it out just when time seemed to be running out.

CARRY ON

Get Ready, Rookie / After Stellar Debut, Carolina QB Newton Faces Green Bay Defense

Cam Newton stunned the NFL and single-handedly revived the hopes of the Carolina Panthers’ franchise with his 422-yard passing performance Sunday in a 28-21 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. But as promising as the Panthers’ future looks, the more immediate question is how Newton will play over a long rookie season, beginning this week against the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers.

CARRY ON

Newton Sets Rookie Debut NFL Passing Record In 28-21 Loss @ Arizona

Despite a record-setting debut by rookie quarterback Cam Newton, the Carolina Panthers surrendered a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to lose their season opener 28-21 today to the Arizona Cardinals in University of Phoenix Stadium. Newton drove the Panthers to the Arizona 6-yard line with just over one minute to play but his fourth-down pass to Mike Goodson came up one yard short of a first down at the Cardinals' 2-yard line. The decisive score came when Arizona rookie Patrick Peterson returned a punt 89 yards for a touchdown that put the Cardinals ahead 28-21 with 7:15 remaining.

CARRY ON

Carolina @ Arizona GAMEDAY Preview

Ron Rivera isn't expecting Cam Newton to save the team, but the Carolina Panthers' first-year coach is looking for this year's top overall pick to help bring about some major improvement in 2011. Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt hopes for the same with newcomer Kevin Kolb under center. Both signal-callers begin what they hope will be long tenures with their new teams and major turnarounds as the Panthers visit the Cardinals on Sunday in a matchup of the NFC's worst teams from 2010.

CARRY ON

Carolina Brings Back OL Hangartner

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers have brought back a familiar name, signing offensive linemen Geoff Hangartner. Hangartner spent four seasons with the Panthers from 2005-08 and started 27 games and played in 54 prior to signing a free agent contract with Buffalo in 2009. Carolina signed Hangartner on Monday after he was cut Saturday by the Bills.

He'll have a chance to start at right guard along with five-year veteran Max Jean-Gilles, who was signed on Sunday. Jean-Gilles has stated 25 games over the past three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.

CARRY ON

Newton To Start The Regular Season @ Arizona

CHARLOTTE — Cam Newton did nothing Thursday night to keep from being named the Carolina Panthers’ starting quarterback. The Panthers, though, didn’t provide many reasons to counter predictions that they’ll win five or fewer games. Carolina ended the preseason with a 33-17 loss to Pittsburgh at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers, who went 1-3 in the preseason, open the regular season Sept. 11 at Arizona. Newton will be the starting quarterback, coach Ron Rivera said after the game.

“It speaks for itself what Cam has done,” Rivera said. “We’re looking forward to him being our starter. We’ve got to realize that we as a football team have to continue to grow. It’s not just about him, but it’s about the rest of us growing within our system. I want to make this clear, we didn’t draft Cam to be the savior. We drafted him to help build this football team.”

CARRY ON

Newton Needs To Turn Numbers Around

Figuring that Carolina Panthers rookie Cam Newton will start the team’s season-opener on Sept. 11 isn’t exactly a stretch. If not, than new head coach Ron Rivera sure has an odd way of getting his team ready for the regular season. Second-year quarterback Jimmy Clausen started the first preseason game, a 20-10 victory over the New York Giants, but Newton has started the last two, though both were losses. Clausen has actually posted better numbers than Newton, but Rivera and offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski appear ready to hitch their wagons to Newton.

CARRY ON

Smith's Bond With Graves Extends Beyond The Game

Fred Graves, now the wide receivers coach for the Carolina Panthers, remembers going on a recruiting trip to Santa Monica (Ca.) Junior College in 1998 to watch Chad Johnson, hoping to bring him to Utah where he was on Ron McBride's coaching staff. The more Graves watched Johnson (now Ochocinco), the more he noticed Steve Smith, a 5-foot, 9-inch bundle of fire and muscle. As a receiver, Smith was raw but he had a knack for making plays and his competitiveness drew Graves to him.

During a visit to Santa Monica, Graves asked Smith what he was doing that evening. Smith told him he had to work at Taco Bell, an after classes job that required him to ride the bus there and back. Though neither realized it at the time, it was the start of a friendship that developed during Smith's two seasons at Utah and has brought them together again with the Panthers this season.

CARRY ON

Panthers Take Another Step Back In 24-13 Loss To The Bengals

CINCINNATI – The biggest question surrounding the Carolina Panthers all summer has been whether or not Cam Newton will be the starting quarterback this season? But it turns out the Panthers have much bigger questions. For the second straight week Carolina’s defense looked dreadfully porous allowing the Cincinnati Bengals, who had scored just 10 points in their previous two preseason games, to roll up 269 yards and 24 points in the first half alone.

CARRY ON

Smith Hoping For Big Offensive Night In His Return Thursday

CHARLOTTE — Steve Smith’s timing couldn’t be any better. Smith announced Monday he’ll be back in the starting lineup this Thursday night when the Carolina Panthers travel to face the Cincinnati Bengals.
That good news comes after a lackluster performance by Carolina’s offense in a 20-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins this past Friday night and with an upcoming game in which top draft pick Cam Newton is expected to see his most extensive playing time with the Panthers.

