In this episode of the Sportable Spot we take a look at the NFC South.  We analyze some key additions to the division as well as discuss some of the rebuilding processes we see going on within the division.  Though certainly not the strongest division, there is a lot of intrigue in the NFC South.

Hosts: Kevin, Rich, Ryan, Sonny

 

 NFC South [26:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

• Should we pay any attention to the Carolina Panthers this year? With stories like these, it’s making it hard to ignore them. The Panthers, set on committing to a ground attack featuring 1st round picks Jonathan Stewart and Deangelo Williams, have brought in former tank Natrone Means to mentor the young backs. With a bunch of 330 pounders on the offensive line, the Panthers look ready and willing to punch the NFC South in the mouth.

• Close your eyes and try to imagine the Philadelphia Eagles without Dononvan McNabb and Brian Dawkins. Pretty difficult, right? Well, 2009 could see the Eagles missing two franchise faces. The 34-year-old Dawkins hinted at retirement in a press conference at training camp, saying this could be his last ride.

• Self proclaimed offensive genius Charlie Weis sung “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” at Wrigley Field over the weekend. Beginning his rendition amidst a chorus of boos, Weis hung in there and delivered a decent performance. In other news, Wrigley Field has reported a shortage of polish sausages and cotton candy.

• In relatively unrelated news, Chris Balke, a two-year starter at offensive line for Valhalla High School (1999-2000), finally tied the knot over the weekend. In case you didn’t know, he’s my brother. Congratulations, Chris and Jackie!

For the entire month of August, the Sportable Staff will look at one National Football League team a day. We?ll look at their offense, defense and in the end, assess their playoff chances. Previews will be done by division, starting with the NFC East. Each new division will also feature a new podcast devoted entirely to that division.

There’s a new Carr in the Panthers Garage. After a season that was riddled with question marks about consistency, the Carolina Panthers are looking at a promising campaign in 2007 if they can put their pieces together. To put it bluntly, Jake Delhomme needs to hold on to the freaking ball. Will the DeAngelo Williams/DeShaun Foster tandem continue to develop in 2007 or will DeAngelo start shouldering the load as the feature back? Whats up with this defense and injuries? Can Dwayne Jarrett avoid the curse of Mike Williams and actually develop into a talent that is worthwhile in the NFL?

Offense. Jake Delhomme pisses me off. Here’s a guy who finds a way to win but, as a quarterback, is less than great. He fumbles the ball a lot (6 last year, 12 each of the two years previous) and has had his issues in the past with interceptions. If you draft him in a fantasy league, prepare to spend five to ten minutes each Sunday cussing at him. One of the major upsides to Jake Delhomme? He has Steve Smith. In a league that has moved towards tall and physical receivers, Steve Smith remains as the classic small and incredibly fast guy who can take over games. He’s a weapon every time he steps on the field and he’s also a guy who makes everyone around him better. This bodes well for the former Trojan tandem, Keary Colbert and Dwayne Jarrett. Jarrett has the tools to be a dominant force in the red zone and a great sidekick to Smith. He’s not overly fast, in fact he’s really slow, but he’s a big physical guy who can get up for the ball and make plays. That’ll help Jake Delhomme, who tends to just throw the ball up sometimes. Read the rest of this entry »

Keyshawn Johnson held a press conference yesterday to officially announce his retirement from the NFL. I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that this retirement won’t last. Keyshawn had plenty of offers to continue playing which as far as I’m concerned, mean that he will have offers for a few years to come.

I can’t count the number of times we see this happen, where a player retires and then a year or so later, he is right back in the game. All of these guys miss the game when they sit out for a year, and I don’t think Keyshawn will be an exception. The exceptions to this rule tend to be guys who retired on their own terms, that is something Keyshawn didn’t get to do. For now, Keyshawn will be an analyst for ESPN, and I probably couldn’t be more pleased. We get rid of one egomaniac who played wide receiver and replace him with another. The upside for Keyshawn is that he never had a cocaine problem to deal with, so he won’t have that hanging over his head when he reaches the ESPN studios.

I’ll be interested to see how Johnson does at ESPN, but I won’t expect him to be there for more than a year. I expect this to turn out similar to all other athletes who take a year off before returning to their sport for one more “shot at a championship.” I hope that isn’t the case for Keyshawn, he had a good enough career where he doesn’t need to add an more past his prime years to his resume.

Keyshawn Johnson was cut by the Carolina Panthers today, making that two cuts in just two years for the former #1 pick. Last year Johnson was cut to make room for Terrell Owens in Dallas, this year he’s being cut because the Panthers are making a move towards younger players.

I’m surprised that they cut him, I figured that they would try to use the Keyshawn and Dwyane Jarrett USC connection to help Jarrett with the transition. Actually I think most people thought that, but now the former Trojan is going to be stuck looking for work. I’m sure there will be a team who will pick up Keyshawn, the guy can still play and magically has lost his ego. This isn’t the same “Meshawn” who wrecked havoc in New York and Tampa Bay. Keyshawn has his ego under control and I think would be a great addition for many teams who might have a few young receivers who are in need of some tutoring. He wouldn’t be a waste of a roster space either, or so his 70 catches last year say.

Johnson appeared to take it in stride, and he isn’t the only talented veteran out on the market. Between Johnson and Keenan McCardell there is a lot of veteran talent at the wide receiver spot. And if all else fails, Johnson proved that he can put in some work with ESPN taking the place of a different wide receiver who can’t lay off the nose candy.

The Panthers made an interesting move on Friday, signing Texans castoff David Carr to a two year deal to back up quarterback Jake Delhomme. Delhomme, who is probably the most inconsistent bastard on the planet, could use some motivation to work harder considering the previous back up can’t win games.

It’s a sad story, the career of David Carr. It’s more like a miracle considering how many times he’s been clocked by opposing linebackers and lineman, and the fact that the Texans offensive line is more like a turnstile definitely played a role in Carr’s success struggles. Now he goes to a Carolina team that always has a lot of potential but, from year to year, decides at the beginning of the season whether or not they want to make a Super Bowl run or completely suck ass. While i still haven’t figured out why this is so, the Panthers could use a back up like Carr to fill in when Delhomme gets hurt or fumbles the ball away four times in a game. Before I go any further, let me just make the point about Delhomme that, unless you like three interceptions and two fumbles on a weekly occurance, don’t ever draft Delhomme in a fantasy league. It’s perennial suicide.

Carr fits well with this team in my opinion. He’s finally got a talented group of recievers around him, not just one big stud like Andre Johnson. Steve Smith, last time I checked, is pretty good. Keyshawn Johnson could be the key part to this because, unlike in Houston, Carr finally has a veteran to throw to and learn from (Eric Moulds last year didn’t count because, well, he sucked). Overall, a great deal and a steal by the Panthers.