FanHouse TerrenceHolt

Training camps are underway, the NFL season is a month off, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Quarterback: Jake Delhomme is coming off Tommy John surgery so no one knows what to expect. At the end of 2006, some fans wanted someone new at quarterback. Before he was injured in 2007, he was off to a white-hot start. How he recovers will go a long way to a successful Panthers season. Matt Moore filled in nicely late last season and may be the team's future. Brett Basanez isn't ready for prime time. No more Vinny or Mr. Mittens. Heat Index: 5

Running backs: The Panthers have been looking for a Stephen Davis type back and may have found one in rookie Jonathan Stewart. He's the kind of bull coach John Fox likes to center his offense around. DeAngelo Williams will be more efficient as a change-of-pace back. Brad Hoover is back again as an effective fullback. Nick Goings is always around to back up anybody. Heat Index: 5

Terrence Holt, Torry Holt's brother, insists Torry wasn't joking when he said he'd like to finish his career with his brother in Carolina when his contract with the Rams is up in two years. Yeah, no kidding.

I think more than joking, I think he was just realistic about where he's at in his contract and in his career," he said. "He has two years left on his deal, and I don't think he said anything out of the realm of what could happen.

Terrence goes on to defend Torry's talk of returning home -- both Holt brothers grew up in North Carolina and played at N.C. State -- by bringing up the brutal honesty and lack of loyalty that teams display. That's all well and good, when Torry's contract is up he's free to go anywhere he wants or say anything he wants about the Rams.

That isn't the issue. The issue is that Holt has a commitment to the Rams right now. And for all of the work he's put in for them, they've rewarded him handsomely. It's not right of him to continue to daydream about something two years down the line (who knows what can happen in that time?) when he's got a season to prepare for. Terrence especially notes that "He's actually been up here a few times and is beginning to fall in love with the area."

This all seems like far more than just cursory preparation. And I still think that if the Rams, and Holt in particular, are not successful this year, he's setting himself up for some hostility both in the locker room and the city itself.

We can all rattle off the list of Matt Millen's biggest draft blunders over the years -- Charles Rogers, Mike Williams, Shaun Rogers -- but what does it take to ruin an entire draft? Look at the crop Millen plucked in 2003. The numbers:

11 - players selected by Detroit; 7 - players currently out of the league; 3 - players who did at least something positive in the NFL, though not necessarily for the Lions; 1 - player who's still a Lion.

Those are awful results. Cory Redding (#66 overall) is the only player remaining, and the best of the crop overall, and it's not like he's been an impact player himself.

Charles Rogers (#2) is obviously the pick that hurts the most. The other six no longer active are tackle Ben Johnson (#216), receiver David Kircus (#175), linebacker James Davis (#144), receiver Travis Anglin (#260), fullback Brandon Drumm (#236), and cornerback Blue Adams (#220).

Boss Bailey (#34) has been bust-ish himself, but at least he and Terrence Holt (#137) have made plays. Kircus and running back Artose Pinner (#99) haven't done anything worth noting, but at least they convinced more than one team to employ them, which is ... um ... notable, I guess.

So, yeah -- you're 2003 Detroit Lions draft class. A testament to incompetence.

Okay, so maybe the Carolina Panthers weren't quite done with free agency.

According to Rock Hill Herald reporter-blogger Darin Gantt -- who will never get into a Dallas Mavericks locker room -- the Panthers just signed free safety Terrence Holt, the NC State alumnus who is mostly famous as Torry Holt's brother. Terrence did a decent job at safety for Detroit in 2005 and 2006, which he parlayed into a 5-year, $15 million deal with Arizona last year.

The Cardinals, however, clearly didn't think that much of Torry's little brother, cutting him after just one year. Given that the Panthers are mostly signing cheap free agents who feel disrespected by their previous employers, Holt is a perfect fit here. Plus, he's back home in North Carolina, and he has a shot to start at free safety right away, given that his only competition right now is Quinton Teal and Nate Salley.

This may be the only move Carolina makes to address the safety position this offseason. The team might grab a defensive back in the 7th round again, but that will be about it. Pray for Chris Harris' continued good health, Panthers fans.

The Arizona Cardinals offense passing attack has come a long way since the first game of the preseason, but unfortunately their defense hasn't kept up. Because of the defensive struggles, Arizona fell to the San Diego Chargers last night despite very impressive and encouraging performances by Matt Leinart and Anquan Boldin.

One of the major defensive issues continues to be the secondary. Antrel Rolle got burned again yesterday and you have to wonder why this guy even bothers to suit up. However, to his credit, the entire secondary was awful and helped make Philip Rivers look like Dan Marino. And their performance certainly wasn't helped by the front seven and their inability to stop the Chargers LaDainian Tomlinson-less rushing attack.

Even when the Cardinals seemed poised to halt the Chargers 18-wheeler like offense, they crumbled on third down and allowed San Diego to keep moving. When teams have the talent that the Chargers do, you can not give them second and third chances and expect to win.

Add that to other mindless mistakes, like fumbling a ball by running into your own man (Steve Breaston running into Monty Beisel on a kickoff return) and you have a recipe for disaster.