Panthers: Davis begins rehab

He's got one year left at $1.25 million. He'll want to renegotiate / extend for whoever trades for him, period. Stupid not to.

 

From a best case scenario, that is what i'm implying. Assuming that Davis will come back healtly, Foster comes back from the collarbone (whick he will) , and then having Goings, I don't see a need to add a 4th back.

There is nothing that I have heard to tell me that Davis' career is over. By all acounts he is on schedule with his recovery, so I expect to have him in the mix. Bennett will probably be gone, Maddox possibly back to PS in '05. Joey Harris showed little flashes in the Seattle game, so I wouldn't mind giving him a shot. Jamal Robertson is a hard runner, I would love to keep him as our KR. Smart must go, IMO. He has proven not to be an asset in the offense. He dances around on KR, often ending up crashing at the 19 yard line. I know he has a cool nickname, but I don't see any redeeming value in having him around.

 

Out of all the names mentioned here, I like Lamont Jordan best, assuming the Jets don't re-sign him. I think they'd be stupid not to though, considering Martin's age and mileage. Not sure about their cap though, and they have a pass rusher to sign, John Abraham.

 

OK, we cut Davis. Eat 3 million in dead money.

Let's just assume that Thelt is right, and we can force Henry to play here for 1.25 million for one year.

Foster's cap hit is his 455,000 plus another 500K and some change from the pro ration. Say a million, total.

Now we have 5.25 million tied up in the running back position. Both players under contract are UFAs at the end of the year. Both have injury and fumbling concerns.

Exactly how has our situation improved?

 

never, ever assume that Thelt is right! DAMN!

 

I think we need an upgrade at guard too. Reyes is ok but not the guy I want to see in there long term.

 

I'd feel okay if we had quality over there @ RT, and the other starters returning.

I'm not ready to quit on Foster, but think Davis will not be in the mix early part of the year. So even with Nick Goings there, we do need another back. I like the idea of getting a guy who can KR, we can get something out of him even if Davis/Foster/Goings are all healthy. Like Smart, but probably not Smart.

 

He would want a new deal but would he play if you did not give him one? Is he gonna sit out the last year of his deal if you do not give it to him?

 

We either decide one of those guys is our future and lock him up or we decide they both suck and let them both walk then we have cap room to sign someone or draft someone high.

 

From your favorite panthers.com writer:



Davis determined to return
January 28, 2005

By Brett Borden
Panthers.com

Stephen Davis doesn't have to look far for advice on handling the rigors of rehabilitation, even the particular rehab from microfracture knee surgery.
Teammate DeShaun Foster, who joined with Davis to give the Panthers one of the best one-two punches in the NFL at running back in 2003, did so after undergoing a very similar procedure two years ago.

"I talk to DeShaun all the time," said Davis, who is currently rehabbing at Bank of America Stadium. "DeShaun just says to do everything that the trainers tell me to do. He went through it two years ago and came back and played well.

"You have to be careful coming out of this particular surgery, because even if it feels good, which mine did, you can't put pressure or run on it for a certain amount of time because with those holes in the bone, it can cause the bone to crack. That's what keeps you from playing. I'm not trying to run on it too early. I'm doing everything the trainers ask me to do. And I'm feeling good."

Relatively speaking, of course. He would much rather be out on a football field running at top speed and cutting the way he and very few others can. Leg injuries are tough to deal with for running backs.

"It's very frustrating," said Davis. "We need our legs to run. I've had knee scopes and a high ankle sprain, but nothing that kept me from playing like this.

"When you have an injury like this, it can be career ending or you can come through it and play several more years. You have to be smart about it. The thing about my knee injury is that it wasn't as bad as some of the others who have done this."

Davis is already well into the rehabilitation process. He isn't running yet, but he is off crutches, at least.

"I had to go through six to eight weeks on crutches without bearing any pressure on it," said Davis. "I got past that. I'm in my 12th week now, so I can start doing things like the PreCor, more weights, and more balance stuff. It's feeling great. Everything that I'm doing is reacting very well. So far I haven't had any kind of setbacks and everything is looking good for me."

Even if it weren't coming along so well, Davis would probably be determined to fight through it anyway. Part of that is pride, of course. But mostly it is simply not wanting to give up something he does very well before he feels that time has come.

"It's pride, but it's more wanting to show the people who want to just throw you away that they are wrong," said Davis. "I hear a lot of people saying that this is career ending for me. It's not career ending for me if I'm smart about it. The way the trainers we have here have been approaching it -- not rushing it or anything -- we have been smart about it. I feel good about that.

"I'll be 31 in March. With the trainers help and the good Lord up above looking after me, everything is going to take care of itself."



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