The popular thinking among fans is that the Panthers can always slap the franchise tag on defensive end Julius Peppers after the season if they aren't able to work out on a contract with him before then.

   And they certainly can... but they won't.

   Why? Because the price tag is ridiculous.

   Peppers' current salary cap figure this year is estimated at $14 million.

   According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, a player designated as the franchise player can earn the average salary of the top five players at his position OR 20 percent more than his salary the previous season. In Peppers' case, the latter applies, which means his salary for the 2009 season would approach... better sit down for this one... an astronomical $17 million!

   So, $17 million for one guy? Don't think so.

   That's why it's so important for the Panthers to work out a contract with Peppers before next February.  And that is why talks are currently "ongoing," as Peppers said Thursday.

   Hey, the good news is that leaves the franchise tag open for Jordan Gross or Chris Gamble.

   --One other interesting thing Peppers said Thursday.

   When asked about taking on a leadership role with Mike Rucker gone, and idea that he seemed to resist last year, Peppers seemed opened to the idea.

   "Yeah, I am," Peppers said. "Mike has been here, his presence on the field and in the locker is going to be missed... I’ve been a part of this defense the longest so I feel a responsibility to try to lead guys in the right direction.”

   An interesting afternoon in Spartanburg.

  1. Ryne Robinson injured his left knee while leaping for a pass between two defenders. Robinson got crunched in between Nate Salley and Richard Marshall, who were trying to break up the pass. Robinson later was carted to the locker room, but the extent of the injury is not known.

   2. The reason for the late update today is the media was waiting to hear from Julius Peppers, who finally spoke. Check back later and we will have the story for you. Peppers said he feels much stronger than he did last year. There's no updated on his contract talks, although talks are ongoing. Peppers also said he's excited about the move to right end. "It's a new season," he said. "It's a new beginning and I'm excited about it."

   3. Jonathan Stewart returned kickoffs with Robinson out.

    4. Carolina's top four defensive tackles remain out for the most part. Damione Lewis did some individual work, but no team work.

   5. The Panthers added to their defensive tackle depth by signing Michael Marquardt, a rookie from Arizona State. To make room on the roster, Carolina cut center Pat Ross.

   AFTERNOON REPORT: The Panthers just got off the field following an afternoon practice, but coach John Fox said he has not heard any word yet about the status of injured defensive tackle Ian Scott. Scott re-injured his left knee in the morning session. He was seen at lunch time on crutches and being carted around the campus.

   Scott missed all of last season after injuring that same knee.

   We'll give you an update as soon as we hear back. In the meantime, here are some nuggets from the afternoon practice.

   1. The Panthers looked more like a Tour de France team than a football team on Wednesday afternoon. In all, nine players sat out the afternoon session. At one point they had to bring extra stationary bikes for the players to ride. At one time six were in use by Jonathan Stewart, Adam Seward, LaBrandon Toefield, D.J. Hackett, Damione Lewis and Charles Spencer. Running on the side were Darwin Walker and Maake Kemoeatu. None of those injuries are believed to be serious. Basically, it was players getting a day off.

   2. Jake Delhomme was on the practice field but didn't throw during team drills. Delhomme is only throwing once a day.

   3. Chris Gamble and Charles Godfrey both came up with picks during the PM session.

   4. Travis Taylor, a former first-round draft pick who is buried on the Panthers depth chart, showed his face on Wednesday, catching a bomb from Matt Moore for a touchdown. Taylor beat Gamble on the play.

   MORNING REPORT: The Carolina Panthers appear to have suffered their first major injury of camp as backup defensive tackle Ian Scott went down with a knee injury during Wednesday morning's practice. The extent of the injury is not yet known, but it looked fairly serious. He was carted off the field.

   "He got folded over inside out and we will have to see what got damaged in there," coach John Fox said.

    Scott, a free agent pickup, entered training camp as the team's No. 4 tackle.

