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HOT TOPIC: The last thing Kenny Moore wanted to see was his best friend on the football team break an arm during the offseason.
But Steve Smith’s bad break could lead to a good break for Moore.
With Smith on the sidelines Moore has been running with the first-team offense along with Dwayne Jarrett and has been exceptional through the first two days of camp.
“It’s an opportunity for me to come in and make plays and show them that I can really do it with the starters,” said Moore, a Charlotte native who starred at Butler High. “It’s exciting for me.”
Moore faces some tough competition this summer.
You have to figure Smith, third-round draft picks Brandon LaFell and Armanti Edwards, and spoecial teams standout Wallace Wright are locks to make the roster possibly leaving Moore, Jarrett, Charly Martin and Trent Guy to fight over one spot.
Moore admits he’s looked at the numbers, but said his focus is on doing the best he can do and playing well enough so that coaches can’t cut him.
And so far so good.
Moore has been fluid running routes and shown great hands.
“I always believe in my ability and what I do,” Moore said. “As a player and a receiver you always look and you think, ‘Man we only kept four receivers at the end of last year.’ That’s always in your head. But at the end of the day you have to make plays. I believe my best should be good enough. If I continue to take advantage of my opportunities and come out and compete every day hopefully that will be enough for the coaches.”
There’s nowhere else Moore would rather be than in Carolina.
Moore grew up in Charlotte and Smith, who broke into the league when he was a high school sophomore, was his idol. He even kept a photo of Smith as his screensaver on his personal computer.
“And now he’s a guy I’m getting tips from,” laughed Moore, who had six catches for 59 yards in limited playing time last season for the Panthers. “I’m really tuned in to what he has to say. I take in all of the advice he’s given me and try to learn from it.”
He knows the more he can do the better chance he has of sticking around.
For that reason he’s still trying to petition coaches to give him another chance to return punts, something he struggled with in 2009. Moore had a costly fumble in the preseason and was held to 4 yards on two punt returns in the regular season.
“I’m still trying to get them to believe in me a little more,” Moore said.
As for the receiver position, coach John Fox called it “competitive,” but admits he’s been impressed by Moore.
“Right now he’s earned it (running with the first team),” Fox said. “We have a lot of competition at that position and a lot of young people who are learning. We’ll evaluate that practice by practice.”
INSIDE THE GAME: There’s been a lot of talk about how the Panthers plan to use rookie Eric Norwood this season.
Norwood excelled as a pass rusher last season at South Carolina, but at 241 pounds he’s considered too small to be an every down defensive end in the NFL. The Panthers are still working on the best way to use Norwood’s skills, but Fox said right now his base position is linebacker.
“We'll see how that goes,” Fox said. “He spent a lot more time with his hand in the dirt in college. He definitely has those skills, so he can be a designated pass rusher as well as an every down linebacker and we'll evaluate that as we move forward.”
None of matters to Norwood, who said just being at training camp is “a dream come true.”
“This is what I’ve worked for,” he said. "I'll do whatever they want."
NOTABLE: Here's the scoop on OG Duke Robinson. He came into camp overweight and out of shape and the Panthers won't put him on the practice field until they feel like he's ready to go. He's not there yet and remains on active-PUP after the first two days.
"We're being precautionary there with some weight and conditioning and when he meets those (goals) he'll be out there," Fox said.
Fox said Robinson won't necessarily have to pass a conditioning test to get on the field as DT Albert Haynesworth apparently needs to do in Washington.
Coming into camp Robinson had a chance to compete for a starting spot at right guard, but that may be gone now.
When asked if he's disappointed Robinson didn't come into camp in shape, Fox replied, "We've had guys that didn't make weight in camp and that doesn't necessarily define what kind of player they will be or what type of year they're going to have. Right now he's got a little work to do."
WHO IMPRESSED: Rookie WR Brandon LaFell made an impressive one-handed catch behind his head along the sidelines during Friday’s full-pad practice, drawings oohs from the afternoon crowd. That's an encouraging sign from a guy who could wind up as the No. 2 receiver providing he can beat out Jarrett. LaFell is steady and certainly looks the part of a viable No. 2 receiving threat.
WHO DIDN'T: Nobody really stood out as having a bad practice on Friday, but Dexter Jackson did get embarrassed by Richard Marshall running down punts. Twice Marshall manhandled Jackson at the line of scrimmage, once pushing him well out of bounds and completely out of the play.
