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Stephen Davis Andy Lyons/Getty Projected starting lineup Offense No. Player Pos. 87 Muhsin Muhammad WR 69 Jordan Gross LT 75 Travis Claridge LG 60 Jeff Mitchell C 72 Bruce Nelson RG 78 Adam Meadows RT 86 Kris Mangum TE 89 Steve Smith WR 17 Jake Delhomme QB 45 Brad Hoover FB 48 Stephen Davis RB 4 John Kasay K Defense No. Player Pos. 90 Julius Peppers LDE 99 Brentson Buckner LDT 77 Kris Jenkins RDT 93 Mike Rucker RDE 58 Mark Fields SLB 55 Dan Morgan MLB 54 Will Witherspoon WLB 24 Ricky Manning LCB 27 Artrell Hawkins RCB 30 Mike Minter SS 28 Colin Branch FS 10 Todd Sauerbrun P 2004 Draft Rd. Player Pos. School 1 Chris Gamble CB Ohio State 2 Keary Colbert WR Southern Cal 3 Travelle Wharton OT South Carolina 5 Drew Carter WR Ohio State 6 Sean Tufts LB Colorado 7 Michael Gaines TE Central Florida Outside the Huddle 10 years or bust Before Carolina ever played a game, Panthers owner Jerry Richardson predicted that the team would win a Super Bowl in 10 years. This is year 10. Despite the close call last season, it hasn't happened yet. Name game The Panthers' supporters are going to have to get used to calling their stadium something new this season. After eight years as "Ericsson Stadium," the naming rights for the stadium have now been resold to Bank of America, a huge bank based in Charlotte. The first game at Bank of America Stadium promises to be fun -- the Monday Night Football season opener on Sept. 13th vs. Green Bay. Thrift shop Rod "He Hate Me" Smart is known more for his wardrobe to his teammates than his nickname. Smart loves to enter the locker room on game days sporting threads he bought from local thrift shops -- fur coats, platform shoes, leopard skin shirts, etc. Teammates look forward to his entrance every Sunday. Big-game Jake Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme was almost perfect in Carolina's 2003 run through the playoffs. His quarterback rating was 106.1 in the four games and he threw for six touchdowns and only one interception. The Panthers will give him more responsibility this season after that impressive performance. 2003 Revisited The Prophecy: "If the offense struggles a little less and the defense stays the same, Carolina could be a playoff team in 2003" The Lie: "The injury-plagued [Kevin] Dyson could push for a starting job if his hamstrings hold up." --Athlon Sports Pro Football 2003

The Carolina Panthers hope to continue their stunning turnaround in 2004, one year after their improbable run to the Super Bowl.

Fans in the Carolinas are still basking in the glow of last season's playoff run, which included a home win against Dallas and then back-to-back road upsets of St. Louis and Philadelphia on the way to Carolina's first-ever Super Bowl appearance. The Panthers then lost a Super Bowl thriller, 32–29, to New England.

Getting back to the Super Bowl will require some more magic. The Panthers won seven regular-season games by three points or less in 2003 to tie an NFL record. And this season the schedule is even tougher -- of Carolina's first five games, four are against playoff teams.

More of the load this season will be shouldered by quarterback Jake Delhomme, who became a star for Carolina late in the season. "This is a very selfless team, and I don't think we're going to get big-headed," says Delhomme. "What we have to do in 2004 is exactly what got us so far last season -- run the ball, stop the run and play smart when the game is on the line."

Delhomme was inserted into the starting lineup at halftime of the first game, engineered a comeback from a 17-point deficit and played the rest of the season.

Delhomme's arm strength and mobility are average, but his leadership qualities are immense. He also generally plays better under pressure. "The bigger the game, the bigger he gets," says Panthers head coach John Fox. Delhomme threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns in the Super Bowl and would have certainly been the game's MVP had Carolina won.

The Panthers envision Delhomme, 29, as their quarterback for the next 4-6 years. If he gets hurt this season, expect either veteran Rodney Peete or Chris Weinke to take over. The strong-armed but inconsistent Weinke started as a rookie in 2001, when the Panthers went 1–15.

Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster like to call themselves the "two-headed monster," and both will get a ton of work this season.

Davis had a career-high 1,444 yards rushing for Carolina in the regular season, dwarfing Foster's 429-yard production. But the gap narrowed considerably in the playoffs, when Foster's speed became more effective and Davis was slowed with a leg injury.

Davis will still enter September as the No. 1 back. He has great vision and surprising speed, but his best asset is his power.

