Rock Hill Herald Logo

With draft approaching, Panthers looking at everyone | Rock Hill Herald

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
  • Customer Service
  • Mobile & Apps
  • Newsletters
  • Archives

    • All News
    • Local News
    • Local Traffic Cam
    • North Carolina
    • South Carolina
    • Business
    • Education
    • NIE
    • Crime
    • More News
    • Andrew Dys
    • Nation/World
    • Politics/Government
    • Weird News
    • Databases
    • Down Home Magazine
    • Physicians Directory
    • Fort Mill Times
    • Fort Mill Times Sports
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Submit a Letter to the Editor
    • All Sports
    • Panthers
    • College
    • Winthrop
    • High School
    • High School Football
    • Auto Racing
    • Politics
    • Elections
  • Obituaries
    • All Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Submit a Letter
    • To the Contrary
    • James Werrell
    • Palmetto Opinion
    • All Living
    • Community
    • Weddings
    • Engagements
    • Anniversaries
    • Births
    • Religion
    • Family
    • Home & Garden
    • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Books
    • Calendar
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Rewards
    • Horoscopes

  • Legals
  • Cars
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Virtual Career Fair
  • Homes
  • Classifieds

Carolina Panthers

With draft approaching, Panthers looking at everyone

By Darin Gantt - Darin Gantt

    ORDER REPRINT →

March 29, 2008 11:59 PM

CHARLOTTE -- The Panthers are clearly tipping their hand as to their draft intentions, with the way they're so openly talking to so many people.

Obviously, they plan on acquiring about a dozen first-rounders, since they've shown such interest in so many of the top players.

That's why they went to Illinois for a private workout for running back Rashard Mendenhall last week. And to Arkansas to see backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. It's not that they've suddenly got runners on their mind with the 13th pick, it's just that's what was on the schedule. The other week, all the offensive linemen worked out in sequence, leading to the week of checking out tackles Gosder Cherilus, Chris Williams and Jeff Otah if he hadn't been hurt. Miami safety Kenny Phillips has gone on the radio talking about how the Panthers have been all over him. And they've conducted private workouts with players from Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco to Appalachian State wide receiver Dexter Jackson and many more.

Still, they've only got one first-rounder, and eight picks overall.

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

One of the rites of spring is the campaigns waged by teams trying to disguise their true intentions. But the Panthers aren't spreading misinformation, they're merely gathering as much information as they can.

More than any year, the Panthers have blanketed the country in hopes of nailing down the draft. The scouts and assistant coaches have been going places as normal, but general manager Marty Hurney's been the one on the move, joining the scouting parties at many of the on-campus pro days. He's not just there to watch, as they often arrange meetings with the prospects, giving them a chance to interview players without the dog-and-pony show of bringing them to Charlotte.

Hurney has a personal distaste for such visits, partly because he doesn't like his business on the street, and thinks it's easier for word to get out that way. Of course, now that every college reporter has a live blog from pro days, and the draft has become a round-the-clock obsession for so many, the news is getting out anyway.

That's why you can scan the Internet and learn the Panthers "have shown interest" in everyone from the top players to the unwanteds and unknowns such as South Carolina quarterback Blake Mitchell, South Dakota State tight end Chris Wagner or McNeese State defensive end Bryan Smith.

You could change the names daily, and be right. They're looking at everyone with a harder eye, because they can't afford mistakes anymore.

• NO MORE 'TWO-TON': The easy punch lines to last week's acquisition of guard Toniu Fonoti were the fat jokes. After all, the last time anyone saw him, the former San Diego guard was reportedly 390 pounds.

But hold your laughter, because he's hardly the same guy.

According to multiple sources around the team who've seen him, he's closer to 330 now, in what one teammate referred to as "great shape."

If he can maintain that, he gives them an interesting component to a line that's undergoing significant change. The Panthers have made a clearly stated goal of getting bigger and (more importantly) more physical up front. If Fonoti's back to the shape he was in when he joined the league, he'd have a shot at a starting job, though they like free agent pickup Keydrick Vincent at right guard.

That Fonoti's still young enough to withstand the weight loss also contributes to the upside of the deal.

