This article bugs the shit out of me...

Ken Lucas Earns Spot on Carolina's Bench

By JENNA FRYER
AP Sports Writer


CHARLOTTE, N.C. | Ken Lucas came to the Carolina Panthers as a flashy free-agent addition, hailed as the cog in a shaky secondary.

Four games into the second year of a six-year contract, Lucas now finds himself the most expensive backup cornerback in the NFL. Just how long the $36 million man stays on the bench remains to be seen.

Lucas was surprisingly benched before the start of Sunday's win over New Orleans, with coach John Fox starting rookie Richard Marshall ahead of him. Fox chalked the lineup change to nagging neck and shoulder injuries that Lucas admits have hindered his tackling.

"That's my job as a coach," Fox said Monday. "When a player isn't able to do part of his job due to an injury, we have to make moves."

So Fox said he decided to use Lucas only in third-down situations against the Saints as a way to keep him off the field "to take some of the first and second down pounding off of him."

Although Lucas put on a brave face after the game, few believed he was pleased with the move. After all, this is a guy who was devastated last year when he wasn't voted to the Pro Bowl and reported to training camp this season intent on winning the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award.

So as he stood on the sidelines Sunday, helmet on, hands on hips, he was clearly frustrated as he watched a rookie do his job.

"I didn't argue the point, I just went along with the plan," he said. "It hurts. I wanted to be out there on every down. I just have to do what the coaches tell me to do because they make the final decision, regardless of how I feel or what I say.

"I didn't want to have any controversy. I just wanted to be on the same plan as Coach Fox."

When asked if he was 100 percent healthy, Lucas said he didn't believe that level existed.

"There's no such thing as 100 percent. I think from the time you come out of your mother's womb, there is something wrong with you," he said.

Lucas, whose six interceptions last season was one short of cornerback Chris Gamble for the team lead, acknowledges he hasn't been right since he was injured in the second game of the season.

"It caused me to miss some tackles that I should make - I accept that as a man, that I haven't been playing up to par as far as tackling and it's been hurting the team," he said. "I've got to get back up to that level where I can tackle consistently and not miss tackles I should make on a regular basis."

But he probably expected Fox to allow him to work it out, rather than take the action that he did. But with the Panthers a disappointing 1-2 heading into their NFL South matchup against the Saints, Fox couldn't risk letting Lucas become the soft spot on the defense.

He also tried to dismiss any controversy Monday by saying Lucas will return to the starting lineup when he's healthy. He just doesn't know when that will be.

"Kenny has played very well for us," Fox said. "When I think that an injury is the reason, and not the talent level, we have to do everything in our power to help alleviate that. We'll evaluate it this week. He may be out there on first and second down.

"We'll have to see where he is health-wise come Wednesday."

Lucas also gamely praised Fox for putting his health first.

"He's looking out for my welfare and I appreciate it as a person," he said. "I don't want to be in a sling or have my arm cut off when I am done playing this game.

"But as a player, I wasn't happy about it."

 

If you just read the title you have a completely different feeling about the Lucas situation. Fucking writers are ruining sports.

 

true. he didn't earn a spot on the bench. when healthy, he is our best corner. with a shoulder injury, it looks like he is #3. he didn't forget how to cover in the offseason.

 

There's been alot of articles where the title gives a totally wrong impression. Editors can rewrite anything they want in an article, I think, but they usually write the titles. They're getting to where the titles are more for impact than for information.

 

yeah, this article is kinda awful. Ken Lucas is as good as anybody in the league, and if he only plays nickel against joe Horn, or if he sits out the game, neither devalue him.

 

Fox said when he's healthy, he'll start...he also said Lucas was on the injury report prior to the game...

Fox never lead on he was going to start a rookie because he didn't want the Saints to game plan against a rookie corner...

Keeping Lucas fresh for passing downs and limiting his hits against the run basically seems reasonable

 

These writers wanna stir shit up. Nothing new about that, they've done it before. I don't care much for it either.