   With the top three defensive tackles -- Maake Kemoeatu (shoulder), Damione Lewis (leg) and Darwin Walker (possible concussion) -- already sitting out with injuries, the Panthers are extremely thin at that position. All three should be back fairly soon, but for now the Panthers have only three healthy defensive tackles -- Stephen Williams, Gary Gibson and rookie Nick Hayden.

   Don't be surprised if they bring in another practice body. Rod Coleman is the top defensive tackle on the market, but his knee remains a question mark. The Panthers passed on signing him earlier this off-season after bringing in Coleman for a visit in Charlotte.

   "We'll adjust as we move forward," Fox said.

   Here are some other observations from practice:

   1. Rookie Jeff Otah and veteran Tyler Brayton came to blows during the morning session. Remember that mean streak Jake Delhomme talked about? Well, Otah landed several punches on Brayton (and Brayton got some in, too) before the two men were separated by teammates. While it's certainly nice to see a fire from an offensive lineman like that, Otah should think about staying in control next time. Generally, it's not a good thing to punch a teammate who has a helmet on. That's a good way to break a hand.

   2. The Panthers worked live on third-and-1 drills and Fox felt the offense did well. However, Fox pointed out the team held out Jonathan Stewart in that drill. It's pretty obvious Stewart will be relied on to be the team's short-yardage back. The Panthers struggled in that area last year.

   3. On one third-and-1 play Decori Birmingham busted a run to the outside for about a 12-yard gain before safety Nate Salley further knocked him out of bounds. If it were a real game Salley might have been flagged for a late hit. Jake Delhomme reminded Salley of that by shouting, "That's undisciplined, Nate! That's how you lose!"

   4. Wide receiver Ryne Robinson was asked about the difference in teammate Dwayne Jarrett from last year to this year and he had an interesting response. Robinson replied, "I see a whole new mentality out of him. He's approached it from a different way. He's not the same Dwayne as he was last year. It's evident to everybody. He has a different attitude, not being so comfortable with everything. He's coming out and actually working at it." When asked if he's seen a difference in Jarrett's production, Robinson said, "Yeah, he's catching the ball and running good routes and beating defenders and being more physical than he was (last year)."

   5. The coaching staff is trying to emphasize to the offensive line not to jump early. On Wednesday, backup left tackle Frank Omiyale did just that, moving before the ball was snapped. As punishment, the coaching staff immediately replaced him in the lineup and made Omiyale run a lap around the practice field.

   6. Keydrick Vincent continues to work as the first team right guard, while Landon Johnson seems to be getting more reps with the starters at strong side linebacker.

   7. The Panthers worked their running backs in pass protection drills. I haven't seen that much in the past, but I think it's a great idea.

   8. Another unusual drill was when all of the receivers gathered in a circle around receivers coach Richard Williamson, who would throw out a ball. The receiver had to practice gathering in the ball and covering up. Another simple, but needed drill.

   9. The Panthers worked on kickoff coverage for the first time Wednesday.

   10. The Panthers ran a few deep routes with tight end Donte Rosario and the big tight end hauled in one nice pass from Delhomme.

Some observation from Tuesday afternoon's practice:

1. The Panthers, in full pads for their only practice of the day, worked almost exclusively on red zone offense on Tuesday with varied degrees of success on both sides of the ball. On offense, the highlights came on two D.J. Hackett touchdown receptions (one from Jake Delhomme and the other from Matt Moore) and two nifty scores from running back Jonathan Stewart, one on the ground and the other through the air. I still want to see Stewart in the preseason games, but all I can tell you right now is THIS KIDS LOOKS GOOD!

2. The defense had its share of good plays as well with Chris Gamble and Nate Salley both coming up with interceptions. Tyler Brayton slopped into a sack of Delhomme and cornerback Dante Wesley broke up a pass in the end zone.

3. Jason Carter really struggled in red zone drills, dropping two passes in the end zone. Dwayne Jarrett also dropped a potential touchdown pass.