At some point the Panthers are going to have to pay Marshall. But he may have jump in line behind DeAngelo Williams, Ryan Kalil and Thomas Davis, all of whom will be unrestricted free agents after the season.
PLAY OF THE DAY: In one of the Moore beautifully executed plays Friday, Matt hooked up with Kenny on 46-yard bomb down the right sideline during one-on-one drills. Kenny beat CB Chris Gamble by a foot on the play and made a great catch in the end zone. (It should be noted, however, that’s about the only time Gamble has been beat since the start of camp.)
INJURY REPORT: DE Charles Johnson, LB Jamar Williams and RB Tyrell Sutton sat out practice. Sutton has a sore calf while the others tweaked their hamstring. Nothing serious.
Also, WR Charly Moore left practice after injuring his finger. He might have broken something, but we'll know more later. Too bad. He was playing well.
Coach John Fox said he expects four of the six guys on the active-PUP list – RB Jonathan Stewart, DT Louis Leonard, OG Duke Robinson and OT Jeff Otah -- to practice before the team breaks camp on Aug. 18.
DEPTH CHART WATCH: With Johnson sitting out, DE Everette Brown has stepped up and done a nice job during practice.
Brown will be one of the guys counted on to step up and fill in for Julius Peppers, who averaged more than 10 sacks per season during his eight years in Carolina.
“I look at that as good pressure and I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Brown said of replacing Peppers. “But in that it’s going to take all four guys on the line. It’s going to take high intensity and guys wanting to make plays. It all starts up front.”
THEY SAID IT: Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams when asked if he thinks the tailbacks are going to have to carry the load this year because Moore is such a young quarterback: “No, I don't think we are. When our number's called we want to answer that call. But you've got to understand something about Matt Moore – he won six games for us, went 6-2. When you say that it's tough for me to understand that, because I've played with him for three years. I think he has more than just an arm and a head. I think he's going to get us real far this year.”
WHAT’S NEXT: The Panthers are back on their two-a-day schedule tomorrow, practicing at 9:10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. The night practice will be at Gibbs Stadium, the first time the team has practiced at Wofford College's home stadium during the Fox era.
But Steve Smith’s bad break could lead to a good break for Moore.
With Smith on the sidelines Moore has been running with the first-team offense along with Dwayne Jarrett and has been exceptional through the first two days of camp.
“It’s an opportunity for me to come in and make plays and show them that I can really do it with the starters,” said Moore, a Charlotte native who starred at Butler High. “It’s exciting for me.”
Moore faces some tough competition this summer.
You have to figure Smith, third-round draft picks Brandon LaFell and Armanti Edwards, and spoecial teams standout Wallace Wright are locks to make the roster possibly leaving Moore, Jarrett, Charly Martin and Trent Guy to fight over one spot.
Moore admits he’s looked at the numbers, but said his focus is on doing the best he can do and playing well enough so that coaches can’t cut him.
And so far so good.
Moore has been fluid running routes and shown great hands.
“I always believe in my ability and what I do,” Moore said. “As a player and a receiver you always look and you think, ‘Man we only kept four receivers at the end of last year.’ That’s always in your head. But at the end of the day you have to make plays. I believe my best should be good enough. If I continue to take advantage of my opportunities and come out and compete every day hopefully that will be enough for the coaches.”
There’s nowhere else Moore would rather be than in Carolina.
Moore grew up in Charlotte and Smith, who broke into the league when he was a high school sophomore, was his idol. He even kept a photo of Smith as his screensaver on his personal computer.
“And now he’s a guy I’m getting tips from,” laughed Moore, who had six catches for 59 yards in limited playing time last season for the Panthers. “I’m really tuned in to what he has to say. I take in all of the advice he’s given me and try to learn from it.”
He knows the more he can do the better chance he has of sticking around.
For that reason he’s still trying to petition coaches to give him another chance to return punts, something he struggled with in 2009. Moore had a costly fumble in the preseason and was held to 4 yards on two punt returns in the regular season.
“I’m still trying to get them to believe in me a little more,” Moore said.
As for the receiver position, coach John Fox called it “competitive,” but admits he’s been impressed by Moore.
“Right now he’s earned it (running with the first team),” Fox said. “We have a lot of competition at that position and a lot of young people who are learning. We’ll evaluate that practice by practice.”
