The Panthers have placed Wallace Wright on season-ending injured reserve with a shoulder injury that requires surgery, a blow for the team’s shaky receivers and special teams units. The Panthers on Tuesday also placed linebacker Thomas Davis on the reserve-physically unable to perform list, waived receivers Dexter Jackson and Oliver Young, and placed defensive end Hilee Taylor on injured reserve with a knee injury to get to the NFL limit of 75 players. Wright was signed in the offseason from the New York Jets mainly in hopes of boosting Carolina’s struggling special teams. But Wright had spent some time working with the starters at receiver. He was injured in Saturday’s win over Tennessee, further complicating the Panthers’ efforts to find a No. 2 receiver.
TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company, a subsidiary of the adidas Group, has introduced a new line of hats and visors, which features the primary colors and logos of all 32 NFL teams. Golfers across the country can now fly the colors of their favorite teams on the golf course (not on Sundays of course).
Fans can choose from all 32 NFL teams at on-course and off-course retail locations, in addition to select sporting goods retailers. If you are a displaced fan and don’t think you will be able to find your favorite team locally, go to www.taylormadegolfgear.com for a complete selection.
Each hat and visor will feature an NFL team’s logo blazoned on the left panel. The team’s name will also be stitched onto the left corner of the hat/visor. The TaylorMade logo will appear in 3D embroidery on the front panel of the hat.
The hats will be available at retail at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $27.99.
As part of cutting their roster to 75 players, the Panthers placed linebacker Thomas Davis on “Reserve/PUP”, reports Darin Gantt of the Charlotte Observer.
Davis tore the ACL in his right knee during a non-contract drill during an “Organized Team Activity” session in June. Davis had torn the same knee ligament last November.
A former first-round pick (14th overall) out of Georgia, Davis has 388 tackles, 11 quarterback sacks, and 3 interceptions over his five NFL seasons. Davis was not eligible for unrestricted free agency this off-season, and signed his one-year, $3.268 million restricted free agent tender in June.
In addition to Davis, the Panthers placed wide receiver Wallace Wright and defensive end Hilee Taylor on injured reserve, and waived wide receivers Dexter Jackson and Oliver Young.
The Panthers have signed free agent offensive lineman Tim Duckworth, reports Darin Gantt of the Charlotte Observer. Duckworth (6-4, 318) has had stints with the Eagles, Broncos, and Saints since going undrafted out of Auburn in 2009. The Saints released Duckworth last Thursday.
QB Jimmy Clausen stepped up and played well vs the Titans.
Panthers QB Jimmy Clausen completed 4 of 5 passes for 79 yards in Saturday’s preseason game against the Titans. Fifty of those yards came on one pass to TE Gary Barnidge. Clausen was facing backups after Matt Moore played most of Saturday’s contest, but he looked confident and showed no signs of being bothered by the toe injury he’d been dealing with earlier this week. Clausen will start 2010 as Moore’s backup, but could well step in if the relatively unproven starter doesn’t get the job done.
Strong safety Aaron Francisco is still having hammy issues, and according to Football News Now, is getting frustrated with having to sit and watch.
Aaron Francisco was supposed to fill a needed role for the Carolina Panthers in the secondary and with their special teams. Instead, he mostly sits and watches on the sidelines while trying to overcome a nagging hamstring injury he suffered early in training camp. Francisco suffered a slight tear of his left hamstring on the sixth day of camp, and then re-injured it on the last day of camp when he was just about ready to resume practice. Francisco is now faced with an uncertain future and all he can do is try to get healthy so he can appear in the final preseason game. “I can definitely say it’s the most frustrated I’ve been in my career,” Francisco said. “To be out here on a new team trying to earn a job and then not being able to get on the field. Hopefully, I can get back soon enough, before the last preseason game.”
Panthers defensive end Hilee Taylor is scheduled to have arthroscopic surgery on one of his knees, Darin Gantt of the Charlotte Observer reports. Taylor has one tackle in one pre-season game this summer, and is on the bubble of the Panthers’ roster. Taylor went unmentioned in Gantt’s article earlier this week about the Panthers’ committee approach to the rushing the quarterback. A seventh-round pick out of North Carolina in 2008, Taylor (6-2, 250) has six tackles and a quarterback sack in 16 career games.
Panthers offensive tackle Kirk Barton has apparently retired, Darin Gantt of the Charlotte Observer reports. Barton, who the Panthers claimed off waivers from the Denver Broncos on Tuesday, was not at practice today. Barton appeared in one game for the Chicago Bears, who selected him in the seventh-round of the 2008 NFL Draft out of Ohio State.
Barton has also had stints with the Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Detroit Lions. Offensive tackle Jason Capizzi was waived by the Panthers so they could add Barton, and could be brought back to improve their numbers in advance of Saturday night’s pre-season game against the Tennessee Titans.
Buffalo Wild Wings is one of the best places to hang out and enjoy games and have some awesome wings and food. Well, if you have a fantasy draft coming up (and who doesn’t?), then you are going to want to get to your local BWW for their NEW fantasy football league and site!
Here is the link to their new fantasy site – http://ff.buffalowildwings.com/, now you may be asking ‘why do I want to do my draft at BWW?’
Simple.
Boasting countless big-screens and free Wi-Fi in most locations, BWW is offering guests the chance to host their fantasy football drafts in their local area restaurant. Each group of eight or more players who reserve a draft party will receive a free draft kit, including $100 in gift cards for free food during a future visit, a championship pennant for the league winner, draft board, player stickers, and an assortment of useful BWW branded merchandise.
It’s a great way to not have to clutter someone’s house for a whole day, and also a great reason to get out, have some awesome food, and get ready for the NFL season.
BWW’s Fantasy Football League is also ready to rock for the second year in a row. The League will again be commissioned by NFL Live’s Trey Wingo, and a number of new experts will join some of last year’s players to provide avid fans with real-time sit/start advice, player and injury news and good old fashion trash-talking throughout the fantasy football season.
Don’t delay, check out the site today, and reserve your spot at your local BWW for your fantasy draft to get ready for the NFL season!
Today we will give away a FREE BWW Lawn Chair! Email the answer to the trivia question below to matt@nflgridirongab.com and we will pick a winner and announce it Monday.
Here’s the question -
Who was the QB that threw Steve Smith his first NFL touchown?
Good Luck!