4. The Panthers are using Stewart quite a bit in the passing game, regularly dumping passes off to him, whether by design or simply because he's the safety valve. Regardless, Stewart is going to be tough in the open field because he's small and kind of gets lots among the big bodies. All of a sudden he just seems to appear and emerge from the pack. Did I mention he looks good? (By the way, that doesn't mean DeAngelo Williams hasn't flashed. He's looked very quick as well and they should provide a good one-two punch if they can stay healthy.)

5. If you're ever looking for rookie safety Charles Godfrey during practice, just find defensive backs coach Mike Gillhamer. Godfrey almost never leaves Gillhamer's side during practice, picking up anything he can from the coach.

6. Nick Goings returned to practice.

7. Tackle Charles Spencer, acquired off waivers from Houston last week, sat out while resting a knee. Also sitting out were both starting defensive tackles Maake Kemoeatu and Damione Lewis. They are all listed as day-to-day and the injuries are not believed to be serious.

8. Dan Connor is now a real NFL linebacker. He switched numbers, going from 44 to 57.

9. Keydrick Vincent work with the first team at right guard for the second straight day.

10. Landon Johnson, who led the Bengals in tackles three of the last four seasons, worked with the first team at strong side linebacker for part of practice. Clearly that is one spot on defense that remains up in the air. Na'il Diggs is trying to hold off Johnson.

   Here's an update from Monday night's practice.

   1. The team practiced in shorts and shells, so they basically ran through plays without a whole lot of contact. That said, defensive tackle Damione Lewis wound up hobbling on the sidelines after getting kicked in the shin. The injury is not believed to be serious, although Lewis will probably have a nice bruise.

   2. Steve Smith sat out the night practice after a mid-air collision with Nate Salley in the morning session. Don't expect Smith to miss much time. He was out of practice and walking around just fine. Basically, they just gave him the night off and it may not have even been related to the morning collision.

   3. Also out were running back Jonathan Stewart, receiver D.J. Hackett and running back Nick Goings. Stewart and Hackett are only practicing once a day for now. Jeff Otah did practice, which means he's no longer on the once-a-day schedule.

   4. The Panthers made a minor roster move on Monday, waiving injured receiver Josh Davis (Darin Gantt tells me he's from Rock Hill, S.C.) and replacing him with receiver William Buchanon. Buchanon, who played at USC (what is it with this team and Trojan receivers?) and spent time on the Oakland Raiders practice squad, stands about as much of a chance to make the roster as Davis did -- which is none.

   5. Cornerback Ken Lucas had the play of the night when he stepped in front of a Matt Moore pass and raced to the end zone for a would-be touchdown. Nice anticipation by Super Luc.

   6. The Panthers started a new drill on Monday designed to help them with punt blocks. The players started on the line and when the ball was snapped came rushing in and dove on to one-foot high mats. That helped break their fall, but it didn't help Adam Seward from losing his shorts. When Seward first dove, his shorts fell all the way to his ankles. Luckily he had knee-high athletic shorts on underneath.

   7. Jake Delhomme did not throw in team drills and that seems to be the plan the team will follow so as not to be add wear and tear on his elbow.

   8. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this, but DeAngelo Williams has looked very fast and very quick in camp.

   9. Lester Ricard is a big, strong quarterback but accuracy seems to be a problem with him. However, Ricard was the only QB to dump a ball in the barrel during the morning session.

   10. Strong safety Chris Harris simply has a nose for the ball. He's everywhere on defense.

   Check back with me tomorrow when Julius Peppers says, "........" (Well, nothing)

   6:30 PM: OK, we’re all just about tired of hearing about Brett Favre.

   Heck, I used to like Favre, but quite frankly I’m at the point where I wish he'd just hop on his tractor and drive away. Everywhere you look it's Favre, Favre, Favre!!! ESPN has become the Brett Favre network. That said, I still think it’s worth sharing what former Packers teammate Na’il Diggs had to say about the Favre soap opera in Green Bay.

