Training camp is finally here and FanHouse breaks down the most important position battles heading into the season, team by team.The Carolina Panthers go into training camp with several key positions on the line. Muhsin Muhammad, D.J. Hackett and Dwayne Jarrett are all fighting for the chance to start with Steve Smith at wide receiver. Rookie Charles Godfrey and free agent acquisition Terrence Holt will likely compete for the free safety spot. The right guard competition is full of big boys -- Keydrick Vincent, Toniu Fonoti, and Milford Brown weigh a combined 1000 pounds -- who look like they could out-eat Joey Chestnut. (Looks can be deceiving, of course.)
Perhaps the most closely watched position battle in Spartanburg this year, though, will be the defensive end battle. The Panthers lost much of its once-potent pass rush last year when Julius Peppers fizzled and Mike Rucker looked less-than-fully recovered from knee surgery in 2006. Rucker is retired, while Peppers will try to prove last year was an anomaly.
So who starts opposite from Peppers?
Mike Rucker's retirement left a gaping hole at the right defensive end spot for the Carolina Panthers. The team thinks, however, that they have just the man to fill Rucker's shoes, and he's been on the roster all along.
Taking into account that it's the preseason, many of the players sitting on the sidelines tonight would normally be on the field if it was a meaningful game. With that said, I'm sure most fans would like to know who they should expect to see this evening. For that reason, I've done by best to create an accurate injury report -- official reports are not posted until week one of the regular season.
