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Smith adds explosiveness to offense

By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Here are five observations on the Carolina Panthers, based on two July 30 practices:

1. On the fourth snap of the initial 11-on-11 segment, quarterback Jake Delhomme dumped a short pass into the left flat to wide receiver Steve Smith, who was surrounded by three defenders and seemingly pinned in a hopeless situation. Smith faked to the inside, undressed an unnamed cornerback with a move back to the outside, then suddenly exploded to the sideline and into the secondary. Delhomme hooted audibly, and he wasn't the only one.

"Let me tell you," said coach John Fox between practices, "Steve Smith is back." And, as a result, so is the Panthers' most obvious quick-strike weapon. In what is otherwise an offense that wants to bloody the defense with the run, control tempo and take few risks, Smith is the one home-run hitter in the lineup. And while the departed Muhsin Muhammad had a fabulous season in 2004, after Smith went out for the year with a broken leg suffered in the opener, Smith reenergizes the Carolina passing game and brings an element of surprise that was missing a year ago.

The mighty-mite Smith performs with a chip on his shoulder, and off the field his demeanor can be as volatile as his playmaking skills, but there is no denying he is the catalyst for the Carolina passing game. Even in the opening two practices, he flashed his typical recklessness and demonstrated no rust. "And people forget, too, that when we lost him, we didn't just lose a receiver, but a great return guy as well," Fox said. Indeed, in what amounts to just three seasons, Smith has six kick returns for scores, four on punts, two on kickoffs.

The Panthers will miss Muhammad, who had 93 catches for 1,405 yards and 15 scores, and can't simply replace him with one guy. But they feel second-year wideout Keary Colbert, who started 15 games in '04 after Smith went down, can provide a presence in the intermediate areas. Adding former Redskins first-rounder Rod Gardner for just a conditional sixth-round choice was a steal. He and the ageless possession receiver Ricky Proehl should split the No. 3 position, probably based on situations and field position. Youngster Drew Carter, who missed all of 2004 with a knee injury, has tremendous straight-line speed. Undrafted free agent Taylor Stubblefield, the leading receiver in NCAA history, could make the practice squad and, in time, might develop into a Proehl-type player.

"You don't just lose a player like [Muhammad] and not have it affect you some way," Delhomme said. "But we've got good receivers here. And having Steve back, well that's big." For Delhomme and the Panthers' offense, it probably means more big plays.

2. The Panthers made it through the first day of training camp Saturday without any of their offensive linemen deciding to retire or limping off injured and, after what happened to them last summer, it represents progress. In fact, the only guy to throw in the towel was undrafted rookie cornerback Lornell McPherson, who likely had zero shot of making the roster and who ended his brief NFL career following the morning session. No catastrophe there.

A year ago, on the first day of camp, right offensive tackle Adam Meadows began entertaining retirement thoughts and left the league a few days later. Guard Tutan Reyes was injured. And suddenly, a Carolina blocking unit that already was being shuffled, because of the spring release of Todd Steussie and the switch of standout right tackle Jordan Gross to the left side, was in a shambles.

On the No. 1 offensive line unit Saturday, just one player, center Jeff Mitchell, started in the same position for the Panthers on opening day 2004. So that's four changes, the same number the team made in 2004, after having advanced to the Super Bowl the previous season. But there seems to be no comparison between the big shakeup this summer and the turnover of 2004. This is a much better, and certainly more flexible offensive line than the Panthers had in camp last year, and Carolina seems better prepared to avoid the kind of disaster that befell the team last summer.

Early in the offseason, the coaches moved Gross back to right tackle, the position at which he starred in the 2003 Super Bowl year. Travelle Wharton, who started the final 11 games in 2004 at right guard, was inserted at left tackle, where he started 45 games in college. A healthy Reyes moved into the right tackle slot. And the Panthers made one of the biggest free agency splashes, signing left guard Mike Wahle, a Pro Bowl-caliber blocker, away from Green Bay.

Team officials acknowledge that the starters on the field for Saturday's practices might not be the starters for the Sept. 11 regular-season opener against the New Orleans Saints. No one is completely sure yet whether Wharton will hold up and Reyes, with only a dozen starts in four seasons, could well be challenged for his starting spot. But at least now, it appears, the Panthers have viable alternatives. Gross could go back to left tackle if Wharton flounders. Or Wahle, who many feel would be a terrific left tackle, could move outside.

At least on paper, and if everything works out with the current No. 1 unit, this is the kind of road grader-type line that Fox and offensive coordinator Dan Henning covet. The Panthers do not play the most wide-open offense (that's being kind) and want to bludgeon people with the running game.

One area of concern: The release of former second-round pick Bruce Nelson after the youngster unfortunately battled hip injuries for two seasons, leaves the Panthers without a true backup center in the event Mitchell ever goes down. One of the kids to watch is third-round guard Evan Mathis of Alabama, a tough in-line blocker who could force his way into the lineup at some point as a rookie.

3. At least five tailbacks toted the ball Saturday before rookie Eric Shelton logged the initial training camp carry of his NFL career. And that wasn't counting Stephen Davis, who is on the physically unable to perform list as he continues to rehabilitate from microfracture surgery to his right knee.

But don't expect Shelton, a former Louisville star, to remain so far down the depth chart for much longer. The Panthers invested the 54th overall pick in this year's draft in Shelton because they understood the tenuous status of their top two tailbacks, Davis and fourth-year veteran DeShaun Foster, himself a onetime second-rounder. The bet here is that Shelton will get considerable playing time as a rookie and no one should be too surprised if he emerges as the team's feature back.