    “I always felt like Green Bay would not let Brett play anywhere else in the world,” Diggs said. “Just being there you’d understand. Brett is Green Bay. Obviously at some point they’d move on with another quarterback, but I just never saw him playing anywhere else while he’s playing. I think they want him to play again ... but when you’re in charge of a multi-million dollar business, you’ve got to do what’s best for the team, and fans don’t have any say in that.

    “I still can not picture him in another uniform. Until he does, I still don’t want to believe it. Playing with him for five or six years, it’s just hard to see him in another uniform. I could very easily happen, but until it happens, I won’t believe it.”

   12:22 PM: In case you missed it, here are some observations from Monday morning's practice:

   1. Keydrick Vincent worked Monday morning with the first team at right guard replacing Toniu Fonoti. The Panthers are still trying to decide which is the better option. Look for this battle to play out in training camp. I can foresee the Fonoti starting one preseason game and Vincent the next.

   2. Wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad was given the morning off from the practice. The reason? "He's 35," said coach John Fox. D.J. Hackett worked with the first team at receiver.

   3. Nobody has more fun at practice than Jake Delhomme. After being pressured out of the pocket by safety Chris Harris, Delhomme got rid of the ball and hit Ryne Robinson. "First down!" he yelled at Harris and then grabbed the safety's helmet in his hands. Harris simply laughed and returned to the defensive huddle.

   4. Steve Smith seemed to tweak his knee a little when he went leaping for a long pass down the middle. He limped a little back to the huddle, but was fine a few moments later. Smith returned and continued running routes and seemed fine after that.

   5. Landon Johnson ran a few plays with the first team at strong side linebacker, but Na'il Diggs continues to get the majority of reps.

   6. Coach John Fox talked about the team's need to put pressure on the quarterback. He's hoping rookie Hilee Taylor will give them some added help on third downs.

   7. Maake Kemoeatu came through with the hit of the day on DeAngelo Williams. Kemoeatu used a swim move to free himself and met Williams behind the line with two open arms. Later in practice, Julius Peppers got good pressure from the end and could have nailed Williams hard but let off.

   8. Adam Seward didn't let off on Jonathan Stewart and paid for it. Coach John Fox jumped on Seward for being a bit too aggressive in the non-tackling drill.

   9. Jason Carter worked some on punt returns along with Ryne Robinson. The Panthers haven't worked on kickoff returns yet.

   10. Delhomme made a nice play in practice when he used a deep cadence to force the two defensive linemen to jump off-sides. He then continued the free play and found tight end Jeff King down the middle for a would-be touchdown.

   11. John Kasay looked very accurate kicking field goals, although they were all inside the 45.

   12. Just spoke with tight end Jeff King and he talked about how the team's migration toward a power running game has affected the tight ends. The Panthers are using more two tight end (with King and Dante Rosario) sets than last year and King is staying in to block more than he did a year ago. More on that story in today's Camp Wrap.

   Well, the Spartanburg heat is back. Wow, did it get hot in a hurry for the 3:10 p.m. practice. Sweltering. Anyway, here is what happened at Sunday's practice.

   1. The defense continues to look miles ahead of the offense. There's a very noticeable energy from this year's defensive unit, led by MLB Jon Beason. He made a huge play in practice demolishing one of the running backs at the line of scrimmage. I'm writing a story today about the new defensive leaders of this team later today and Beason is one of them.

   2. WR Dwayne Jarrett made a nice leaping grab over the middle on a high pass from Jake Delhomme. If it were a real game, Jarrett might have ended up in the hospital but the defenders luckily held off on knocking him into Monday. Still, a nice catch. Let's hope Jarrett keeps his head in it.

   3. Steve Smith. Man, what more can you say about this guy? Every day Smith seems to make an incredible play. This time he did it on a route over the middle. The pass came a bit wide and Smith, running full speed, dove and stabbed it with one hand, gently knocking it up in the air where he hauled it in with both paws.