When the Chargers chose him in the second round of the 2002, he was the youngest player ever drafted, seven months short of his 21st birthday. He's only 26 now, a time when most players are considered to be hitting their peak.

• TAKING MATTERS INTO HIS OWN HANDS: Defensive end Stanley McClover would have been the only Panthers player subject to the hair rule the owners will consider next week. There's a proposal that would make players with long hair tuck it away, to keep it from covering the name on the back of the jersey or being used to pull them down.

Of course, it would have only applied to McClover the last two seasons, since he recently got rid of the long dreadlocks he's been growing since his senior year in high school. No word on whether he'll still be referred to as "The Predator" without the signature haircut.

• EXTRA POINTS: In case you were wondering, the potential for re-seeding the playoffs (which will be discussed at next week's owners meetings as well) would have never affected the Panthers.

In 2005, they had the same 11-5 record as the New York Giants when they visited the NFC East champs in the Wild Card round. But since they didn't face each other in the regular season and had the same conference record (8-4), it would have gone to strength of victory for a tiebreaker, and the Giants' wins were better that year by a slim margin. The Giants' wins were over teams with a combined 76-100 record, while the Panthers' were against teams that finished 72-104. ...

Wide receiver Steve Smith wrote a check last week, dropping $250,000 on the University of Utah to endow a scholarship. He spent two years there after leaving Santa Monica College and his native California.

"I hope whoever gets this scholarship will do the same thing, repeat the cycle and help somebody else out," Smith told the Salt Lake Tribune.

  Comments  

Videos

Former Carolina Panthers great helps Rock Hill peewee football state champs celebrate

Julius Peppers participates in Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee charity event ahead of Super Bowl LIII

View More Video

Trending Stories

Gamecock great Rick Sanford joins Kornblut’s new statewide SportsTalk show

February 16, 2019 12:13 PM

Suspected thief is beaten by store employees until his pulse stopped, NC cops say

February 17, 2019 02:37 PM

Teacher got her long hair cut short because she was tired of 5-year-old Texas bullies

February 17, 2019 12:02 PM

Riverbanks zoo’s baby gorilla gets a name

February 16, 2019 10:05 AM

Northwestern’s best player had the ball, needing to score. Here’s what happened

February 17, 2019 11:55 AM

Read Next

Anthony Davis: Celtics ‘are on my list,’ and other notes from NBA All-Star media day

Charlotte Hornets

Anthony Davis: Celtics ‘are on my list,’ and other notes from NBA All-Star media day

By Brendan Marks

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 16, 2019 03:14 PM

Anthony Davis’ comments about being willing to sign long-term with the Boston Celtics stole the show Saturday at NBA All-Star media day, but from Colin Kaepernick to a bet between Seth and Steph Curry, there was much more to discuss.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE CAROLINA PANTHERS

The NFL reaches a settlement with Colin Kaepernick. And EVERYONE is talking about it

Carolina Panthers

The NFL reaches a settlement with Colin Kaepernick. And EVERYONE is talking about it

February 16, 2019 08:00 AM
The Making of a Modern All-Star: What 28 years of data says about NBA’s best players

Charlotte Hornets

The Making of a Modern All-Star: What 28 years of data says about NBA’s best players

February 15, 2019 07:00 AM
Kyle Kuzma earns MVP, leads USA to high-flying 161-144 win in NBA Rising Stars game

Charlotte Hornets

Kyle Kuzma earns MVP, leads USA to high-flying 161-144 win in NBA Rising Stars game

February 15, 2019 11:11 PM
Ron Rivera on ESPN’s First Take: Cam Newton motivated, about to get offensive help

Carolina Panthers

Ron Rivera on ESPN’s First Take: Cam Newton motivated, about to get offensive help

February 15, 2019 02:42 PM
Panthers announce coaching changes, including newly-defined role for one assistant

Carolina Panthers

Panthers announce coaching changes, including newly-defined role for one assistant

February 13, 2019 09:23 AM
What’s your best Michael Jordan story? We asked the people who know best. They said...

Charlotte Hornets

What’s your best Michael Jordan story? We asked the people who know best. They said...

February 12, 2019 06:35 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Rock Hill Herald App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Advertising Information
  • Place Obituary, Celebration
  • Place Classified, Legal
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story