Newton, Smith and the rest of the starters are expected to play about three quarters as coach Ron Rivera is treating the team’s third preseason game as if it were a regular season game. “It will be fun,” Smith said after Monday’s practice. “Today was probably our best practice. We were going on all cylinders.”

CARRY ON

Panthers Struggle Around Newton In His Second Game In 20-10 Loss To Dolphins

MIAMI GARDENS — Cam Newton isn't likely to save the tape from his second NFL pre-season game for posterity. Newton, the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner whom the Carolina Panthers made the first pick in last April's draft, showed calmness and leadership against the Dolphins Friday night at Sun Life Stadium, but was unable to get much accomplished against a Miami defense that played its starters against him most of the way. Newton was a respectable 7-of-14 passing for 66 yards while playing the first half, but guided the Panthers to just three first downs. Carolina's deepest penetration in the half was to the Miami 48 on the next-to-last play of the half.

"It went alright, but it could've gone much better," Newton said. "We couldn't find a way to (keep the offense) on track. To have all the three-and-outs we had, that's not acceptable."

CARRY ON

A Thought About Carolina / What 2008 And 2009 Tell Us About 2011

The Carolina Panthers fell apart last year after a decade of ranging from average to very good under John Fox, including two championship game appearances and another 12-4 season just two years earlier. Their collapse made me wonder: does it matter how a team did in the two years prior to a horrible season, in determining how they bounce back? So, I used the pro-football-reference team game finder to locate all teams that went 3-13 or worse in a season since 1990. I kicked out the first two years of the expansion Cleveland Browns, and looked at the remaining 41 teams to compare how they played (by simple rating) and how many wins they had in the two seasons prior to that 13+ loss season.

As it turns out, yes, knowing that the Carolina Panthers went 20-12 over the previous two seasons means we should shade them to be slightly better than your typical really bad team in 2011. First, though, we want to know what is typical. As it turns out, the average team that won 3 or fewer games in a season finishes 6-10 the next year (which is just another way of illustrating why Overs on teams with win projections under 6 are a good idea).

CARRY ON

Assessing Cam Newton

Throughout the 2011 season like I always did as a front-office executive, I will track the performance of the top 15 drafted players, analyzing their production prior to them slamming into the rookie wall, which is inevitable. This project is not to second-guess coaches, general managers or even the players, but it has always been an interesting study. Someone has to go No. 1, but is it really the best player in the draft? Were they taken for need, or was it just a flat-out bad pick?

Cam Newton is a tall, handsome young man with striking features, a broad, chiseled chin and a big, bright smile that lights up a room like several hundred halogen lamps. As one woman told me, he could be a male model during the offseason. In short, Newton has charisma, confidence and is very poised for a young man. While his youthfulness still shines through, along with moments of immaturity, he has grown up quickly in the last several months.

Let's take a quick walk down memory lane.

CARRY ON

Preseason Game One Final - Panthers 20 Giants 10

Jimmy Clausen started his second season with a bad flashback to his rookie year. Cam Newton began his NFL career with the kind of up-and-down performance that should have been expected from a quarterback who played only one full season on major-college football. But it was the Panthers' third-string quarterback who sealed the 20-10 win Saturday over the New York Giants in the preseason opener in front of an announced crowd of 71,936 at a damp Bank of America Stadium.

CARRY ON

Giants @ Panthers / Rivera Is Seeking a Few Good Men

                             
The Carolina Panthers won’t answer all of their questions in the first preseason game against the New York Giants at 8 p.m. tonight at Bank of America Stadium. But what Carolina will get is an opportunity to evaluate several players and positions. Panthers coach Ron Rivera said he will not know who will be his starting quarterback until Week 3 of the preseason, but he is going with Jimmy Clause for the first preseason game.

However, Rivera is likely to get an idea on how other competitions at receiver, defensive end and cornerback will shape up.

CARRY ON

Santella Savors Taste Of NFL Training Camp

Wise and realistic, Anthony Santella expects, much like one of his soaring punts, his NFL high won’t maintain its current altitude. His pro football dream could end soon, although he’s been known to overcome great odds before. His competition at the Carolina Panthers camp on the campus of Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C., after all, is veteran Jason Baker, who’s been punting in the league for 10 years.

“He’s been nothing but helpful,” says Santella, the former Wauconda and University of Illinois star, who says the same about longtime kicker Olindo Mare, who’s also in camp with first-year head coach Ron Rivera’s Panthers. “It’s always good to go against someone like that,” Santella adds of Baker. “But it’s highly unlikely I’m going to take his job. ... His form, you can tell he’s really mastered it.”

CARRY ON

Newton's theory of training camp - learn, have fun

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- The first thing you notice is the size. Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton looked big in street clothes at the scouting combine, but in full uniform he is the tallest guy in his huddle and at 253 pounds -- real weight -- he is as big as his tight ends. The second thing you notice is Newton's playful approach to the game. He is serious when taking the play call, and serious when he runs a play, but at times when the play is done, he will do something child-like, such as skipping to the sideline after a handoff or goofing off with a teammate.

Maybe that's who Newton is: A kid in a man's body.

CARRY ON

New Deals, Young Star, And Hope In Carolina

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Cam Newton made his first pass as quarterback of the Carolina Panthers recently when he gave up trying to buy jersey No. 2 from Jimmy Clausen and settled on No. 1. How fitting. The Panthers are in desperate need of a public relations makeover after a disastrous 2010, and Newton, the No. 1 overall draft pick in April, is going to be the new image of this franchise. He will be their No. 1, sooner or later.

