Panthers quarterback Cam Newton heads to his hometown of Atlanta this weekend without his favorite target Greg Olsen and potentially three starting offensive linemen to protect him.
That might concern some QBs Mark Andrews Jersey , but the league's 2015 MVP is taking it stride.
"My question back to you is, does it really matter?" Newton said matter-of-factly. "If it is concerning I still have to do something; if it's not concerning I still have to do whatever I've got to do anyway. In the history of the National Football League, I don't think there have been 32 teams that have not had injuries. It's an unforgiving game and you have to roll with the punches and make due with whatever hand you're given."
Still, it's far from an ideal scenario for the Panthers, who have enough off-the-field distractions with players and coaches worrying about making sure their families are safe with Hurricane Florence approaching the East coast.
Panthers coach Ron Rivera said owner David Tepper is helping develop contingency plans, but at this point the team is still waiting to get a better idea of what path the hurricane takes.
On the field the Panthers will be replacing Olsen, a three-time 1,000-yard receiver, for the second straight year after he re-broke his foot in a 16-8 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
However, the Panthers have enough faith in rookie Ian Thomas and backup Chris Manhertz 鈥?who have caught five NFL passes between them 鈥?that decided against signing a free agent tight end.
Newton understands why, saying Thomas has the potential to be a "premiere tight end" in the NFL.
"His expectations are high and I talked to him and told him today, 'Listen Joshua Garnett Jersey , you don't have any room for error,'" Newton said. "We know who you are replacing 鈥?and the shoes you are filling are extremely big. But, I wouldn't be wasting my time though (talking about him) if I didn't believe in his skillset."
The reality is replacing Olsen maybe be far less concerning for the Panthers than finding enough suitable bodies to protect their franchise quarterback.
Carolina is deeper than they have been in years at wide receiver with the likes of Devin Funchess, Torrey Smith, Jarius Wright and rookie D.J. Moore, as well as running back Christian McCaffrey coming out of the backfield 鈥?so there are plenty of options in the passing game.
The offensive line doesn't have that same depth, prompting the Panthers to trade for Corey Robinson before the season opener and sign eight-year veteran offensive tackle Chris Clark on Wednesday. Clark replaces second-team All-Pro right tackle Daryl Williams, who was placed on injured reserve Wednesday with a knee injury. He joins left tackle Matt Kalil, who was put on IR before Week 1.
On top of that, the Panthers learned Wednesday that they might be without three-time Pro Bowl right guard Trai Turner as well against the Falcons.
Turner entered the stadium Wednesday morning feeling ill and was placed in the NFL's concussion protocol. He cannot practice or play until he's cleared.
All of that means major shuffling on the offensive line for Carolina.
Rivera said he isn't sure who'll start at right guard or right tackle and the team will continue to work different combinations in practice. The Panthers will consider Clark and Amini Silatolu and Corey Robinson this week at right tackle, while Tyler Larsen, Brendan Mahon or Silatolu could end up at left guard Authentic Drew Brees Jersey , but he added anything is possible.
"We have a combination of things to go through," Rivera said. "Just like last week we won't really know where are headed until after Friday."
The Panthers aren't going to get a whole lot of sympathy from the Falcons, who are dealing with their own injuries following the losses of linebacker Deion Jones and safety Keanu Neal.
Two miserable seasons. One measly win.
Still, Cleveland coach Hue Jackson continues to have the ”unwavering” support of owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam, who believe his third year will bring out the best in him – and the Browns.
”I think we will see the real Hue Jackson,” Jimmy Haslam said Saturday before practice.
Jackson has lost 31 of 32 games since taking over a Cleveland franchise that has undergone numerous coaching changes and front-office upheaval since the team’s NFL expansion return in 1999. However, the Haslams feel the worst is over, and thanks to a roster overhaul directed by general manager John Dorsey, Jackson has the pieces to win.
”He has good quarterbacks, he has some skill players, he has a veteran offensive lineman – now, we have to figure out left tackle – and three really good (running) backs and a good defense.”
Jackson has also been helped by not also handling offensive coordinator duties. With some urging and the blessing of the Haslams Chris Wormley Jersey , he turned his offense over to Todd Haley, who was fired after six seasons with Pittsburgh.
”You have to give Hue credit for bringing in Todd Haley, which I think will allow Hue to be the head coach,” Haslam said. ”I think this will be the first opportunity Hue will have to do what we know he can do as head coach as a leader. Even though Todd will be calling all of the shots on offense, I think Hue will obviously have some impact there like he will defense. We are excited to see it.”
The Browns went 0-16 last season, matching the 2008 Detroit Lions as the only teams in NFL history to lose all 16 games. But while there were many Cleveland fans calling for Jackson’s firing, his players remained united behind him and the Haslams decided to bring him back for another year.
That doesn’t mean Jackson’s job is permanently safe, but Haslam refused to say there was a mandate on wins this season.
”No, we’re excited about Hue Jackson,” Haslam said. ”I think our commitment to him has been unwavering and still is.”
As the 2017 season unraveled, the Haslams chose to fire head of football operations Sashi Brown, whose analytics-heavy approach yielded mixed results and not enough wins. Dorsey http://www.chicagobearsteamonline.com/roquan-smith-jersey , who guided Kansas City’s turnaround from 2013 to 2016, replaced Brown and spent this past offseason acquiring talent.
Haslam felt it was fair to assess Jackson’s upcoming third season as his first.
”I think in some ways you could say because of the talent he’s had, particularly at quarterback, particularly last year, it could view it as his first year, but we don’t look at that,” Haslam said. ”I know everybody’s saying Hue has to win this many games or he has to win that many games. We don’t look at it (like that).”
”We’re really excited about the relationship that Hue and John have and not just that they have but their staffs have, how the building is working together. I mean we’re in here at 7 this morning talking about who else we might need to add to the roster. So we feel good about the chemistry, we feel good about the work ethic, but at the same time, we all understand we’ve got to win games.”