Carolina Panthers Information
The Carolina Panthers are one of the youngest franchises in the National Football League, completing their first full decade after the 2004 season. They shocked a lot of people in 1996 when they won the competitive NFC West in only their second year together. Seven years later, they surprised people again by winning another division championship, this time the NFC South over teams like New Orleans, Atlanta, and Tampa Bay, the defending Super Bowl champions. The 1996 playoff run ended relatively early, but the 2003 season ended with a Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots in a close game. The Patriots had won 14 games in a row and were favored by more than a touchdown over the surprising Panthers, but the game ended in New England’s favor by a score of 32-29. Dom Capers was the first coach in team history and had four successful years before leaving the team. George Seifert, the coach of the 49ers in the early 1990s, stepped in and posted two good seasons before a 1-15 season ended his run in Carolina. John Fox replaced him in 2002 and has taken the team to the Super Bowl in just his second year. The Panthers will return many of the key players from last season so expectations are still very high for 2004.
Quarterback Jake Delhomme signed a new contract this off-season and will be the QB of the team for years to come. His play in 2003 wasn’t anything off the charts, but it was what the team asked him to do by limiting mistakes and keeping the team in games until the end. Running back Stephen Davis showed he still had plenty left in the tank after Washington let him loose prior to last season. Davis will likely take the majority of the carries this season, but watch out for young speedster DeShaun Foster to establish himself in the league. Steve Smith, already one of the top punt return men in the league, showed he could become a star receiver as well in 2003. He led the team in receptions, yardage, and touchdowns scored in 2003. Rod Smart, best known as “He Hate Me” from his days in the now defunct XFL, gave the team a solid kickoff return option.
The Carolina Panthers had one of the top defenses in the league in 2003 but didn’t have a player on their roster record more than 100 tackles last year. They did, however, have 11 players record 46 tackles or more, showing that they play a team defense in the truest sense. Mike Rucker recorded an impressive 12 sacks last year while Kris Jenkins led the team with 10 tackles for loss. Rookie Julius Peppers had three forced fumbles and Mike Minter and Deon Grant each had three interceptions. Minter returned two of his for touchdowns.
The Panthers only had six draft picks heading into the 2004 NFL draft, but they didn’t really have any glaring needs sticking out to them. The team from 2003 was kept pretty well intact, and the team played so well as a unit, it was hard to think anyone could step in as a rookie and contribute effectively. With a pick late in the first round, the Panthers selected Chris Gamble, a cornerback from Ohio State University. Gamble played both offense and defense in college and was successful at both, but he’ll definitely need some refining before he’s ready to play football in the NFL. Keary Colbert, a wide receiver from USC, was taken with the 62nd overall pick, but also isn’t likely to impact the team too much in his rookie season. Both players are expected to develop into real NFL talents in a few years after the team has been able to add strength and speed.