But the Panthers, whose fiscal austerity last year in advance of the looming lockout was blamed in part for a league-worst 2-14 record, are not putting the franchise entirely on Newton’s back. The Newton era begins with a new coach — Ron Rivera, the former San Diego Chargers defensive coordinator, replaces John Fox — and a jaw-dropping spending spree.

CARRY ON

Kasay Left a Lasting Mark On Panthers' Franchise, Fans‎

When I think of the Carolina Panthers' various incarnations of Fan Fest through the years, I think of two Panthers players above all else - the late Fred Lane and John Kasay. I think of Lane because that's where he burst onto the scene. The running back was one of the very few players to make a mark on the field at Fan Fest and then continue that momentum for months.

I think of Kasay because of the way he acted at every fan day like the one coming up Saturday - he knew they weren't just another practice but were truly for the fans. After the Panthers released the last of the original Panthers last week, I asked readers on my "Scott Says" blog to email me with some of their favorite Kasay memories. I received far too many to publish them all here - thanks to all who participated. But this edited sampling should give you an idea of what Kasay meant to fans:

"That's No. 4 going out there"

CARRY ON

Richardson Pays Visit To Camp

Carolina Panthers owner/founder Jerry Richardson took a brief respite from answering questions Wednesday at training camp by directing his own inquiry at anyone who had negatively wondered about his financial commitment to the franchise. “Does anybody feel just a little bad about calling me cheap last year, just a smidgen?” Richardson asked following NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s fan forum.

With the team sinking to a league-worst 2-14 and fan enthusiasm equaling the level of a funeral procession, many fingers pointed at Richardson as the team remained well under the salary cap and was a virtual ghost in the free agent market. Last season’s lockout didn’t refer to any labor situation but rather Richardson’s bank account as he gained a reputation for frugality among Panthers fans that didn’t settle well with those shelling out big bucks for tickets.

But a year later Richardson suddenly became footloose and fancy free with his funds, and Carolina has been breaking the bank to re-sign its best players.

CARRY ON

Beason To Drew Brees, Matt Ryan & Josh Freeman WATCH OUT !!!

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Jon Beason has a message for NFC South quarterbacks Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and Josh Freeman: Get ready, this isn’t the same Carolina Panthers defense you’re used to seeing twice a year.“They’re going to have to do their homework this year,” Beason said confidently on Monday.

“It’s not gointo be, hey, we know about the Panthers and we know about their scheme. It’s going to be a completely different defense.”

In a word, Beason describes the new scheme being installed by coach Ron Rivera and coordinator Sean McDermott as “aggressive.”

CARRY ON

Ron Rivera Era All Honest And Equal For Panthers

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Ron Rivera admits he is nervous. He's 49 years old. A career football assistant, he has just begun running his first NFL training camp for the Carolina Panthers. Rivera wants to get every detail right. He wants everyone at camp to like him but, even more importantly, to respect him. He wants to tell the truth and engage the fans. He wants to put a no-nonsense, play-hard stamp on his first NFL team.

But I think he also is nervous because he has a little secret in his back pocket:
Rivera thinks the Panthers can be good. I ask Rivera about linebacker Jon Beason's stated goal of this team winning nine games only a year after Carolina went 2-14. He doesn't blink. "I'm not going to put a number on it, but I think we can win," he says. "Yes, I do."

CARRY ON

5 Panthers Training Camp Story Lines

The most drama in Spartanburg this August will center around Carolina's quarterback situation with No. 1 overall draft pick Cam Newton battling second-year man Jimmy Clausen for the starting role.The team released Matt Moore, who started 13 games over four seasons, leaving Clausen as the most experienced with 10 starts in last year's rookie campaign that produced only three touchdown passes, nine interceptions and a lowly 58.4 rating.

Newton possesses an abundance of physical ability and his knack for making something out of nothing, both with his legs and strong arm, made him a winner in college but might not so easily translate immediately to the faster and more sophisticated NFL. He'll be the man in the fishbowl facing not only tight scrutiny from the locals, but from around the entire league.
Conventional wisdom has the team adding a veteran as a mentor to Newton sooner than later. Former Rams quarterback Marc Bulger and former Panther Jake Delhomme are among the possibilities.

CARRY ON

Panthers Will Not Trade Steve Smith

Sources have indicated to Pro Football Weekly that WR Steve Smith is expected to remain a Panther this season after rumors had circulated around the league that he would be traded this offseason.When reached for comment, Smith said he "and his family decided we wanted to stay" and indicated he would report to camp with his teammates as scheduled on Friday.

CARRY ON

Catching Up With Panthers President Danny Morrison

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The NFL lockout is over and the Carolina Panthers are officially preparing for the 2011 season. NewsChannel 36's Ira Cronin sat down with Carolina Panthers President Danny Morrison Wednesday morning to talk about the upcoming season, impact players on the this year's squad and much more.

"It's great to have the players back," Morrison said. "It was a lot of fun to see them back on the Bank of America campus -- a lot of energy -- it was a good day."

CARRY ON

Going Nowhere

Defensive end Charles Johnson has agreed to re-sign with the Carolina Panthers, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.According to the source, Johnson's deal is for six years and $76 million with $32 million guaranteed. The first three years of the deal are worth $46 million, the source said.
The 25-year-old Johnson had a career-high 11½ sacks for Carolina in 2010 and led the team's defensive lineman with 51 tackles.