  4. WR D.J. Hackett worked with the first team on Sunday ahead of Muhsin Muhammd. That's probably a great idea to get him as many reps with Delhomme as possible since they haven't worked much together. chemistry is everything. Muhammad also got to catch passes with Matt Moore, which isn't a bad idea either in case Delhomme were to get injured again.

   5. RB Jonathan Stewart looked real good in practice, showing a good combination of power and speed. This guy's thighs are like the size of tree trunks. He's quite a physical specimen. CB Ken Lucas had a good story about Stewart I will share with you later in today's Camp Wrap.

   6. DE Julius Peppers absolutely torched backup LT Frank Omiyale during a one-on-one drill. Peppers showed that burst and strength that made him great the first five years in the league. That's a good sign, Carolina fans.

   7. It's pretty clear Ryne Robinson is the only guy who will be returning punts this year -- nobody else is even working there.

   8, RB Nick Goings and WR Josh Davis missed practice Sunday. Goings, you guessed it, is day-to-day.

   9. Richard Marshall and Ricardo Colclough are working as the gunners on punt coverage. Speaking of Colclough, he got juked on nice cut by Ryne Robinson.

   10. When the Panthers go to a nickel defense, they like to take Na'il Diggs out of the game with CB Richard Marshall reporting in. The team also likes to take DT Maake Kemoeatu out on passing downs and then move DE Tyler Brayton inside to LDT and use Stanley McClover at LDE. That helps with the pass rush.

   Here's an update from Saturday night's practice:

   1. Nick Goings, a reliable running back and special teams player for the Panthers over the years, was carted off the field Saturday night with a sprained ankle. It's unclear how long Goings will be out. My guess is John Fox will tell us Sunday that Goings is day-to-day. But it looks like he will be out for awhile.

   2. Jonathan Stewart, Jeff Otah and D.J. Hackett did not practice Saturday night due to pre-existing injuries.

   3. Quarterback Jake Delhomme was dressed for practice, but he did very little. In fact, he didn't throw in any team drills. Earlier in the day Fox said Delhomme won't be holding a clipboard during two-a-day practices, but he might as well have been tonight.

   4. Wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad gave the fans a thrill when he hauled in a long touchdown pass along the right sidelines, beating Ricardo Colclough on the play.

   5. With Delhomme watching, Matt Moore had a chance to shine and he didn't disappoint. On one play Moore showed off his footwork and improvisation skills when he sidestepped a defender, ran up the line of scrimmage, stopped and lofted a perfect 12-yard pass completion to tight end Dante Rosario. Nice play. This kid makes plays.

   6. Ryne Robinson is the only Panther working on punt returns at this point. The team has did not do kickoff returns.

   7. The Panthers practiced in shorts after working in full gear in the morning session.

   8. Jordan Gross just can't seem to get away from Julius Peppers. Although Gross moved to right tackle this year, he still winds up blocking Peppers, who has also switched ends on defense. On one play, Peppers beat Gross to get to the quarterback. Keep in mind, they weren't in pads.

   9. I can probably count on my hand how many times I've said this in 14 years of covering training camp, but ...what a wonderful night in Spartanburg. I mean really, it was very comfortable with a nice breeze. Wish every night was like that. The players are getting lucky so far. Also, the Panthers had great crowd support last night with an estimated crowd of 5,000 on hand. There was music and games and part of Panthers Party 2008.

   10. Tomorrow's practice is 3:15 p.m.

   Highlights from Saturday morning's practice:

   1. Jonathan Stewart, fresh off signing a five-year, $20 million contract that included $10.8 million in guaranteed money just hours before, was the field Saturday morning for the team's first practice wearing No. 28. And he got an early "Welcome to the NFL" from linebacker Thomas Davis. On one running play, Davis eluded his blocker and decked Stewart in the backfield, sending him flying on to his back. Stewart later busted one to the outside for a nice run, but later in practice Davis blew him up again on a screen pass.

   By the way, Stewart opened as the second team running back behind DeAngelo Williams. He likely will get tonight's practice off to rest his toe, coach John Fox said. Fox said they want to make sure they don't rush Stewart and get him hurt. 

