CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Moments after the Carolina Panthers blew
their chance at making the playoffs with a loss in the
regular-season finale, coach John Fox wearily sat down to discuss
the game.
Before he could talk about the missed chances, blown tackles,
turnovers and injuries that plagued the 2004 team, he was asked
what the Panthers plan to do in the 2005 draft.
"We haven't even started thinking about the draft yet," Fox
snapped.
Well, coach, you've now had almost four months to focus on it
and figure out what pieces the Panthers must add to avoid a repeat
of last year's 7-9 season and, perhaps, to get back to the Super
Bowl.
The only problem is a myriad of off-field issues have slowed the
process.
From a potential steroids scandal -- federal investigators are
looking into a South Carolina doctor who allegedly prescribed
performance-enhancing drugs to the Panthers -- to Monday's death of
linebackers coach Sam Mills after a two-year battle with cancer,
Fox and general manager Marty Hurney have been pulled in 100
directions this offseason.
Still, their needs are fairly obvious. It's just a matter of how
they prioritize them.
Carolina released Muhsin Muhammad in the offseason, letting the
franchise's all-time leading receiver go in a salary-cap saving
move. Muhammad was signed a day later by Chicago, and the Panthers
have yet to fill the hole.
Steve Smith, their playmaker, is coming off a broken leg that
sidelined him all of last season. Keary Colbert played decently as
a rookie as Smith's fill-in, but it was Muhammad who stepped up in
Smith's absence.
The Panthers still have Drew Carter stashed away after he missed
all of his rookie year with an injury, and veteran Ricky Proehl
pushed off retirement to come back for a 16th season.
So the natural thinking is that Carolina will take a receiver
with the 14th pick of the first round.
Hurney thinks as many as seven receivers could be selected in
the first round, and under Fox, the Panthers have never locked
themselves into drafting a particular position. If the guy they
want is there, they take him. If he isn't, the Panthers have
subscribed to a theory of selecting the best available athlete.
But Carolina probably won't take an offensive lineman or
defensive back after an aggressive free agent spending spree during
the offseason.
The Panthers signed cornerback Ken Lucas, safeties Marlon McCree
and Idrees Bashir, and offensive lineman Mike Wahle during the
offseason.
Carolina might also shy away from a tight end because the
Panthers have a high interest in signing Freddie Jones from the
Arizona Cardinals.
Two areas where the Panthers might be looking hard are at
quarterback and punter.
Carolina released Rodney Peete in a salary-cap move, but wanted
him to come back at a reduced rate to back up Jake Delhomme at
quarterback. Instead, Peete took a new job, debuting as the new
co-host of Fox Sports Net's "Best Damn Sports Show Period" on
Monday night.
The Panthers still have Chris Weinke, a former Heisman Trophy
winner, and Rod Rutherford, who spent most of his rookie season on
the practice squad.
And Carolina also has a punting problem because it seems
unlikely Todd Sauerbrun will be back on the roster this year after
a series of off-field embarrassments.
Sauerbrun refused to handle kicking duties when John Kasay was
injured last season unless he was paid more; was arrested for drunk
driving; and was named by CBS' "60 Minutes" as one of the players
who received illegal steroids.
The Panthers have already signed Steve Cheek, but will likely
try to bring in another punter to compete with him. Or, if they
can't find anyone they like, the Panthers could end up keeping
Sauerbrun.