A third-round pick from Georgia in 2007, the Hawkinsville, Ga., native spent most of his rookie season on the inactive list as he tried to add weight and get stronger. He played in all 16 games a year later as a reserve and had six sacks, but those numbers fell to four sacks in 28 tackles in 2009 as he again failed to crack the starting lineup. But when Julius Peppers left for Chicago in 2010, Johnson knew it was his chance. Linebacker Thomas Davis said Johnson was one of the hardest workers in the weight room in the offseason. Defensive line coach Brian Baker said in training camp of Johnson that, "rather than slumping back in the meeting, he's on the edge of his seat now, ready to answer questions. He's a different guy."

Despite being slowed in training camp with a hamstring injury, Johnson won Peppers' old starting job ahead of Everette Brown. With a better understanding of blocking schemes and perfecting his moves, he leads all of Carolina's defensive linemen with 64 tackles and 24 quarterback hurries.

NOTHING FOLLOWS

DEAL DONE / NFL Lockout Ends As Owners, Player Reps Agree To 10-Year CBA

It's over, after four and a half months, the NFL lockout came to an end on Monday, with the player representatives and NFLPA executive committee agreeing to a settlement of a new collective bargaining deal, the terms of which the owners had approved last week.

"It’s been a long time coming, and football’s back, and that’s the great news for everybody," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a joint news conference outside the players’ association offices in Washington, D.C. "Having a 10-year agreement is extraordinarily great for our game, but most importantly our fans. I think this agreement is going to make our game better.” Although the players have been locked out for most of the 2011 offseason getting the deal done in late July ensures training camps, remaining exhibition games and the regular season will go on as scheduled.

CARRY ON

NFL Players Set To Accept Labor Deal Today

After differences were settled and language revised over the weekend, it appears the NFL finally has a labor deal that both sides can agree on. The NFL Players Association's executive committee, according to a person from the NFLPA with knowledge of the talks, is expected to meet today and recommend approval of the 10-year collective bargaining agreement, which would be the longest in league history, as well the global settlement of legal cases.

NFL.com reported that New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees e-mailed teammates over the weekend, saying, "The deal is almost done," and that an announcement would be made "sometime Monday."
If that happens, the 32 NFL teams might open their doors by Wednesday and training camps could open by the weekend, possibly as early as Friday.

CARRY ON

Richardson At The Heart Of Agreement

ATLANTA - Over the past three years, the only thing that could stop Panthers Owner/Founder Jerry Richardson from obsessing over the NFL's labor issues was a heart transplant that threatened his very life.Thursday evening, when NFL owners ratified a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), Richardson's fellow owners praised the heart he showed in getting what once seemed to be a dire situation to the verge of resolution.

CARRY ON

Mawae / 'We're Not Tied To Any Deadline'

WASHINGTON -- NFL Players Association president Kevin Mawae dismissed today's projected union deadline for approving a new collective bargaining agreement, suggesting that the goal of getting the best deal for his members trumps the calendar while hinting the entire process may take more time.

"Our goal today is to see what's on the table, discuss outlying issues that may or may not be there," Mawae said Wednesday morning outside union headquarters, where NFLPA officials and player representatives assembled to review a proposal in an effort to end the lockout.

"We're not tied to a deadline of July 21 (when owners will meet in Atlanta to potentially ratify a proposed CBA). Our timeline is getting the best deal for our players. So whether it's today or tomorrow or whatever it may be, we want to play football, we want to go back to work. But we're not going to agree to a deal unless it's the best deal for our players."

CARRY ON

Fans Shouldn't Give Their Love Back To NFL For Free

By all accounts, the NFL will be back in business by this time next week. There aren’t even very many i's left to dot and t's to cross, and the owners and players reportedly will get back to the table Monday in Washington to take more steps toward ending the lockout. So as that day approaches, let me make this gentle request to the fans: show some pride and self-respect. Don’t just go running back to the NFL, tongues hanging out, eyes bugging and — to steal a line from the late, great comic Robin Harris — begging so hard that your hands look like cups.

CARRY ON

Rosario Keeps Preparing

Dante Rosario sat on the sideline at Linfield’s Maxwell Field late last week, watching the kids at his “Dante’s Inferno” football camp run. As they scampered around the field in neon-green shirts, Rosario seemed relaxed, enjoying the camp and the sun.

Rosario, a fifth-year NFL tight end originally from Dayton, said he enjoyed coming back home because it was a way for him to not worry about the uncertainty surrounding his professional career. The NFL lockout has held Rosario in limbo because as a restricted free agent, he started the work stoppage without a contract with his team, the Carolina Panthers. He was tendered (temporarily put back onto the Panthers roster) for the duration of the lockout, but Rosario said he wouldn’t know his fate until after the negotiations were over.

“I could be with Carolina; there’s a good chance I will,” Rosario said. “Or, I could for another reason be with another team. That’s still unknown. Either way, I’ll be prepared.”

CARRY ON

How Much Will Charles Johnson Cost The Panthers?

One of the biggest free agents the Carolina Panthers must resign when the league year starts is defensive end Charles Johnson.  How much will Johnson cost the Panthers?  If Johnson requests a contract that is comparable to an elite defensive end like Jared Allen or Julius Peppers; should the Panthers pay it ?

