NFL Profile: 2006 Carolina Panthers
With the Carolina Panthers a few things come to mind. First, the Panthers are a well coached team with a great defense, a solid quarterback, a great running game, and have one of the best receivers in the game in Steve Smith. That being said the downside is that in recent years the Panthers have squeaked by games that should have been cakewalks, can be very injury prone, and are also in one of the most difficult divisions in football.
2006 NFL Draft Overview
Round 1
27th pick – DeAngelo Williams (RB, Memphis)
Round 2
26th pick (58th overall) – Richard Marshall (CB, Marshall)
Round 3
24th pick (88th overall) – James Anderson (LB, West Virginia)
25th pick (89th overall) – Rashad Butler (OT, Miami)
Round 4
24th pick – (121st overall) – Nate Salley (S, Ohio State)
Round 5
23rd pick (155th overall) – Jeff King (TE, Virginia Tech)
Round 7
26th pick (234th overall) – Will Montgomery ( C, Virginia Tech)
29th pick (237th overall) – Stanley McClover ( DE, Auburn)
Carolina signed a mix of different positions and talent. The biggest draft day pickup for them (And one of the biggest draft day steals) was their acquisition of DeAngelo Williams. Williams was seen as one of the top three running backs in the draft. Even though he’s a smaller back and not in the mold of the power runner that Carolina usually goes for he is still incredibly talented and should fit in well with the Panthers.
Key Signings
Keyshawn Johnson – WR
He’s mouthy and he’s moody but he is a solid receiver. Its also nice to have Keyshawn Johnson as the number two option behind Steve Smith instead of the number one option. Johnson’s arrival opens up Jake Delhomme’s passing game a bit more and makes Carolina a lot better on offense than they were last year.
Key Losses
Na’ll Diggs – OLB
One of the few positions on defense that the Panthers have any holes in is Outside Linebacker and Na’ll Diggs injury concerns me for that reason. He injured his knee in a preseason game against Miami. Diggs spent time out last season with a knee injury and the Panthers aren’t very deep at OLB. If he is out for an extended period of time it could hurt them in the long run.
Panthers Offense 2006
The Panthers were a not very respectable 22nd in total offense last year. The addition of Keyshawn Johnson will definitely make that number go up. I feel they can definitely move up a few places in this to at least 16th or 17th. What was however impressive is that the Panthers were 6th in third down conversations. Yet another intangible that sets the Panthers apart from most of the league…able to get it done on offense when it counts…even if it doesn’t mean in every situation.
Panthers Defense 2006
One word comes to mind when I think of Carolina’s defense: solid. The Panthers ranked third in total defense last year behind only Chicago and Tampa Bay. As long as the defense stays healthy they should be fine.
2006 Schedule
September
9/10 – Atlanta
9/17 – at Minnesota
9/24 – at Tampa Bay
October
10/1 – New Orleans
10/8 – Cleveland
10/15 – at Baltimore
10/22 – at Cincinnati
10/29 – Dallas
November
11/5 – Bye
11/13 – Tampa Bay
11/19 – Saint Louis
11/26 – At Washington
December
12/4 – At Philadelphia
12/10 – NY Giants
12/17 – Pittsburgh
12/24 – at Atlanta
12/31 – at New Orleans
Prediction: 11-5, Super Bowl Champions
It hasn’t been too many years removed since the Carolina Panthers were NFC Champions and played the New England Patriots in what was an excellent Super Bowl. This year I think will be year they not only get to the Super Bowl but win it.
Picking Carolina to win the Super Bowl was not an easy prediction for me to make. Picking anyone to win the Super Bowl in the NFL is almost impossible to do. Very few if anyone expected Pittsburgh to win it last year. Carolina even making the playoffs depends on lack of injuries and being able to best quite a few teams that in the NFC that are very good (Seattle and Chicago come to mind). I predict them winning one of the most difficult divisions in the league over two teams that in their own right have a legitimate shot to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl (Tampa Bay and Atlanta).
Regardless though I’m sticking with Carolina to put it all together and win it all. Keyshawn Johnson was an excellent off season move. I am going to stick with the old mantra that there is “no substitute for experience”. While there are probably better teams on paper, Carolina has a veteran group of players that know what it is like to play in the big games which is an intangible that many teams competing this year don’t have.. .