The team continues to put on its best public face regarding Davis, but the truth is, no one knows if the nine-year veteran and four-time 1,000-yard rusher will ever play again. And that includes Davis, who insisted Saturday he is 95 percent recovered and will play in 2005. The microfracture procedure has a much better success rate now than it did only a few years ago, but the results are still mixed.

Foster is a terrific back, a much different type of runner than the bludgeoning style of Davis, but the guy hasn't stayed healthy for an entire season since his junior year at UCLA. And that was 2000. Because of knee and shoulder injuries, Foster played only four games as a rookie in 2002 and only four last season, too. In three seasons, he's had just 172 carries, and started just five times, hardly a ringing endorsement for a guy who might be asked to fill Davis' workhorse role. By contrast, Nick Goings, the blue-collar, do-it-all guy the coaches love, has a dozen career starts.

Make no mistake: This is an offense that needs a battering-ram workhorse to be truly effective. Shelton wasn't a guy who got a lot of carries in college, but his 30 touchdowns in only two seasons at Louisville reflect his prowess as a short-yardage runner with inside power. Shelton does exactly what the Panthers want their feature tailback to do: Pound the ball between the tackles and don't fumble. If Davis can't return, and Foster can't avoid injuries again, Shelton is going to become a very important player for a Carolina team some people feel has Super Bowl potential. He's buried on the depth chart for now, but it might not take much to exhume him.
 
Part 2

4. One of the first thing that jumps out about the Panthers as you watch practice -- your eyes jumping back and forth between the field and the roster as you try to connect numbers and names -- is what a nice job general manager Marty Hurney and Fox did during the offseason in addressing issues of depth. Because Fox prefers a relatively close-to-the-vest style that makes for a lot of close games and is framed around trying to get into the fourth quarter with a chance to win, this is never going to be a team that wows observers with electrifying talent. The upgraded depth at several positions, however, is pretty impressive.

"Look, when you lose difference makers, like we did last year, it hurts you bad," said Fox. "But injuries to role players, too, kills you if you don't have depth. Marty has worked really hard in the offseason to improve (the depth). We're a lot better now."

The Panthers finished the '04 season with 14 players on injured reserve. No team is deep enough to handle that large an infirmary list. Carolina is better girded, though, in '05 for injuries. Even with the uncertainty surrounding Davis and Foster, there are enough tailbacks, it seems, to get the job done. And, no, despite the rumors to the contrary, the Panthers are not attempting to sign former San Diego No. 2 tailback Jesse Chatman, released by the Chargers last week. Landing veteran wide receiver Rod Gardner from Washington, for just a conditional sixth-round draft choice, was a superb move.

The signing of unrestricted free agent Ken Lucas (from Seattle) to a lucrative contract provides the Panthers a cornerback trio, with Chris Gamble and Ricky Manning Jr. the others, as good as any threesome in the league. And the Panthers, who had zero depth at safety in 2004, have a lot of able-bodied players there now. First-round draft choice Thomas Davis, who might eventually end up playing linebacker in another year or so (and who will almost certainly, at worst, be the team's nickel linebacker as a rookie) is currently the No. 2 strong safety, behind Colin Branch, but will vie for the starting job at some point. Free agency additions Idrees Bashir (from Indianapolis) and Marlon McCree (Houston) have a combined 90 starts at safety. They give Carolina quality backups and a good pair of special teams performers. The Panthers have been waiting for Branch and cornerback Dante Wesley to step up to their physical potential. If they don't make a move this summer, they might struggle to earn a roster spot.

The injuries that plagued the Panthers' defensive front in 2004 meant the coaches had to use young guys such as Jordan Carstens and Kindal Moorehead in expanded roles, and experience makes the line that much deeper in '05. Even the innocuous signing of journeyman defensive tackle Eddie Freeman, a former second-round choice of Kansas City (2002) but already released twice in his brief career, could add interior depth. Freeman had a solid year in the NFL Europe League this spring and has monster size. Hey, he might not even make the roster but, if he does, it's another big-bodied guy who has lined up and played in the league. At linebacker, the Panthers signed former Atlanta starter Chris Draft, who can play all three positions.

5. An admission: Despite trying to keep up with personnel around the league, and staying up late to watch game tapes each week, I knew very little about cornerback Ken Lucas before coming here. Maybe because he spent the first four seasons of his career in Seattle, before the Panthers lured him away with a fat contract this spring as an unrestricted free agent, Lucas just wasn't all that well-known outside of the Pacific Northwest. But if first impressions count for anything, then the lucrative deal the Panthers awarded Lucas was money well invested. This guy can play.

OK, so maybe he won't live up to the 15-interception prediction he made Saturday, either in a moment of weakness or incredible ego. But he is surprisingly physical (the knock on Lucas from some teams, even a few that were interested in him as a free agent, was that he is soft), moves fluidly and, at least in Saturday's two sessions, flashed great burst coming forward. His plant-and-break is explosive and, along with second-year veteran Chris Gamble, who had six pickoffs in his rookie season, he gives the Panthers two superb athletes on the corners.

"Those two, and Ricky [Manning], too, they can really track the ball," said secondary stalwart Mike Minter, who has moved from strong to free safety this year. "We should be able to lock down a lot of [receivers]."

A note on Manning, who starred for the Panthers in the '03 playoffs, suffered at times last season, and with the arrival of Lucas, is now the No. 3 corner: Every coach and team official who we spoke to said Manning has accepted his new status with great professionalism, worked hard through the spring, and understands that he is still going to play a ton of snaps.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
 
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