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Monday, May 20
What kind of changes will John Fox bring to Carolina?
Perhaps even more critical than the schematic changes first-year coach John Fox will implement with the Panthers, is the attitude adjustment that should take place under his leadership. No knock against George Seifert, but at times he was a bit too cerebral in his approach to the game, and he also meddled too much with the offense. Seifert was regarded as low-key, while Fox will wear his passion on his sleeve.
In the modern game, a coach must possess some personality element that compels players to perform hard, and Fox appears to be a guy who can engender loyalty. Particularly on defense, the Panthers will be much more aggressive. Look for Fox to also be more sensitive to the players' preferences, as evidenced by his openness to try the shotgun offense with which quarterback Chris Weinke was so successful at Florida State.
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After stunning the Vikings in their first game of the 2001 season, the Panthers season fell off a cliff, with 15 straight losses.. In the end, those 15 straight losses and Carolina's second straight losing season, cost George Seifert his head coaching job. In three years with the Panthers, Seifert, who came to Carolina with a 108-35 record in eight seasons as the 49ers head coach, won only 16 games and lost 32.
After striking out on their first two head coaching choices, the Panthers hired former Giants defensive coordinator John Fox. Carolina coveted former Florida head coach Steve Spurrier, and interviewed Tony Dungy before he accepted the Colts head coaching job. But with Dungy and Spurrier out of the mix, they turned to Fox, who was considered one of the NFL's hot coaching prospects last offseason, got his opportunity a year later.
In terms of his on-the-field philosophy, Fox wasted no time after his hiring in declaring that the Panthers would concentrate on running the football and stopping the run. "We will work on running the ball," he said at the time. "Is that all I'll do? No. But you have to be able to do that in this league."
On the offensive side of the ball, the Panthers inked former Dolphins running back Lamar Smith. While anything but spectacular, Smith provides the Panthers with a steady presence at running back, replacing Richard Huntley and the oft-injured Tim Biakabutuka, who were both released. While Smith might lose the starting job to rookie DeShaun Foster, at the very least he'll give Carolina depth. One big loss could be the departure of wide receiver Donald Hayes (Patriots), who led Carolina in receptions (52) and yards (597) last season.
Chris Weinke was in the news over the offseason due to surgery on his throwing shoulder that caused him to miss the Panthers' May minicamp. All indications are that Weinke will be ready for the team's June minicamp. While Weinke has been unable to throw, he has been extremely dedicated over the offseason, watching film and working with new offensive coordinator Dan Henning. With Weinke's injury, the Panthers must have given serious thought to drafting former Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington. The decision to draft Julius Peppers was in essence a vote of confidence for Weinke.
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PANTHERS AT A GLANCE
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| Chris Weinke threw 19 INTs
in his rookie season. |
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2001 record: 1-15
Team rank: Defense (31st); Offense (30th)
Panthers team news |
Defensively, Carolina suffered a blow in the defensive backfield, releasing starting cornerback Doug Evans (eight interceptions) and part-time starter Jimmy Hitchcock and losing Rashard Anderson to a neck injury. Terry Cousin (Miami) and DeRon Jenkins (Tennessee) were inked to try to pick up some of the slack. Carolina ranked No. 28 in the NFL against the pass last season and there's no reason to think they will be any better in 2002. Carolina shook up its linebacking corps some, signing Mark Fields (Rams) to play outside linebacker and moving Dan Morgan inside. Look for a big your from Morgan, who has the speed to make plays all over the field.
For a complete list of all the players Carolina has signed and lost so far this offseason, click here.
How they drafted
The Panthers draft will ultimately be judged by whether they made the right call selecting Peppers over possible franchise quarterback Harrington. Peppers is raw and there is some question over whether he comes to play on every down. However, there is no questioning his immense talent. If Fox can get Peppers to play and design a scheme that will utilize his skills, the former North Carolina will make the Panthers glad they selected him. Second-round pick DeShaun Foster could be a steal. He had a problem holding onto the football at UCLA. But Foster has first-round talent and if he can solve his fumbling problem, he could be Carolina's answer at running back.
For a complete list of Carolina's draft picks, click here.
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Fantasy Focus
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Lamar Smith will likely be listed as the first-string running back entering training camp. But don't be fooled by the depth charts. Already some Carolina officials are so enamored with second-round draft pick DeShaun Foster that they expect him to be starting soon after the regular season opener. An ineffective Smith averaged just 3.1 yards per carry last season with Miami and poses little breakaway speed. Foster is the best gamebreaker and receiver of the rookie backs, but will need to solve his fumbling tendencies. Assuming he takes care of that in training camp, he should be drafted ahead of Smith and as a leading No. 3 RB for your team. Click here for more fantasy football news.
-- Roger Rotter, Fantasy editor
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Unfinished business
The fight for starting spots at cornerback figures to be one of the most heated and important positional battles from now until the beginning of the regular season. With all of their starters from last year -- Evans, Hitchcock and Anderson -- gone or on the shelf, Carolina is weak at cornerback. Cousin will likely start at one cornerback spot, leaving the battle for the other starting position wide open. Of players on the current roster, Fred Vinson, Reggie Howard and Jenkins all are possibilities, with rookie Dante Wesley a longshot.
Another spot to keep an eye on is at wide receiver. With the loss of Hayes, the Panthers were hoping for the healthy return of Patrick Jeffers, who has been plagued by knee injuries. However, Jefferes recently had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. The prognosis is for him to be ready for training camp, however, his injury history indicates that the Panthers shouldn't count on that.
Outlook for 2002
Things can only get better in Carolina this season, however, how much better remains to be seen. The Panthers' defense figures to struggle again with a porous secondary and there isn't any reason to believe that the offense will be greatly improved. Weinke should be better in his second season, however, he's still operating an offense that lacks weapons. Carolina should improve on last season's win total of one, however, expecting more than five or six wins would be unrealistic.
Peter Lawrence-Riddell is the NFL editor for ESPN.com.
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