   2. Thomas Davis has moved to weakside linebacker. That 's a significant change that should allow him to make more plays like he did Saturday. Davis, by the way, is absolutely ecstatic with the move. We'll have more about that in a story later on.

   3. That receiver, what's his name, Smith? Well, he made a pretty nice play downfield leaping catch between two defenders to haul in a pass from Matt Moore. Smith wore a yellow visor on his helmet. Later on in practice, Smith understudy Jason Carter made a leaping catch down the left sideline.

   4. As for the depth chart, Toniu Fonoti opened with the first team at right guard, while Na'il Diggs worked as the first-team weakside linebacker.

   5. Dan Connor, the team's third-round draft pick, worked with the third team at middle linebacker behind starter Jon Beason and primary backup Adam Seward.

   6. The offensive line did a lot of work early on with the blocking sleds. That goes along with the entire power-runnng game.

   7. Dwayne Jarrett dropped one pass he should have caught, but otherwise looked good.

   8. Stanley McClover is back and so is his bark. McClover's teammates began barking in unison when McClover made a tackle for a loss. His teammates then enticed the now short-haired McClover to do the same. He responded with a loud bark, drawing laughs from his defensive mates.

   9. Rookie defensive end Hilee Taylor drew the wrath of coach John Fox when he inadvertently ran into fourth-string quarterback Lester Ricard. Fox began shouting, "Stay off the red jerseys!!!" All of Carolina's quarterbacks wear red jerseys during practice.

   10. We've already been told that Julius Peppers will not be speaking to the media today. Surprise.

   11. There were some comical moments at practice. Early on, fullback Brad Hoover made a nice grab in the flat and attempted to show off by spinning the football, a.k.a. Steve Smith. the problem was the ball didn't spin, but instead bounced harmlessly away drawing a roar from the crowd. Later in practice, Maake Kemoeatu jumped offsides on a hard count by Jake Delhomme. The play ended and Delhomme smiled at Kemoeatu and then promptly kicked him in the rear as Kemoeatu walked back to the defensive side of the ball.

   12. Owner Jerry Richardson, who rarely gets out of his cart while watching practice, did so on Friday when he got an up-close view of the individual drills between the offensive and defensive lines.

   13. Here's a funny story for you: Just talked with first-round draft pick Jonathan Stewart, who spent last night in the Motel 6 in Spartanburg of all places. He drove here thinking his contract was completed last night, but llater learned it didn't get done until around 7 a.m. When asked why he stayed in a Motel 6 and not a more expensive hotel, he replied, "I didn't have any money." Well, he certainly does now.

  7:30 AM: Just wiping the sleep from my eyes after a long night of waiting to hear on the status of first-round pick Jonathan Stewart. However, nothing ever came about. Unless the Panthers reached a deal in the wee hours of the morning (which has been known to happen) and the Panthers are waiting to release the news, it seems that Stewart will miss the morning session, which begins at 9:10 a.m.

   Jeff Otah, who signed a five-year contract on Friday night, will be at practice.

   Well, time to jump in the shower, grab a Bojangles biscuit and head to practice. Wish I drank coffee.

   I will keep you updated.

   And, don't forget, check my blog after every practice for updates on what's happening in Spartanburg.

  11:10 PM: For you night owls, I wish I had something new to report, but I haven't heard anything on negotiations between the Panthers and Jonathan Stewart. Marty Hurney isn't returning phone calls from reporters at this point, so the assumption is he's still talking with Stewart's agent Ben Dogra.

   7:20 PM: One down, one to go.

   The Carolina Panthers have signed first-round draft pick Jeff Otah, according to the team's public relations director Charlie Dayton. However, general manager Marty Hurney is not available at this time because he's working to finish up the contract with Jonathan Stewart.

   Details of the contract are not known, but it's believed to be a five-year deal worth more than $14 million with more than $8.2 million in guaranteed money. That's because that's the contract signed by Tampa Bay's Aqib Talib, who was selected one spot behind Otah at 20th overall.