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How Will Cam Newton Perfom In 2011 ?

NFL teams in general, especially those in transition, always have a hankering for a player to line up under center and deliver excellent leadership on and off-the-field, great composure, pocket presence, awareness, accuracy, mobility, durability and a sheer will to win and improve every day. It’s easy to see the NFL’s elite in Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and now Super Bowl Champion Aaron Rodgers, just to name a few—possesses the aforementioned must-have qualities that it takes to be among the league’s best.

Can Cam lead Carolina down the correct path and become a draft boom, or will he plunder to the bust status?

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Carolinas First Ever Draft Pick,Kerry Collins Retires From NFL

Quarterback Kerry Collins on Thursday announced his retirement from the NFL.

"The past several months have brought on much introspection, and I have decided that while my desire to compete on Sundays is still and always will be there, my willingness to commit to the preparation necessary to play another season has waned to a level that I feel is no longer adequate to meet the demands of the position," Collins said in a statement released by his agent, David Dunn. The 38-year-old Collins was the first draft pick (fifth overall) of the expansion Carolina Panthers in 1995 out of Penn State. He started the first game in Panthers franchise history and led Carolina to the NFC Championship Game in his second season.

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Panthers In Depth / Can Newton Start a Turnaround ?

The NFL lockout has dampened the usual offseason analysis of each team's comings and goings. But, lockout or not, the league will still be moving on at some point -- hopefully in time for the regular season to start on time Sept. 8. And during the labor impasse, USA TODAY will focus back on the field by breaking down the five biggest questions facing each team for the 2011 season.

Up today: The Carolina Panthers.

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American Sports Fans Need To Regain Their Civility

In this grand sporting nation of ours, home of noble Olympians, Little Leaguers with mint chocolate-chip moustaches, the late John Wooden and humble NBA millionaires like Grant Hill, solemn questions this Independence Day: Do we care too much about our games and our teams? And if not, then exactly what makes a fan of one team pummel a fan of another team into a coma?

It’s been more than three months since Bryan Stow, a San Francisco Giants fan, was beaten unconscious by two Dodgers fans in a stadium parking lot after a game. He remains hospitalized with brain injuries and one man, a known gang member, is in custody. While taking into account a perpetrator’s background — and the fact there are unruly fans and then there are just flat-out violent criminals who happen to have a ticket stub — it’s hard not to, at least in part, connect the dots back to an endangered species at the ballpark.

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NFL Network / 'Major Progress' Made Toward New NFL Labor Deal

NFL Network correspondent Albert Breer reports that the league and its players "made major progress on the revenue split" beginning during last night's collective bargaining negotiations and extending into this morning before this week's session in Minneapolis wrapped. So much headway was made on how to divvy up the $9-plus billion pie -- the inability to do so was the major reason the lockout began -- that Breer said that point of major contention "may not even be an issue anymore."

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‘Bizarre’ Twists Stifle NFL Labor Talks

Three weeks ago, as Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith broke bread in a midtown Manhattan restaurant, the leaders of the NFL’s warring labor factions projected a sense of mutual optimism. During a negotiation session earlier that day at a Long Island hotel, Smith and player representatives had suggested a new, “all-revenue” model for splitting up the billions of dollars generated annually by America’s most profitable professional sports league, and Goodell and the owners across the table seemed to embrace the idea enthusiastically.

Late Thursday afternoon, after another frustrating interchange between the two negotiating teams at a Minneapolis-area law firm that ultimately lasted past midnight, it was clear that labor peace – and an end to the lockout imposed by the owners on March 12 – won’t be achieved anywhere close to as seamlessly as numerous reports in recent weeks have suggested. Not only is the very definition of total revenue being debated, but each side also believes the other has tried to manipulate the negotiation process in its favor, and any semblance of trust has all but disappeared.

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Sides Split On Rookie Wage Scale Issue ?

The parties broached the rookie pay system Thursday for the first time during these clandestine sessions, and it proved to be a difficult area to navigate. Last year's No. 1 overall draft pick, Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, received about $50 million guaranteed in his rookie deal, and the owners have long looked to drastically mark down those type of price tags.

But the numbers aren't the only issues. Among the players' concerns are finding a way to replace the effect such contracts have on the veteran market, and also get those high picks to free agency quicker (as it stands, six-year contracts are allowable for the high first-round picks making big money).

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Will Shockey Improve The Carolina Offense?

Jeremy Shockey joining the Carolina Panthers seemed like a terrible idea at first glance. As a Carolina Panthers fan since the beginning of the franchise, I know that we have put a high premium on good character guys after learning some early lessons. Then as I looked at the career of Jeremy Shockey(notes), he seemed to kind of mirror that same pattern. He started off brash, mouthy and arrogant in the beginning of his career. As his career has progressed, he has become more of a competitor than a loudmouth. Injuries and a declining skill set will do that to a player.

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Specter / Congress Should Intervene To End NFL Lockout

Arlen Specter knows how to make news.

In an op-ed to the New York Times this weekend, the long-serving U.S. Senator urged Congressional action to solve the seemingly intractable National Football League players’ strike and owners’ lockout.
Citing the $5 billion economic impact that the 2011 season is projected to have (not including ticket sales and TV revenue), Specter argued that the antitrust exemptions granted the NFL by Congress gives the government leverage in the situation.

