Panthers

Former Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Ed Johnson has signed with the Carolina Panthers as he adds depth to the team’s defensive line with his potential and size.

Johnson, who started all 16 NFL regular season games in the 2007 season [his rookie year] was an undrafted player coming out of Penn State. He also played under current Colts defensive coordinator Ron Meeks so the coach is aware of the potential and energy Johnson brings to the team for next season.

To hear that the Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox is 7-0 in New Orleans against the Saints is quite news to anyone who rarely follows both teams, but this is the beauty of the NFL as both the Panthers and Saints square off on Sunday in New Orleans in a game that would have easily be handed to the Saints if not for the record.

As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head to London’s prestigious Wembley Stadium to play the New England Patriots in one of NFL’s proposals to spread the game abroad, Buccaneers return specialist Clifton Smith mentioned to the media that Carolina Panthers defensive back Dante Wesley called him to apologize for the hit which resulted in the NFL suspending Wesley.

Most media outlet reported the hit by Wesley on Smith and also the subsequent suspension by the league, but most have not mentioned the latest on the story which is Wesley apology via phone to Smith.

According to sources, Linebacker Vinny Ciurciu has signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Lions.

Ciurciu was in training camp with the New England Patriots this season but was released just short of making the 53 man roster.

Previously, Ciurciu had played with the Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

When the Tennessee Titans were 0-3 to start the season, everyone asked that head coach Jeff Fisher should make the switch from veteran quarterback Kerry Collins to the franchise player Vince Young, his back up.

It was not a strange request, because Fisher had done it before in 2006 when the Titans had started the season 0-3 then too, as he went from Collins to Young. The problem then was it was orders from above as owner Bud Adams wanted the then rookie Young leading the franchise and had logical reasons for his requests.

The league with its suspensions and fines is letting players know it will not allow any player to knock each another person out just because this is a collision sport, hence the NFL has suspended Carolina Panthers safety Dante Wesley for one game due to his hit to the neck and head of Tampa Bay Buccaneers punt returned Clifton Smith.

As the Philadelphia Eagles get set to visit the Oakland Raiders this Sunday, quarterback Michael Vick says he never snubbed the Raiders, because there was never an opportunity to play for Oakland.

On the other hand, former Indianapolis Colts head coach and current NBC analyst Tony Dungy mentioned that he counseled Vick to stay clear of Oakland, meaning the Raiders might have wanted Vick, but Vick says an offer never came from the Al Davis’ team.

Once it was revealed that both Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook were in practice on Monday for the Philadelphia Eagles, it was only a matter of time before head coach Andy Reid confirmed their status for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Coach Reid confirmed that both players will not only play on Sunday, they are both returning to the starting lineup for Philadelphia as well.

McNabb, who sustained a rib injury during the Eagles game against the Carolina Panthers, will wear a protective gear to shield his rib from further injury when the Eagles play on Sunday.

When the Philadelphia Eagles cut veteran quarterback Jeff Garcia, it was a sign that the organization was expecting franchise quarterback Donovan McNabb to be back and maybe outsiders did not anticipate it to be this soon.


According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, on Monday, McNabb and running back Brian Westbrook returned to practice after missing time and games due to different injuries.

The only real upset of the week, as called in last week’s column, was Washington losing to Detroit who was riding a 19-game losing streak. But given how Washington’s season is going, it really wasn’t that big of an upset.