   5:27 PM: Coach John Fox said Friday first-round draft picks Jonathan Stewart and Jeff Otah are "fairly close" to signing with the Carolina Panthers and he seems optimistic both will be on the field Saturday when the team begins practice.

   However, he said neither player has signed his contract yet.

   "I think there is progress," Fox said. "There is no deal done but it is fairly close and there is progress. We will let you guys know when it's official." 

   When asked if he hopes both picks will be on the field Saturday, Fox said, "That is my hope. Hopefully we will be able to find something out here later tonight or earlier tomorrow."

   Fox refused to say which draft pick was closer to signing.

   "They are both integral parts of our team," Fox said.

   Fox said everyone passed their physical, including newly acquired offensive tackle Charles Spencer, and the team should have the entire team on the field Saturday, providing, of course, Stewart and Otah sign their deals.

   Both players are a short distance from training camp, according to Fox.

   4:08 PM: I'm hearing from a source that the Panthers are closing in on a deal with tackle Jeff Otah, but that the team is still a good bit away from signing Jonathan Stewart and that he could wind up being a holdout. Howevever, I still haven't heard back from a very busy Marty Hurney to confirm that, so I'm a little reluctant to place too much emphasis on that information.

   It would make sense for Otah to be the first of the two to sign.

   I should know more after coach John Fox addresses the media around 5 p.m. Sorry to keep you waiting, but keep checking back.

   12:30 PM: Just received a phone call from Panthers PR director Charlie Dayton, who said GM Marty Hurney is a little busy to return phone calls to the media right now. Hurney, along with salary cap specialist Rob Rogers, are working around the clock to get Jonathan Stewart and Jeff Otah signed.

   But so far nothing is done.

   The team's first practice is tomorrow morning.

   Coach John Fox is expected to address the media around 5 p.m., after the team meeting.

   NOON: Earlier in the day, players began filing into the dorms at Wofford College. One of the big topics was Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre, who is reportedly coming out of retirement and will report to Packers training camp (whereupon he will likely be traded). The Jets and Bucs are two teams believed to be the most interested in Favre.

   The Panthers have said they have confidence in quarterback Jake Delhomme and that he's their starter.

   When asked about Favre on Friday, Delhomme told reporters, "You do hear about it. You’d have to be living under a rock not to. I’m just glad all that’s not going on in our camp. So far we’re distraction free. That’s a big positive.”

   Wide receiver Steve Smith addressed the issue by saying, "Jake’s our guy. Jake’s my guy. Anybody else, I’m not interested.”

      8:30 AM: Well, it shouldn't be too hard for the Carolina Panthers and Jonathan Stewart's agent, Ben Dogra, to agree to a contract now.

   Ryan Clady, the 12th pick in the NFL draft, and Chris Williams, the 14th pick have both signed contracts with their teams. Clady received a five-year, $17.5 million contract with $11 million in guaranteed money from Denver. Williams received a five-year, $16 million contract with $10 million in guaranteed money from Chicago.

   Stewart should fit right in between.

   So why don't split the difference boys, and agree on a five-year deal worth $16.75 million with $10.5 million in guaranteed money? Sounds logical to me.

   However, what is probably hindering the taliks is Stewart is a running back and may be looking for certain incentives based on performance. The Panthers are expected to continue negotiations today with Stewart and Jeff Otah, the 19th overall pick.

   The Carolina Panthers will begin arriving today at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C., for the start of training camp but there's growing chance they may be without their two first-round draft picks.

   I made contact with general manager Marty Hurney around 6 p.m.and here's what he had to say about the negotiations with Stewart and Otah: "Nothing is going on. We're still talking. We don't have anything to report right now. We'll keep talking."

   Hurney emphasized that the team will continue negotiating with the agents for both players, so that means this thing could stretch into the wee hours of the morning. The Panthers are hoping to avoid a holdout like the one they endured with last year's first-round draft pick Jon Beason.