“With this much at stake, the country should not sit back and wait for the players and owners to reach an agreement on their own. Congress can — and should — intervene to force a resolution of the dispute.”

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Deal Or No Deal ? Resistance For Owners Mounts

An internal battle is percolating at some of the highest NFL circles in which some owners are resisting the labor deal they've been trying to negotiate with the players, according to multiple sources. A handful of NFL owners -- at least two of whom are from AFC teams -- believes the parameters of the deal being discussed don't adequately address the original issues the league wanted corrected from the 2006 collective bargaining agreement, according to sources.

It is one of the primary reasons team officials are being prepped to stay an extra night in Chicago at Tuesday's owners' meetings. It's not to potentially vote on a new collective bargaining agreement, as many suspected; it actually is to try to fend off some of the resistance that is mounting, according to sources.

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Otah's Recovery, Return a Top Need For Panthers

While first overall pick Cam Newton will be in the spotlight and attract a great deal of attention in Carolina when football does resume, the return of ORT Jeff Otah is a significant issue facing the Panthers and it could fly under the radar.

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Sides Closer Than Ever, NFL Lockout To End In Late June?

"After lengthy discussions with both sources, they both conveyed to me a great deal of hope that a deal would be done by July and possibly as early as late June," wrote Zierlein. "Why the sudden optimism? According to one of the sources, 'both sides are focusing on the percentage of total revenue coming in, would include the first $1 billion the owners are currently taking off the top, and if that deal gets done, the other issues will probably fall into place fairly quickly according to what I'm hearing."

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When The Lockout Ends, You Will Forget It Happened

''Baseball came roaring back, aided by steroids, after the 1994 strike. The NHL lost an entire season but the Stanley Cup playoffs are currently in Boston, where I now live, and the entire region has the hockey fever. That’s just how you will be for your favorite NFL team as soon as the NFL lockout ends. You can take that to the bank. After all, the owners and players will be doing just that.''

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Newton Impressing Teammates

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Cam Newton sweated through a workout with his new Carolina teammates Wednesday morning, hopped a flight to Washington to meet the president in the afternoon, then quickly returned to make sure he attended the final player-organized workout Thursday. As the Heisman Trophy winner prepares for the scrutiny of being the NFL's No. 1 overall pick, his work ethic, fitness and willingness to fit in are impressing his veteran teammates.

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Welcome To The Real World, NFL

The labor impasse between the National Football League and its locked-out players continues.
Imagine how much quicker things might be resolved if these people were subjected to the same financial stresses as the rest of us.

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The NFL Owners Are a Lock In This Standoff

As the NFL lockout approaches the 100-day mark — it looks like a sporting Armageddon is just around the corner! — here’s your court-ordered update on the management-labor dispute:

The owners may trail on the scoreboard and lose in the courts, but at the close of any business day, they’ll somehow end up ahead. Which brings us to Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post, one of my favorite sports columnists. She’s so smart, when I disagree with her, I usually figure I’ve got to be wrong. But Jenkins has been writing about how the NFL finally has gotten its comeuppance in this labor squabble:

“The owners don’t get it, and haven’t from the beginning. . . . While they were calculating revenue, studying profit-loss statements and betting on how many unplayed games it would take the players to fold, they should have taken a crucial fact into account: They are in the legal wrong.” Sally, Sally, Sally — it doesn’t matter if they’re in the legal wrong, the NFL never loses in the long run.

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Peter King Says Deal Coming Soon

Mike Freeman of CBS is tweeting a deal could be struck between owners and players before the 8th circut rules in 10 days. Owners are giving in on money & players are said to be giving in a lot on rookie cap versus vet minimum and there is also a very strong chance restricted free agents all stay the way they are tagged this year, but no more RFA in the future...only franchise tags, one per team.

More Details ASAP

NFL, Players Wrap Up Court Date; Ruling To Come In 'Due Course'

The NFL and its players went back to court Friday for a pivotal hearing before a federal appeals court on the legality of the lockout, now nearly three months old with no sign of a new collective bargaining agreement that would save the 2011 season. NFL Network's Albert Breer reported that at the conclusion of Friday's session, Judge Kermit Bye told both sides that a ruling would come in "due course," adding that the decision will be one "that neither side will like." With that in mind, Bye encouraged both sides to work it out on their own.

The two sides each got 30 minutes before a three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis. The NFL contends the lockout imposed by owners after labor talks fell apart on March 11 is legal, while the players do not, and the arguments at times were dense. The panel has twice decided to keep the lockout in place pending the full appeal. It did not issue an immediate decision and Bye smiled as he told the attorneys before they left the courtroom: "We wouldn't be all that hurt if you go out and settle that case."

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Is Friday The Beginning, Or Beginning Of The End?

As you know, Friday is June 3rd. If you are a died-in-the-wool football fan like we who read AP even during the off season, then you already know what happens Friday. If you are a casual football fan, who loves to root for a team but really doesn't follow the league's machinations during the part of the season where games are not played, then you may not be aware of what is going to happen on Friday and what effect it could have on NFL football.

On Friday, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals is going to begin hearing arguments on whether or not the lockout is legal, and whether or not the Norris-Laguardia Act applies to management lockouts as well as employee strikes. The Act denies district courts the ability to become involved in disputes that arise from labor negotiations, just like the current dispute between the NFL players and owners did back in March.