INSIDE THE GAME: There’s been a lot of talk about how the Panthers plan to use rookie Eric Norwood this season.
Norwood excelled as a pass rusher last season at South Carolina, but at 241 pounds he’s considered too small to be an every down defensive end in the NFL. The Panthers are still working on the best way to use Norwood’s skills, but Fox said right now his base position is linebacker.
“We'll see how that goes,” Fox said. “He spent a lot more time with his hand in the dirt in college. He definitely has those skills, so he can be a designated pass rusher as well as an every down linebacker and we'll evaluate that as we move forward.”
None of matters to Norwood, who said just being at training camp is “a dream come true.”
“This is what I’ve worked for,” he said. "I'll do whatever they want."
NOTABLE: Here's the scoop on OG Duke Robinson. He came into camp overweight and out of shape and the Panthers won't put him on the practice field until they feel like he's ready to go. He's not there yet and remains on active-PUP after the first two days.
"We're being precautionary there with some weight and conditioning and when he meets those (goals) he'll be out there," Fox said.
Fox said Robinson won't necessarily have to pass a conditioning test to get on the field as DT Albert Haynesworth apparently needs to do in Washington.
Coming into camp Robinson had a chance to compete for a starting spot at right guard, but that may be gone now.
When asked if he's disappointed Robinson didn't come into camp in shape, Fox replied, "We've had guys that didn't make weight in camp and that doesn't necessarily define what kind of player they will be or what type of year they're going to have. Right now he's got a little work to do."
WHO IMPRESSED: Rookie WR Brandon LaFell made an impressive one-handed catch behind his head along the sidelines during Friday’s full-pad practice, drawings oohs from the afternoon crowd. That's an encouraging sign from a guy who could wind up as the No. 2 receiver providing he can beat out Jarrett. LaFell is steady and certainly looks the part of a viable No. 2 receiving threat.
WHO DIDN'T: Nobody really stood out as having a bad practice on Friday, but Dexter Jackson did get embarrassed by Richard Marshall running down punts. Twice Marshall manhandled Jackson at the line of scrimmage, once pushing him well out of bounds and completely out of the play.
At some point the Panthers are going to have to pay Marshall. But he may have jump in line behind DeAngelo Williams, Ryan Kalil and Thomas Davis, all of whom will be unrestricted free agents after the season.
PLAY OF THE DAY: In one of the Moore beautifully executed plays Friday, Matt hooked up with Kenny on 46-yard bomb down the right sideline during one-on-one drills. Kenny beat CB Chris Gamble by a foot on the play and made a great catch in the end zone. (It should be noted, however, that’s about the only time Gamble has been beat since the start of camp.)
INJURY REPORT: DE Charles Johnson, LB Jamar Williams and RB Tyrell Sutton sat out practice. Sutton has a sore calf while the others tweaked their hamstring. Nothing serious.
Also, WR Charly Moore left practice after injuring his finger. He might have broken something, but we'll know more later. Too bad. He was playing well.
Coach John Fox said he expects four of the six guys on the active-PUP list – RB Jonathan Stewart, DT Louis Leonard, OG Duke Robinson and OT Jeff Otah -- to practice before the team breaks camp on Aug. 18.
DEPTH CHART WATCH: With Johnson sitting out, DE Everette Brown has stepped up and done a nice job during practice.
Brown will be one of the guys counted on to step up and fill in for Julius Peppers, who averaged more than 10 sacks per season during his eight years in Carolina.
“I look at that as good pressure and I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Brown said of replacing Peppers. “But in that it’s going to take all four guys on the line. It’s going to take high intensity and guys wanting to make plays. It all starts up front.”
THEY SAID IT: Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams when asked if he thinks the tailbacks are going to have to carry the load this year because Moore is such a young quarterback: “No, I don't think we are. When our number's called we want to answer that call. But you've got to understand something about Matt Moore – he won six games for us, went 6-2. When you say that it's tough for me to understand that, because I've played with him for three years. I think he has more than just an arm and a head. I think he's going to get us real far this year.”
WHAT’S NEXT: The Panthers are back on their two-a-day schedule tomorrow, practicing at 9:10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. The night practice will be at Gibbs Stadium, the first time the team has practiced at Wofford College's home stadium during the Fox era.
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