Panthers don’t have any big guys on the front line

The 2009 season saw multiple injuries on the defensive front for the Panthers. It all started with nose tackle Ma'ake Kemoeatu, who was sent to injured reserve, shortly thereafter.

As the season pressed on, more injuries to the defensive front occurred, forcing the team to look to other teams with younger, inexperienced players with some potential upside to their abilities.

So the Panthers traded for Tank Tyler, Louis Leonard, and also signed Hollis Thomas.

When Thomas was signed, I merely shook my head, as I was well-versed in his injury-prone days with the Philadelphia Eagles. But beggars can't be choosers, and at least at that time, I figured we had a guy who could contribute, until the inevitable happened. To my surprise, Thomas never sustained an injury, and actually turned in the best season of his career.

Tyler and Leonard showed a lot of upside during their first season in Carolina, and look to be among those vying for a place with the starting lineup.

Others returning from the 2009 and previous seasons to lock in on DeAngelo Williams a starting job are Corvey Irvin, Ed Johnson, Derek Landri, Nick Hayden, and Andre Neblett.

Of the names mentioned, the most likely — at this time — to be starting are Tank Tyler, Louis Leonard, Nick Hayden, and Ed Johnson. Not that all these guys are a lock, but they currently have the most experience among the defensive tackles.

Corvey Irvin, while massive, was on a good track of possibly seeing a lot of playing time in 2009, until he too suffered a season-ending injury.

The players most likely under pressure to perform are Tank Tyler and Louis Leonard. Look at what the Panthers traded to acquire both.

Both Tyler and Leonard showed some upside in the later half of the Panthers 2009 campaign, and left a lot of us feeling better about where the defensive line is at.

I keep hearing and reading how the Panthers football jerseys don't have any big guys on the front line. To the contrary, they do. Maybe not behemoths, but the "smaller" guys who are also younger, make up for brute strength with speed and other power.

On the defensive front, the Panthers jerseys tackles average 300 lbs. Some of the guys are a little on the light side, but those whom I project to be the starters average a little more, at 304 lbs.

Sports Illustrated just released its seventh annual Fortune 50 of the highest-paid American athletes, with Tiger Woods topping the list for the seventh-straight year at $90 million.

Chicago is represented on the list by Bears defensive end Steve Smith Julius Peppers, who checks in at No. 36 at $20 million for 2010. He was in the same spot last year after signing a one-year, $16.6 million tender with the Carolina Panthers.

Peppers inked a six-year contract with a max value of $91.5 million. He is due $40.5 million over the first three years of the contract and a record $42 million guaranteed.

If Peppers looks as good throughout the season as he did during mini-camp and organized team activities, he'll be worth every penny.