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Panthers Players Gather For First Workout Amid League Lockout

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Perhaps no team is in need of off-season practices more than the NFL-worst Carolina Panthers. After falling behind their division rivals, the Panthers finally gathered Tuesday for their first player-organized workout since the lockout began. They also did their best to make sure no one saw them.
Players hired a police officer to shoo away reporters from the high school where they were working out on the hot, humid morning. Cones blocked another entrance to the field at Charlotte Christian. Left tackle Jordan Gross, who organized the two weeks of practices with left guard Travelle Wharton, said reporters wouldn't be allowed in until the last day June 9 to prevent distractions.

"We're just trying to prepare to win some football games," said Gross, who wouldn't reveal the number of players on hand.

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Don't Fret, NFL Won't Lose Year

Although this is Memorial Day weekend and not Labor Day, when the NFL season is just a week away, fans of pro football usually get jacked up this time of year, too. After June's mini-camps come July's training camps, and after that the season is near.Well, don't sweat the loss of the NFL season while sitting on your favorite beach today and tomorrow.By the end of this week, players should start to squirm while the owners' grip on the lockout remains steady and strong.

You see, on Friday the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will decide whether to overturn U.S. District Judge Susan Nelson's decision to lift the lockout. Legal experts predict the players will lose Friday and the lockout will continue. If the lockout continues, the owners win. The owners might not win in the short term -- the season could be lost or abbreviated, so the owners could lose money.But make no mistake, the owners will win. Eventually, the players will come back. They have to come back. The owners know this.

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Carolina Should Let DeAngelo Run Away

Carolina Panthers free agent running back DeAngelo Williams will be one of the hottest players available when the restriction on player movement is lifted, although it is unknown just how far he will be able to move.

Williams has been in the league five full seasons and technically should be an unrestricted free agent under the current league rules on free agency. However, depending on how the lockout shakes out when it is all said and done, five year players may only qualify for restricted free agency status.
So, as of now, Williams can go anywhere he wants, even back to Carolina, but I would say that it's highly unlikely considering the price he could command on the open market. The Panthers have too many holes to commit a huge amount of guaranteed money to a guy who has missed 16 games since joining the league in 2006.

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Chris Weinke / Calling New Signals

Chris Weinke had an itch to get into coaching after his NFL career ended in 2008, but he wasn't sure where or at what level. Sports is part of his DNA. A decorated athlete at Cretin-Derham Hall, Weinke won a national championship and the Heisman Trophy as a quarterback at Florida State. He played professional baseball before college, and started 20 games at quarterback in his seven NFL seasons. But the St. Paul native hadn't established any concrete long-term plans after his athletic career finally ended.

"Played a lot of golf," the 38-year-old said.

His life took a new course, however, after he ran into a staff member of the renowned IMG Academy at a Florida State football game. That spurred a process that led Weinke to become director of the IMG Madden Football Academy, which opened last spring in Bradenton, Fla. Known for its work with golf and tennis prodigies, IMG hired Weinke to help launch its football academy, which offers specialized camps and instruction for players at all levels. His clientele includes a 13-year-old quarterback from Kentucky, high school kids hoping to earn a college scholarship and ... Cam Newton, the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner from Auburn and recent No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft

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Don't Get Sucked In To Lockout HYSTERIA

Lockout hysteria. I get it. Media outlets, including this one, have billions of dollars tied to America’s national pastime, the NFL. Individual media brands such as Peter King and Mike Florio have thousands, if not millions, of dollars tied to America’s national pastime, the NFL.I get lockout hysteria. I just don’t agree with it. Professional football isn’t too big to fail. In fact, it might be a good thing if the NFL suffered a comeuppance, a retreat to a more appropriate place in the American fabric.

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Locked-Out Players Line Up For Cash Loans

As the NFL work stoppage continues with no end in sight, some cash-strapped players are taking out high-risk, high-interest loans to get them through the lean times — some as big as $250,000 with interest rates as high as 30 percent. Players make their entire salary during the regular season, and many rely on offseason workout bonuses to get them through the spring and summer. With opening day — and their next payday — uncertain, some are turning to lenders like AGR Sports Funding, a Virginia-based firm that specializes in lending to professional athletes.

Jason Yorker, owner of AGR, likes to think of himself as a lifeline for NFL players. When cash gets tight, they can turn to him to borrow, as he puts it, “a couple extra hundred thousand dollars here and there.”

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Buffalo Owner Ralph Wilson Never Wanted That Deal NFL Owners Now Can't Seem To Stomach

Ralph Wilson has owned the Buffalo Bills since they were one of the original eight teams when the old American Football League was formed in 1960. He has seen it all in the last 51 years.

"I'm 92 years old, closing in on 93," he said by telephone from his Detroit home last week.

He only gets to a handful of Bills games each year now. He's not quite as mobile as he used to be. "If I can walk to the breakfast table, it's a great day," he said laughing.
It was no joke just over five years ago when Wilson and Bengals owner Mike Brown cast the only negative votes in a 30-2 landslide to approve as a package deal the take-it-or-leave-it collective bargaining agreement proposed by the union and a revenue sharing plan among the owners. Looking for peace at any price, the owners caved in.

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Would The NFL Be Destroyed If The Players Won?

