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Catalyst · 08-02-2006, 11:23 AM

Just some stuff i found on various sites...

Quote:

1. I think I'm not confident that Kris Jenkins will make it back after his two recent injury-aborted seasons. He's nursing a strained lower left back muscle and he paused several times during the first workout today to stretch it.

2. I think Brett Basanez looked a whole lot better throwing the ball than Stefan LeFors. They're battling to be the third quarterback behind Jake Delhomme and Chris Weinke. Basanez's ball comes out faster and with more zip.

3. I think Chris Gamble plays like he wants to be the league's next great young corner. Fearless, physical and clinging are three great qualities for a cover man, and he's got them all.

4. I think the Panthers never had much hope that they'd re-sign Will Witherspoon and instead are grooming 235-pound former college safety Thomas Davis, the 16th pick in the 2005 draft, to be his replacement at weakside linebacker.

5. I think the Panthers had better have a good record on Thanksgiving, because their schedule after that is fairly nightmarish: at Washington, at Philadelphia, Giants at home, Steelers at home, at Atlanta (Christmas Eve) and at New Orleans (New Year's Eve). Think anyone will be sober at that last one?

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Superlatives are swirling through Carolina Panthers training camp about the early practice performances of wide receiver Keary Colbert.

Teammates and coaches say Colbert looks more like he did as a rookie in 2004 (47 catches for 754 yards and five touchdowns) than he did last season when he was slowed by an ankle injury (25-282-2).

"He's a different player already," quarterback Jake Delhomme said. "You can just see the way he runs his routes. He has explosion. He has separation."

Said offensive coordinator Dan Henning: "It's markedly different. He is 100 percent quicker and stronger than he was last year."

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Running backs coach Jim Skipper sends Williams into the huddle even when Williams is not part of the offense. The rookie runs out, pokes his head in, runs back to Skipper and explains what his assignment would have been.

Like most rookies, Williams says speed -- the speed with which holes open and close and defenders move -- is the biggest difference between where he is and where he was.

Says Williams: "I told Thomas Davis, `You are not an average linebacker. I mean, linebackers don't move like you. It's like, dude."

"Then I reminded myself he played safety last year."

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Two injured Carolina Panthers are getting closer to getting back to action. Receiver Steve Smith (hamstring) caught a few passes on the sideline during Tuesday morning's practice. Kicker John Kasay (sore leg) also kicked lightly on the sidelines. Neither took part in regular drills.

Smith and Kasay are listed as day-to-day.

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Rookie linebacker James Anderson, a third-round draft pick, got some time with the first team defensive in 11-on-11 drills, especially when the Panthers were in their nickel defense. Veteran Na'il Diggs continues to get the bulk of the repititions in the starting lineup at weakside linebacker.

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Early signs are promising for the new defensive tackle tandem of Kris Jenkins and Maake Kemoeatu, provided they can stay healthy.

According to defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac, middle linebacker Dan Morgan said he was barely touched during the opening practice Saturday because Jenkins and Kemoeatu provided a wall to contain the blockers who would've targeted Morgan.

Jenkins returned to practice after missing Sunday's drills with a sore back.

Jenkins and Kemoeatu are in the 350-pound range and could be a dominating tandem. Kemoeatu is proving virtually unblockable in one-on-one drills in camp.
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