Stephen Davis to fail physical

Reported on FNZ, which quoted the Herald and the Disturber, that Stephen Davis is expected to fail his physical and will be placed on PUP list.

Damn. Expected it, but it still sucks.

 

that does suck.

 

I never believed he'd be back first of season

 

Me neither. But it shot my confidence. I think he's done.

Foster didn't fail his physical. Foster was at camp.

 

Does it help the cap if we cut him? If so, I'd cut him loose.

 

Can you cut an injured player?

 

have to do an injury settlement first.

 

From the journal:

All those who have been counting on running back Stephen Davis being ready to open training camp with the Carolina Panthers on Friday are likely to be very disappointed.

Sources said yesterday that Davis, who underwent two knee surgeries in a four-month span last year, will probably fail his physical when he reports to camp. The Panthers already are planning to put Davis on the active Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, meaning he won't practice with the team but will continue rehabilitation work with trainer Ryan Vermillion and with Jerry Simmons, the strength-and-conditioning coach.

General Manager Marty Hurney wouldn't say that Davis has encountered a major setback, but he did say that there are no immediate plans to release Davis.

"Stephen's going to have his physical Friday.... It's wait and see. We've always said that his physical condition will tell us (what to do)," Hurney said. "I think all along it was understood that he probably would be continuing with his rehab process at the beginning of camp."

Nonetheless, Davis and team officials, including Coach John Fox, had said repeatedly since late last season that the target date for Davis' return to the practice field was the beginning of training camp.

If the Panthers put Davis on the PUP list as sources say they will, he can begin practicing with the team at any time - as long as he passes a physical.

If he remains on the active PUP list, the team will have the option at either the 65-man or 53-man cutdown to put him on reserve PUP. That would make him ineligible to play for the first six games because he would not be permitted to practice with the team the first six weeks of the season. He then would be permitted to begin practicing between weeks six and nine, and the team would have 20 days from the time he resumes practicing to make a decision on activating him, releasing him or keeping him on reserve PUP for the remainder of the season.

Davis, 31, rushed for a franchise record 1,444 yards in 2003, his first season with the Panthers after signing as a free agent in March of '03. He set single-season franchise records for rushing touchdowns (eight), rushing attempts (318) and games with 100 yards or more rushing (seven). His 178 yards rushing against New Orleans on Oct. 26, 2003, is a team record.

But Davis was dogged by knee pain from the beginning of last season. He played in two games, rushing for 92 yards on just 24 carries.

He kept saying he planned to come back after having arthroscopic knee surgery, but he eventually conceded that the knee was too painful for him to play. He was put on injured reserve and underwent a second, more serious microfracture procedure on the knee.

The bad news about Davis means that it is all the more important for the Panthers to sign Eric Shelton, their second-round draft pick, before the opening of camp. Shelton's hard-charging running style has been compared to Davis', and the Panthers' coaches have made it clear that they prefer to use running back DeShaun Foster in tandem with a power running back such as Shelton or Davis.

As of late yesterday, Shelton was one of three Panthers draft picks who remained unsigned. The others were first-rounder Thomas Davis, a linebacker/ safety out of Georgia, and fourth-rounder Stefan LeFors, a quarterback out of Louisville, whom sources said was close to agreeing to a contract and would likely do so by today.

Hurney said he was optimistic that all the draft picks would be signed by the opening of camp.

 

Long live Fox and Hurney.
And some wondered why they took Shelton.

 

I wouldn't count him out just yet. If they put him on the PUP again for the regular season (like they did with Dyson a couple of years ago), I'd say he's done. But if he can still come back toward the end of training camp, I think he's got a shot to contribute this year.