NFL players recently scored a significant victory in their labor dispute with the NFL owners when U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson ordered an immediate end to the lockout. Although this decision has subsequently been blocked by a higher court, for a brief moment in time it looked like the NFL was in serious trouble in their fight with the players. Roger Goodell -- Commissioner of the NFL and chief representative of the NFL owners -- even began thinking about a world where the NFL players achieve complete victory in this dispute.

In the Wall Street Journal, Goodell has laid forth a vision of such a world; and in Goodell's view, it threatens the very existence of the NFL as we know it. Goodell imagines a victory for the players producing the following outcomes:

CARRY ON http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-berri/why-do-the-nfl-owners-hat_b_859555.html

Rumors Fly Of Complete NFL Shutdown

So if the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals upholds Judge Susan Nelson’s ruling that the lockout should be lifted while the Tom Brady antitrust lawsuit proceeds, the league will simply open the doors and allow business to continue as usual until the Brady case is settled, right?

Maybe not.

We’re hearing initial rumblings pointing to the possibility that a loss by the league at the appellate level will prompt the owners to completely shut down all business operations until the players agree to a new labor deal.

CARRY ON http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/

Steve Smith Frustrated With Both Owners And NFLPA

Steve Smith reportedly wants to play somewhere other than Carolina in 2011. He’s getting sick of having to wait to find out where that is.

Smith told Steve Reed of CarolinaGrowl.com that he finds the lockout “frustrating,” and that he has no idea what to expect for 2011.

“It’s on hold because we’re not even allowed to presume there will be football,” Smith said. “That privilege, and I emphasize privilege, has been taken away. There has been some mud-slinging going on, and people have had a chance to see the business aspect of football. . . . I don’t agree with how everybody is handling it. I’m going to be fair and say I don’t agree with how owners are handling it and I don’t agree with how the trade association is handling it because things could be better. But they are really so far apart.”

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/06/steve-smith-frustrated-with-both-owners-and-nflpa/

DeMaurice Smith Like a “Psycho Ex-Girlfriend?”

If there’s anything we’ve learned from the NFL Lockout, it’s that there is absolutely no trust or respect between the main parties involved. The players are convinced the owners are simply trying to pull a selfish power play for cash. In particular, there’s a huge lack of respect from players for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

“A lot of the players hated him even before this went down, and now they really hate him,” one prominent player for an NFC East team told Yahoo’s Michael Silver last Friday. “He’s not smooth, charming or witty. He never seems honest when he talks to you. And he’s a dope. They should change his name to Roger Goon-dell.”
“You think any vet will shake his hand when he’s at a game next year?” asked one AFC North player. “I hope he’s gone.”

So yeah…he’s not a popular guy right now amongst the players.
Rest assured however, the owners are just as negative about the leader of the players’ cause – NFL Players’ Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith.

“Roger is trying to do business, and De [Smith] is like a psycho girlfriend who doesn’t know what he wants, doesn’t understand what he’s involved in and [who] you can’t reason with,” one owner told Silver. “With psycho girlfriends, at least you can move on eventually. But Roger is stuck with him right now.”

Carry On http://buffalowdown.com/2011/05/05/demaurice-smith-like-a-psycho-ex-girlfriend/

NFL's Rookies Don't Need Time Off This Summer

No playbook to decipher. No minicamps to attend. No film sessions to digest.

No opportunity to work with NFL coaches or pick the brains of veteran players.
For NFL rookies - quarterbacks in particular - the learning curve gets steeper and steeper.
Depending on how long the lockout goes, Cam Newton's first season with the Carolina Panthers might be a bust. If so, it won't entirely be his fault; he'll be a victim of circumstances.
Same for Jake Locker, Andy Dalton, Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder and any other fledgling pro quarterback whose maturation process is on hold.

Carry On http://hamptonroads.com/2011/05/nfls-rookies-dont-need-time-summer

Ziemba Endorses Teammate Newton / `He Just Enjoys The Game So Much, He Studies The Game Hard'

AUBURN, Alabama -- Lee Ziemba, a past and future teammate of Cam Newton, has given his endorsement of the much-scrutinized former Auburn quarterback who was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the first pick in the NFL Draft. Ziemba's assessment gives insight on Newton after much pre-draft analysis by others.
"Cam is a great guy. I like to say he's like a kid playing the game of football. He just enjoys the game so much, he studies the game hard, he works his tail off in the weight room and the practice field. It's amazing just to watch him playing under the lights," Ziemba said in an audio interview posted on the Carolina website.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/05/lee_ziemba_on_formerfuture_tea.html

Another Sign Times Changing In Carolina

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- As the Carolina Panthers were preparing to make Cam Newton the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, we talked several times about how the climate in the offices of Bank of America Stadium was changing. Heck, the Panthers gave a pretty good indication of that before the lockout when they signed tight end Jeremy Shockey. Newton and Shockey would have been the kind of players the old Panthers wouldn’t have gone near. Newton’s a quarterback and former coach John Fox didn’t believe in drafting quarterbacks early because he thought they took too long to develop.

Even with Fox out of the equation, there were reports about possible background issues for Newton, and the Panthers generally have stayed away from guys with checkered pasts. The current regime did its homework on Newton’s past and it didn’t stop them from taking him. But, even as a pure football decision, taking Newton didn’t come with any guarantees.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post?id=40245