But Luke's not been making tackles like he should, whatever the reason.

 

Jenna Fryer should stick to covering NASCAR

 

Dear Jenna,


He's been hurt, you fucktard.


Regards,

B&B

 

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ/MGArticle/WSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149191003630&path=%21sports&s=1037645509200

Friday, October 6, 2006
Lucas feeling better, expects to start


By Joe Menzer
JOURNAL REPORTER

CHARLOTTE

Cornerback Ken Lucas of the Carolina Panthers is learning how quickly perceptions can change and confuse everything. So he wanted to clear a few things up.

First off, he said he's as healthy as he's been in a long time. So, yes, he expects to retake his starting position from rookie Richard Marshall on Sunday when the Panthers play the Cleveland Browns at Bank of America Stadium.

"I look forward to getting back out there this week and competing at a high level," Lucas said.

Secondly, Lucas wanted to dispute the fact that Coach John Fox benched him for the start of last Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints. Even though he didn't start, he wanted to repeat that it was only because Fox believed - and Lucas agreed with him - that a nagging neck and shoulder injury that had lingered since training camp was limiting his effectiveness, particularly as a tackler.

Therefore, it was determined that it would be best for him to avoid as much contact as possible while playing on a limited basis. So Fox played him only in obvious passing situations on third downs, eliminating his exposure to the physical New Orleans running attack.

"I went out there, didn't pout or anything, just did my job and played my role," Lucas said. "Now I feel like my shoulder is capable of me going out and tackling without my having to worry about it. I look forward to going out there this week and being the guy that I was last year."

Last year Lucas arrived in Carolina as an enigma. He signed a monster free-agent contract potentially worth $36 million over six years, and the Panthers clearly didn't give him that kind of money to play third cornerback.

Yet many people, including several of his new teammates, didn't know what to make of him at first. He played the first four years of his career in relative obscurity in Seattle, even though he parlayed a six-interception season in 2004 into the big contract with the Panthers.

Lucas, starting all 15 games he appeared in last year and again posting six interceptions, gradually won teammates over and played well enough that he was visibly annoyed when he was passed over for the Pro Bowl.

"I don't have any respect for the Pro Bowl any more," Lucas said then. "It's not about picking the best players. It's about guys who have been there in the past. I thought it was all about a game that was supposed to be for the best players.

"I don't know what it takes. I feel I'm one of the best corners in the league, if not (the best). I'm at least top five."

This was to be the year he broke through and proved that to the rest of the world. But the neck and shoulder problems, which began during training camp, have prevented that from happening.

So in a few short weeks, Lucas went from seeking Pro Bowl redemption to trying to hang onto his starting job, even if the demotion was injury induced and temporary. Now he said he's ready to get back to playing like his old self again - but Fox stopped short yesterday of saying Lucas definitely would return to his old role on Sunday.

"So far, this week has been good," Fox said after watching Lucas practice for the second day in a row. "We don't have live tackling during the week, so it's hard to tell - but it looks like he has made progress."

Fox also said that it was his call to reduce Lucas to a reserve role last Sunday.

"That's my job as a head coach," Fox said. "There are guys playing with ailments - and when it gets in the way of them doing their job, as a coach I've got to try to get them out of those situations. That was really all last week was about - giving us the best opportunity to win. We'll see how we deal with it this week."

Lucas said that he's ready to deal with it by getting back to how he used to do things.

"When your mindset is not right - and I was kind of reluctant (last week) to just go out there and (lead with) my shoulder because of my neck and shoulder - it makes it tough to play like you want to," Lucas said. "These last two weeks, I haven't had that much work with my neck and shoulder, and that allowed it to heal more than what it has since preseason. Now I feel confident enough where I can go out there and tackle with a little bit of aggression again. I just look forward to it."

• Joe Menzer can be reached at [email protected].