All is quiet on the Foster front
By Darin Gantt The Herald
(Published July 24‚ 2005)
CHARLOTTE -- No one's saying much right now, but perhaps the most interesting Carolina Panthers contract discussion is the one they're not having.
While the team has been open about its hope to sign linebackers Dan Morgan and Will Witherspoon to extensions before their deals expire after the season, that's not the case with running back DeShaun Foster. That's coming from both directions.
Foster enters training camp next weekend as the unquestioned starter, since Stephen Davis isn't 100 percent back from knee surgery and Eric Shelton's a rookie.
Of the group, he clearly has the most to prove -- starting with staying on the field. The talented former second-round pick has a total of 684 yards on 172 carries (3.98 yards per carry) in 18 games. Of course, that's over three seasons, since his career has been marked as much by his time in the training room as his highlight-film potential.
A knee injury kept him off the field his entire rookie year and slowed him into 2003. Last year, he had a chance to shine without Davis in the lineup, but suffered a broken collarbone which ended his season.
He's in the tricky spot of having one year to prove himself, with only his reputation as a player and financial future at stake.
Typically, the Panthers have been proactive in signing their young stars, and they still think Foster's going to be one.The silence regarding his situation has been deafening.
Adam Schefter of the NFL Network wrote last week that "Foster has been hesitant to discuss any long-term extension. He would rather wait until after this season, when he is one of the top free agents on the market."
There are several minor problems with that report, however.
Neither agent David Dunn nor Panthers general manager Marty Hurney wanted to discuss Foster's status last week, but those with knowledge of the situation said no formal contract proposals have been made by the Panthers (nor sought by Foster).
Also, unless he has a monster season, he wouldn't be one of the top backs available. Not with Ahman Green, Jamal Lewis and Brian Westbrook entering contract years, along with 2005 franchise players Edgerrin James and Shaun Alexander and a host of young runners including Najeh Davenport and Domanick Davis. With James and Alexander failing to attract interest on the open market -- and no one willing to give up even a second-round pick in trade -- the market has gone soft.
No one from Foster's camp is talking, but the hope is that he could become this year's version of former New York Jets running back LaMont Jordan, who parlayed flashes as Curtis Martin's backup into a $27.5 million contract from Oakland.
The problem is, Foster's equally close to becoming the next Tshimanga Biakabutuka, who teased the Panthers with potential for six years before injuries ended his career.
It's a risky hand of poker for sure, but it appears Foster's going "all in" on himself this year.
• FRESH INK: The Panthers agreed to terms with third-round pick Evan Mathis Saturday, leaving them with just four deals to complete before training camp opens next Friday.
Mathis, a guard from Alabama, has agreed to a three-year deal worth $1.465 million, with a signing bonus of $540,000, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations.
The 79th overall selection, Mathis impressed coaches with his quickness and strength during the pre-draft process. His 35 repetitions of the standard 225-pound bench press at the combine were the second-most of any offensive lineman in this year's draft, and he ran his 40-yard dash in 4.92 seconds. He also has the bloodlines for the job, as he's the nephew of former Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Bob Baumhower.
For now, he's working at right guard behind incumbent starter Tutan Reyes, though he figures to have a chance to win a job at some point this season.
Mathis' deal will become official early this week. When he signs his contract, the Panthers will have to release a player to stay under the roster limit.
The team still has four picks to sign: First-rounder Thomas Davis, second-round running back Eric Shelton, third-round defensive tackle Atiyyah Ellison and fourth-round quarterback Stefan LeFors.
• READY TO GO?: Speaking of running backs returning, the agent for Davis said last week he thought his client "sounds like he's ready," to practice, though that probably won't happen for several more weeks.
David Canter said he speaks with Davis regularly, and his rehabilitation from last November's microfracture surgery on his right knee has gone well.
Still, the Panthers are unlikely to let him do much for the first few weeks of camp, since they've exercised patience throughout his rehab. The situation's almost identical to Foster's in 2003, when they brought him back slowly from 2002 surgery and enjoyed good results later in their Super Bowl run.
Canter said while he doesn't expect Davis to practice from the start of camp, he said he thought it was realistic that Davis could play in one or two preseason games.
• STILL IN LIMBO: It's a week before camp opens and wide receiver Rod Gardner still belongs to the Washington Redskins.
Word around the league is that the Redskins want to hold onto him, hoping another team sees a need soon and offers to trade for the 2001 first-round pick. Essentially, they're waiting for a receiver on another team to get hurt so there's a demand.
At the same time, they don't want him practicing with them, fearing he'd get hurt and have to spend the year on injured reserve (and the payroll).
While there have been rumors of trade discussions, Hurney said there was nothing on the table. When or if he's released, the Panthers will certainly be among the teams showing interest. That assumes no one beats them to the punch by giving the Redskins a late-round pick and a chance to save face.
• EXTRA POINTS: Although it seems like the longest of long shots, Hurney said he couldn't rule out the possibility that guard Bruce Nelson could return from chronic hip problems. Nelson had another surgery in April, and the Panthers are monitoring his condition before they make their final round of cuts before camp. Nelson's agent, Neil Cornrich, said he had nothing new to report regarding the former second-round pick, who missed all of last season. ... The Panthers still have to cut five players before they report to Spartanburg next week, getting them to their limit of 91. The roster limit's 80, but they have 11 exemptions for players who went to NFL Europe and national players Hugo Lira (Mexico) and Aden Durde (England). ... They'll also have to make the cuts before they sign any of their remaining five unsigned draft picks.
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