Smith in rare form on first day back from shoulder injury

By Darin Gantt

SPARTANBURG -- Not only was he alive, but he can throw. And catch. And even be play-tackled by teammates.

As it turns out, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith wasn't quite on his death bed because of Monday's shoulder injury. Less than four days later, he returned to the field in pads, taking part in the individual portions of the team's Friday morning practice.

Coach John Fox was careful to reel Smith in before anything resembling contact, and it remains unlikely he'll play in the preseason opener Monday at New York.

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But after it looked much more serious earlier in the week, they were glad to see it.

“I think he'll make it,” Fox cracked. “The early prognosis around the country was maybe not, but he'll be OK. Like I said earlier when he first got hurt, if this were in-season it would probably be a whole different mode, but I think he's going to be fine.

“It doesn't mean he's going to definitely play or not Monday night, but he's healthy.”

Smith even tried to be coy, saying he wouldn't confirm his status for the Giants game. “I know, but I won't say,” he said.

Smith explained that it was “a pretty good bone bruise,” and that there was no other structural damage. Initial X-rays were negative, and after they let it settle, they found there was no need for further tests. It didn't look that way Monday as he was hauled off the field.

“You always have fear,” he replied when asked if he thought it was worse. “In camp a lot of things happen because your body is kind of beat up and tired. Sometimes things happen. You're just kind of hesitant. It doesn't hurt as much. Sleep is kind of difficult, but it's all right. I wouldn't say I woke up and said, ‘OK, I'm healed.' But it's getting more tolerable.”

He was even able to laugh at himself and his reaction. Upon landing and getting looked at by trainers, he ripped his helmet off with one hand and kicked it across the end zone, looking furious. He said that was the worry that an offseason of training (to strengthen the same shoulder he's had problems with) might have been lost.

“That's why I took it out on my helmet,” he said. “You just work hard, seven months of working hard, and then in seven seconds you're back in the same position. But in hindsight it's not broken. I can do a lot of things that I couldn't do Monday and I can do a lot of things that if it was broken I wouldn't be able to do. It could be a lot worse.”

By the end of practice, he had his pads off and was firing fastballs to Kenny Moore, and making exaggerated overhead catches with his right arm alone. He also had to fend off teammate Ryne Robinson, with whom he was wrestling on the ground between snaps in practice.

Veteran defensive tackle Damione Lewis knows more will be placed on him this year, but not just because he's the only experienced player at his position.

There will be a greater physical burden as well, since he'll be asked to play some nose tackle in certain situations with Maake Kemoeatu out for the season.

Lewis is a natural inside rusher, perfect for the “3-technique” assignment. But in the absence of the big man, the Panthers will shift their tackles right and left, rather than dedicating one player to always playing a certain spot.

“I'm playing the right side. It depends on what the offense is doing,” he explained. “If they're coming out with them in a right tight end set then I'm playing the nose. If they come out with the tight end on the left that day then I'm in the 3-technique. We did that my first year (2006), when Maake and Jenks ( Kris Jenkins) were here. Jenks played the right and Maake the left. And then we got in the game we did the same thing we just slid back and forth. I've been down this road before.

“What I'm not going to be able to do is get in there and hold up stuff like Kemo did. What I can do is penetrate. So my game is different than his. I'm going to get off the ball. My whole object is to get my hands on the center and get him knocked back before he gets off into me. And then if they're doubling then I'm dropping and sitting into it, and hopefully it's jumping off so I can spring into action. Other than that, my game down there is quickness. I'm not a power guy.”

The Panthers are trying to keep their linemen versatile. For the last week, they've been rotating their ends from side to side, getting them experience on either side.

Running back Jonathan Stewart got his third straight day of rest Friday, though the team maintains he has had no setback with the sore Achilles that has bothered him all offseason. Otherwise, there weren't many changes on the injury report.

Rookie linebacker Mortty Ivy suffered a groin strain in the morning session and didn't return. Linebacker James Anderson was back after leaving Thursday with a sore hamstring.

Also out for the morning practice were linebackers Thomas Davis (knee) and Landon Johnson (groin), safety Nate Salley (knee) and rookie guard C.J. Davis (ankle).

There wasn't much reaction to Michael Vick signing with Philadelphia. The Panthers stayed in the rumor mill, but were never a consideration for the former Atlanta quarterback.

“He's not here,” Lewis said. “I can't worry about what he's doing.”

The Panthers open the regular season against the Eagles, but Vick is likely to serve some degree of suspension, which would keep him out of that Sept. 13 game.