Carolina Wide Receiver Steve Smith is hopeful he willbe ready to play when the regular season starts.

Steve Smith walked slowly across campus here Tuesday with his right arm in a sling, facing the prospect he’ll miss several weeks of the preseason.

The Carolina star receiver was subdued, yet also relieved his shoulder injury wasn’t more serious.

“I thought it was broke,” Smith said, “because it started hurting immediately.”

The collision with corner back Chris Gamble and the ensuing hard fall Monday night in a passing drill during a non-padded practice produced murmurs in the Panthers’ unlucky training camp. A week after starting defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu was lost for the season with a torn Achilles’ tendon, Panthers coaches and players watched their top play maker kick his helmet in frustration before being carted to the locker room.

X-rays were negative, and while Smith declined to say if he had separated his shoulder, the four-time Pro Bowl selection appeared confident he’ll be ready for the regular-season opener Sept. 13 against Philadelphia.

“I would hope so,” Smith said. “Once again, I left that (medical) degree at home. so I don’t know the timetable at which I’ll be full go.”

While the Panthers are always secretive with injuries — Smith wouldn’t even say if he would get an MRI — there was a sense they avoided a major pitfall after seeing Smith’s right shoulder slam to the turf.

“We were doing one-on-ones,” Smith said. “Two competitors going after the ball, accidents happen. I know, I spoke to (Gamble) and I know it wasn’t a malicious act or trying to do it personally.

“But I was still upset, because going through camp, whether you’re nine years or one year, no one wants to get hurt. That same time, they want to get through camp peacefully and injury free so you can go into the season without little things nagging.”

Smith has a history of shoulder trouble dating to a loss to Dallas in 2007. Last year he fell hard on his right shoulder in a preseason win over Washington, but it didn’t force him to miss any games.

This time, Smith could miss the entire preseason.

“We had breakfast this morning and he was a lot more sore this morning, but that’s to be expected,” quarterback Jake Delhomme said. “He’ll be fine. I know he’ll get frustrated and aggravated, but I think we all would. You don’t come to camp to sit and watch.”

Barely a week into camp at Wofford College, the Panthers have suffered injuries to the two areas where they had the least depth. While Nick Hayden, with two games of NFL experience, has replaced the run-stuffing Kemoeatu, the Panthers have similar inexperience behind Smith.

Fellow starting receiver Muhsin Muhammad was switched to Smith’s “X” position in Carolina’s offense at practice Tuesday. Dwayne Jarrett, who has caught 16 passes without a touchdown in two disappointing pro seasons, was elevated to the first unit in Muhammad’s old spot.

Behind them are rookies, castoffs and players trying to return from injuries, ranging from Ryne Robinson and Jason Carter to Kenneth Moore and Larry Beavers. They’ll get plenty of snaps beginning in Monday’s preseason opener at the New York Giants.

“It’s time for some of these guys to shine,” Delhomme said. “This is their deal. This is it. If they don’t embrace it, then they’re not the type of players we think they are. But I think they will embrace it.”

The Panthers hope they won’t be depending on the group of no-names for long.

Smith’s explosive speed and big-play ability were credited in helping open up the running game last season. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combined to rush for 2,351 yards and 28 touchdowns, the best 1-2 punch in the NFL.

Despite being suspended for the first two games last season for breaking teammate Ken Lucas’ nose in a training-camp fight, Smith still finished with 78 catches for 1,421 yards and six scores and made his fourth Pro Bowl.

Known for his acrobatic catches and breakaway speed, the 30-year-old Smith vowed his aggressive style won’t change when he returns.

“I’m not concerned about being limited or any of that stuff,” Smith said. “I think when I get back out there, the mobility of it, it will not impede me from catching the ball.”

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Steve Smith Hopeful For Season Opener

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The National Football League owns are planning to take a vote in May on plans to lengthen the regular season though it is unlikely that the new longer season would start until 2011.  They are planning to increase the NFL football season by 17 or possibly even 18 games.

It would also include reducing preseason games by at least one.  All this is an effort explained NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to “[increase] value” in this challenging economic climate the county finds itself in.  Regardless of what happens there is little chance that the football season will remain at its current 16 regular season games.

I for one do not have a problem with this.  I love football and one or two more meaningful regular season games is good news.  I hate the preseason.  It means nothing.  Its just a way for teams to evaluate their new talent and see where they stand.  I feel that they can have scrimmage games for this.  Its also a quick way for owners to make a little money off fans who are so football starved after not seeing any games since January that they are still willing to pay good money to see a meaningless game rationalizing that at least they get to see that pigskin flying again.

But thinking about the players point of view I can see how they would be against it.  Its a brutal sport that ranks number one is physicality among all the top pro sports in the United States.  Guys are usually beat up and bruised after 16 games and while one or two more games may be exciting or no big deal to us we are not the ones actually having to play it.   This presents more opportunities more players to get injured and everyone not going to into the postseason 100% healthy.

