In Carolina, safety comes last

By Chris Cluff  |   Friday, September 07, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Carolina Panthers
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article!
Apparently the Panthers have never heard the old adage that safety comes first because this summer in Carolina, the safeties have come last.

Just days before they open the season against St. Louis, the Panthers are still putting together the back half of their secondary.

This long, drawn transition all started when Carolina declined to re-sign Shaun Williams and Colin Branch in the offseason and brought in just one guy, journeyman Deke Cooper.

Then 10-year veteran Mike Minter - the leader of the defense for most of the past decade - was forced to retire because of chronic knee problems.

"You don't just put somebody in that safety spot and replace Mike Minter," coach John Fox told reporters when Minter announced his retirement on Aug. 7. "He meant so much to our football team and will be missed on the field and in the locker room."

The Panthers obviously sensed Minter might not play because they traded for Chris Harris, who had started 20 games for the Chicago Bears, just days before Minter announced his retirement.

Nate Salley was supposed to start for the departed Williams at strong safety, but now it looks as if Harris will play there. Cooper was supposed to start at Minter's old free safety spot, but the team just signed Marquand Manuel, and he probably will supplant Cooper at some point.

Cooper was with the Panthers in 2002, started for Jacksonville in '05 but played in just one game on special teams for San Francisco last season. Meanwhile, Manuel has started for Green Bay and Seattle over the past two years.

"We feel very fortunate to get a player of his caliber," General Manager Marty Hurney told reporters.

The Panthers are solid at cornerback -- they just signed Dante Wesley to add depth to the trio of Ken Lucas, Chris Gamble and Richard Marshall. But because safety came last this summer, the last defense might not be so safe early in the season.
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article! (0)

About Chris Cluff

Chris Cluff spent 10 years as an editor and sportswriter for The Seattle Times. He was a key figure in the newspaper's coverage of the Seahawks, particularly during their Super Bowl run in 2005. He also has written two books on the Seahawks: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding,...
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report