PantherDave Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 I was away for a ten day vacation, so if some of or all is known already-sorry. Thomas Davis will start at SLB Foster was practicing and running with the first team Jenkins was also running with a brace Also, a Huddler mentioned after last seasons injury that Foster should drink more milk, well, he apparently is doing just that this OS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PantherDave Posted June 4, 2006 Author Share Posted June 4, 2006 http://www.panthers.com/news/newsroomNewsDetail.jsp?id=24865 Some tidbits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swiss Cheezhead Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 Fox's comments on Thomas Davis: On how linebacker Thomas Davis handled losing the starting spot at safety after the first game last season: It's never easy, but he handled it as well as anybody could. He was very upbeat. He didn't walk around with his head down and upset. He kept working at it. We found places to use Thomas Davis. He was very integral in some of the packages that we used defensively. Ideally, we wanted to start him at linebacker. Based on where the numbers were on our football team, we moved him around (from safety to linebacker and back to safety), which probably didn't help his development. I think a year later looking back, it probably actually helped him for this year. On if Davis will play better now that he is focusing on one position: You would think so. Especially for a young player, it is very hard to make the transition from college to pro and learn a new system. It's like learning a new language. It just takes you awhile to operate fluently in it. That's always a hard transition, and the more you ask of a young player, the harder it is. Multiple positions. Different packages. I think it slows their development early, but then it pays off twofold later on. On if Davis will play strongside linebacker: He will be a Sam linebacker for us. Based on the front and particular package, it changes his alignment some. He's a very versatile guy. He could actually play either outside linebacker and in our third-down packages he can play a variety of places, too. When we took him, our idea was potentially as a linebacker. That was really where we felt his NFL position would be. To best utilize him on our football team a year ago, we had to move him around. It was unfortunate, but something that we had to do. On Davis' pass-coverage skills: Outstanding. Even when we drafted him, he was probably the most explosive hitter in the draft. He's an outstanding tackler. He's got great explosion, great range. He's kind of a tweener size wise. He's a 230-pound safety or a 236-pound linebacker, depending on which way we push him in his training. But at the end of the day, he's a run and hit football player, and that's important at any position on defense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swiss Cheezhead Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 (edited) I think a lot of people drafted Thomas Davis last year as a rookie -- or at least wanted to draft him -- and are now overvaluing him as an IDP, under the assumption that he has the WLB position on lockdown. They see him as just a badass tackler with wheels who could be racking up numbers in his second year. I'm a little more skeptical, I guess. Last year, I drafted Seward in both of my dynasty leagues (and he's just chillin' on my taxi squad) mostly because I figured he might take the MLB job when the Panthers got sick of Morgan's constant injuries. Plus, I figured he'd get a look at WLB if Witherspoon left. Now, the WLB job certainly seems like it will come down to either Seward or Davis. Of course, if you're looking strictly at their respective sizes, Davis (6-0, 230) looks a lot more like a WLB and Seward (6-3, 250) looks like a MLB or SLB. However, their playing styles have to factor in. From what I understand, Davis is better at both covering TEs and blitzing -- two of the primary strong-side roles. Seward has great ball-flow instincts and football intelligence -- two characteristics necessary to be effective on the weak side. I'm sure they want to get Davis on the field as a starter, so I'm sure they'll just plug him in where he fits best. I seriously doubt even the coaches know where that will be yet. My gut feeling -- and that's all it is -- is that his ability to shed blocks and natural athleticism will make the coaches feel most comfortable putting him at SLB. Of all the LBs not named Morgan, Davis has the best shot at covering guys like Crumpler. On the weak side -- again, more gut-feeling stuff here -- I believe Seward will have the edge over the rest of the LBs and either he or Draft will sub in for Morgan when he gets hurt. No matter what happens, I asked for some homer input on the situation and I got it -- quickly, too. So, thanks, PD. 1457214[/snapback] Edited June 4, 2006 by Swiss Cheezhead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PantherDave Posted June 4, 2006 Author Share Posted June 4, 2006 http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/CAR/9472557 Foster tidbit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 FINDING A HOME: Davis settles in at LB By Joe Menzer JOURNAL REPORTER Sunday, June 4, 2006 CHARLOTTE - Spend a few minutes chatting with Coach John Fox of the Carolina Panthers these days, and it doesn't take long to find out how Fox feels about his decision to move Thomas Davis to linebacker and leave him there. Davis, the Panthers' first-round draft pick in 2005, flip-flopped between strong safety and outside linebacker as a rookie - never truly fitting in at either position and showing only flashes of what Fox obviously believes is great potential. In fact, it's easy to forget that Davis began last season as the Panthers' starting strong safety. He admitted he was so lost during the regular-season opener against New Orleans that he took himself out of the game. Veteran Marlon McCree came on the field in his place and never left, taking over the starting strong safety duties for good the following Sunday. For starters, Fox said recently that he was very impressed with how Davis took last year's news that he was no longer starting. "It's never easy. But he handled it himself as well as anyone could," Fox said. "He was very upbeat. He didn't walk around with his head down, all upset. He kept working at it. And we found places to use Thomas Davis. He was a very integral part of some of the defensive packages that we used. "You know, ideally we kind of wanted to start with him at linebacker. But based on the numbers with our football team, and probably not in his best personal interests, we decided to move him around. That didn't help his development. But looking back a year later, and you'd have to ask him this, but I think it probably helped him prepare for this year. He handled it as well as you could have expected." Davis now admits that he had to work hard to not show how he truly felt last season. "I wasn't pleased at all with the way last season went," he said after a Panthers coaching session workout last week. "For me as a player, coming in and being a first-round pick, you set high goals for yourself. Once you don't accomplish those goals, and you see other rookies going out and accomplishing great feats, it's very hard to take." Davis took it with his head held high anyway. He says now that he figured that it was the only thing he could do. "Once you realize that's the way it's going to be for you, you can't spend a lot of time being upset with the situation," he said. Tweener He said he agrees with Fox that maybe what he went through last year will help him learn the outside-linebacker position more thoroughly and relatively quickly as he prepares for the 2006 season. Davis is slated to take over the spot vacated by Brandon Short, a veteran who was a salary-cap casualty. Fox obviously is looking forward to seeing what Davis can do once he settles into one position and isn't being moved around all the time. "When we drafted him, he was probably the most explosive hitter in the draft," said Fox, who authorized grabbing Davis with the 14th pick in '05. "He's an outstanding tackler who has great explosion and great range. He's kind of a 'tweener sizewise - a 230-pound safety or a 236-pound linebacker, depending on which way you push him in his training. But at the end of the day, he's a run-and-hit football player - and that's important at any position. "He's a very versatile guy. He actually could play either outside linebacker position. And in our third-down packages, he can play in a variety of packages.... When we took him, we took him on his ability as a linebacker. That was where we felt his NFL position would be. But to best utilize him on our football team a year ago, we had to move him around. It was unfortunate, but we had to do it." • Joe Menzer can be reached at jmenzer@wsjournal.com This story can be found at: http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellit...s=1037645509200 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PantherDave Posted June 4, 2006 Author Share Posted June 4, 2006 I sent Swiss a PM on the subject, but it needs to be said outright-he made an excellent-well informed call on Thomas Davis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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