And even though the idea of more football is obviously appealing to most fans, if we really think hard about it, at the end of week 17, has anyone ever thought, “That really needed to be longer”? Sixteen games is plenty to determine who’s the best team out there.  There is only so many Sunday and Monday night football games we need in a year.  We have to make room for the NBA and MBL season too (just playing).

One can see the good and the bad in this.  Players do not want to be paid less and owners need to make some changes to keep their revenue intact. Fans are going not to get a choice,surprise, surprise, because anything that the owners would approve that would make them more money and sell more NFL tickets, the owners are going to approve. Records are going to fall. Careers are going to get a little shorter. The regular season’s going to get longer, whether it’s a good idea or not. Coors and Budweiser stand to sell more beer as well.  I would start buying stock in them today.  How many extra million cans of beer are going to be sold as a result of this?

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NFL Season Will Get A Little Longer

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Coach Josh McDaniels spoke with the media for the first time Tuesday since the rift between the new Broncos coach and the Pro Bowl quarterback became public. He reiterated that Cutler is his quarterback and he’ll do what he can to improve the relationship.

The Broncos had shown a lot of interest in former New England’s quarterback Matt Casell and it was widely reported that the Denver Broncos were trying to make a deal involving trading their current quarterback.  Matt Cassel ended up being traded by New England to Kansas City, and Cutler asked to be traded.

“I’ve always been optimistic,” McDaniels said at the NFL meetings. “He’s on our team, he’s under contract, and I understand there’s things we have to work toward in our relationship.

“I’ve heard (Cutler’s trade request), but have not heard it from him personally. No one has contacted me, called me, text-messaged or e-mailed me.”

Cutler is halfway through the six-year, $48 million contract he signed as the 11th overall pick out of Vanderbilt in the 2006 draft. He’s 17-20 as Broncos starter, although that’s misleading because of Denver’s dismal defense. He’s 13-1 in games in which Denver held its opponents under 21 points.

He was upset when Mike Shanahan was fired as coach, and even requested that members of Shanahan’s offensive staff be retained, which didn’t happen.

“It’s not an ideal situation, obviously,” McDaniels said. “We want him to be here, but it has to be two ways. It’s a challenge for him. I understand the position he is in and I respect that.”

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Broncos Coach Commited to Cutler

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NFL owners have passed four player safety rules for next season. One of them is the elimination of blindside helmet-to-helmet blocks.

The changes came Tuesday at the NFL meetings in California.

The new rules state that the initial force of a blindside block can’t be delivered by a helmet, forearm or shoulder to an opponent’s head or neck. An illegal blindside block will bring a 15-yard penalty.

Initial contact to the head of a defenseless receiver also will draw a 15-yard penalty.

On kickoffs, no blocking wedge of more than two players will be allowed. Also, the kicking team can’t have more than five players bunched together pursuing an onside kick.

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NFL passes new safety rules for next season

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I remember thinking during the playoffs watching the Tennessee Titans that this is a joke.  They were the best team in the whole NFL and this is what was happening.  What happened to Collins.  Or Vince Young.  You are telling me that this was the best storyline that the National Football League could come up with.  I hope not.

I saw many teams in the league just die off.  And then Arizona goes all the way to the Superbowl because they win nine games and are in one of the weakest divisions in football.  I am going to tell you some.  And you can believe it or not.  This league rewards teams that are in a bad division.  Remember the way the Sea hawks got into the playoffs before back in 2006.  What did you think about that.

All I am saying is that it would be nice if we had some more compelling story lines to follow.  Where are the bad guys like the Oakland Raiders of old times.  Where are the teams that everyone loves to hate.  I know some people hate the Patriots but they are really not that bad at all.  Where is Luke Sky walker vs his father.  Not happening any longer.

I was at a sports bar the other day called the Peanut Farm and we were watching some NFL sports highlights on their twenty big scene televisions when I noticed something.  It popped into my mind like it had been there for years.  The NFL sells more beer and liquor than anyone else in the country.  Think how much money is made of sports but think about how much money is actually made off the NFL as far as food and beer and everything.  Which is why we want to see more compelling story lines for our money.  After spending $20 on beer and $20 on food I want to watch a good game.  I do not want to watch two boring teams going head to head on the football field in a boring match up that does not matter.  Its just not something I want to watch.

And all this is coming from a big fan.  It is coming from a football fan who is crazy but knows what he is talking about.  I have the authority and the knowledge because I have been around and seen a lot on the big screen.  You have to have a good guy and a bad guy and then have them go head to head in an epic match up in which both sides have an equal chance to loose or win and the winner gets everything.  That’s what people want to see.  They do not want to see the Superbowl match up they saw.  That was not popular.  I think that I went to sleep.

I am nit picking but I do believe in what I am saying.  The NFL is in charge but they have to tweak some things.  People are in love in this country with football and we want to keep it that way.  Otherwise kids are going to start playing soccer.

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NFL Needs More Compelling Stories

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