Foster is faster than Davis, but not as strong. Foster's 33-yard touchdown in the Super Bowl showcased his speed, and the Panthers would like to use him more in third-down situations.

Fullback Brad Hoover is basically another guard. He only had six carries last season.

The Panthers never would have made it to the Super Bowl last season without Steve Smith, the mercurial wide receiver. Smith's 69-yard touchdown catch on the first play of the second overtime in the playoff game against St. Louis instantly took its place as the most famous play in Panthers' history.

Smith is both the Panthers' fastest and most reliable receiver. But Muhsin Muhammad, 31, also rejuvenated his career with Delhomme's help last season. Muhammad scored touchdowns in Carolina's final three postseason games, including an 85-yard bomb in the Super Bowl. Muhammad is also a ferocious run blocker. He isn't nearly as fast as Smith, but he's very physical.

Ricky Proehl will have to compete for his job as the third wideout with second-round draft choice Keary Colbert, who set a record at Southern Cal for career receptions. Tight end Kris Mangum's main job is to block, which he does well.

If the Panthers have a problem on offense in 2004, this will likely be it. Only steady center Jeff Mitchell remains in the same spot as last season.

Left tackle Jordan Gross has the most important new assignment. As a rookie, Gross started every game at right tackle. Then the Panthers cut Todd Steussie in the offseason, believing that Gross and his quick feet were ready to protect Delhomme's blind side.

The right side of the line will be all new. Right tackle Adam Meadows came over from Indianapolis to take Gross's old spot. Likely right guard Bruce Nelson barely played at all as a second-round draft pick in 2003. The left guard spot will be a battle between several nondescript players, including Tutan Reyes, Travis Claridge and Rich Tylski.

The Panthers win a lot of games up front with what may be the NFL's best front four. The quartet is anchored by defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, a 335-pound beast who is almost impossible to move out of the middle. Brentson Buckner plays alongside Jenkins and is the front four's coach on the field. Mike Rucker is a relentless rusher at right defensive end; he led the team with 12 sacks last season.

Julius Peppers, the left defensive end and the best pure athlete on the team, had only seven sacks last season but can still be a dominant pass rusher. Peppers, however, must work on his run support; New England ran the ball at him constantly in the Super Bowl.

The Panthers also re-signed Al Wallace in the offseason. Wallace, the third defensive end, makes the most of his limited time on the field. He had five sacks and two interceptions in 2003.

At the end of last season, the Panthers finally saw what middle linebacker Dan Morgan could do when healthy. After an injury-plagued two-and-a-half years, Morgan finally put it all together in the playoffs. In the Super Bowl, he had a staggering 25 tackles. With great sideline-to-sideline speed, Morgan makes the Panthers' defense far better when he's on the field.

The biggest question here is whether strong-side linebacker Mark Fields, who missed last season after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease, can return at full strength. The Panthers signed two veteran free agents in the offseason -- Brandon Short and Jessie Armstead -- as insurance in case Fields doesn't make a full recovery.

Weak-side linebacker Will Witherspoon is fast and smart, though he wasn't as effective last year when Morgan's injury forced him to play in the middle. Armstead can also play middle linebacker in a pinch.

Overall, Carolina should be better than in 2003.

A major question mark. The Panthers lost three of their top five defensive backs in the offseason and are rebuilding in this key area. Cornerback Ricky Manning, who intercepted Donovan McNabb three times in the NFC Championship game, will hold down one starting spot. The other cornerback spot may go to Artrell Hawkins, Terrance Shaw or Dante Wesley. Chris Gamble, the Panthers' first-round draft pick, is a future starter, but he's too raw to play full-time right away.

Strong safety Mike Minter will keep everyone in the right spot. He's a superb tackler who led Carolina with 124 tackles last season. Free safety is another concern. Colin Branch may assume the role; he's a sure tackler but inexperienced.

Kicker John Kasay had a strong 2003 campaign and will return. Punter Todd Sauerbrun still has a booming leg that has put him in the Pro Bowl each of the past three seasons, but he did have three kicks blocked last season.

Smith is a dangerous punt returner. Gamble may help on kickoff returns right away, joining Rod Smart.

Carolina was no fluke in 2003. The Panthers have a strong enough defense to keep them in every game. When the offense clicks, Carolina can be very dangerous.

The team's biggest problems will be with the offensive line and the defensive backfield. A couple of solid players must emerge at each of those positions. Expect opponents to test the Panthers' O-line with lots of blitzes early.

But the core of this team is very good. The Panthers should make the playoffs again in 2004. They will ride their offensive skill players (watch out for a huge year from Smith) and their defensive front seven into January. From there, it's anybody's guess.

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