   Stewart, the 13th pick, and Otah, the 19th pick, have until Saturday morning to sign before being considered "holdouts."

   Along with packing tonight for a week-long stay in Spartanburg (let's see, Shorts. Check. Golf shirts. Check. Sunglasses. Check. Suntain lotion...), I will be following the negotiations closely and will keep you updated if anything breaks.

   UPDATE: Here's an early morning update for you. As of shortly after midnight, no deals have been reached. The Pantehrs will try again Friday. it's not unusual for these things to come down to the wire under hte current regime. In fact, it seems every year we're talking about unsigned draft picks on the eve of training camp. However, they almost always seem to get done in time, with the exception of last year.

   In talking with general manager Marty Hurney Tuesday night, there was no significant movement in contract talks with unsigned first round draft picks Jonathan Stewart and Jeff Otah. Hurney reiterated that there continues to be good communication between the two sides and gave no reason to believe there are any potential stumbling blocks in negotiations.

   "We'll keep on talking," he said.

   The agents for both players did not return repeated phone calls on Tuesday.

   Technically, the two rookies have until Saturday to sign before they're considered holdouts. All of Carolina's other seven draft picks have already signed.

   Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said Monday he expects rookie running back Jonathan Stewart to be ready to practice once he signs his contract. Stewart has missed all of the team's off-season practices while rehabbing from a turf toe injury.

   Players are scheduled to have physicals on Friday when they arrive at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C.

   "Right now he seems pretty good," Hurney said.

   The biggest thing is getting Stewart into camp on time. He and fellow first-round draft pick Jeff Otah have yet to agree to contracts. The Panthers really want to avoid a holdout similar to what they faced last year with Jon Beason, especially considering Stewart missed all of minicamp and is already behind the learning curve.

   CAMP UPDATES: Training camp is almost here, which means the excitement is in the air for football fans.

   Like last year, I will have live updates from Spartanburg immediately following each training camp practice. We'll tell you who is lining up where, who looks good and who's struggling. So make sure you check back frequently when practice begins Saturday.

   A limited number of single-game tickets to each of the Carolina Panthers 10 home games for the 2008 season will go on sale Saturday, July 26 at 10:00 a.m., the team announced.

   Better get them fast if you want them.

   Ticket prices range from $51 to $90, and purchase restrictions apply. Tickets can be purchased one of three ways on July 26: online at www.ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone and Ticketmaster Ticket Centers. As always, you can guarantee your seats for each home game without the hassle of buying single-game tickets each year through the purchase of a Permanent Seat License (PSL).

   With four days left before players report to training camp, four drafted Carolina Panthers remained unsigned, including first-round picks Jonathan Stewart and Jeff Otah, third-round pick Charles Godfrey and seventh-round selection Geoff Schwartz.

   Why Schwartz isn't done by now I have no idea, but look for the Panthers to wrap up his deal and Godfrey's contract in the next two days.

   Little information, however, remains available about the progress on talks with both first-round picks as the team attempts to avoid the distraction of a rookie holdout for the second straight year. (Jon Beason held out last year). The agents for Stewart and Otah aren't returning phone calls at this point and Panthers GM Marty Hurney doesn't discuss ongoing contract negotiations with the media.

   The Carolina Panthers on Thursday released quarterback Taylor Tharp and punter Dan Zeidman to get their roster down to 79, one below the NFL limit heading to training camp. The Panthers will need to make several more cuts as they begin to sign their draft picks.

   Tharp's release means the Panthers will go to camp with four quarterbacks -- Jake Delhomme, Matt Moore, Brett Basanez and Lester Ricard.

   As of this point, the Panthers have yet to sign any of their nine draft picks. Players report to training camp on July 25.

   First off, I hate addressing rumors, but when they involve a name like Brett Favre you're almost forced to do so.

   But before you get excited about the gunslinger from Green Bay joining the Panthers as rumored on Pro Football Talk, just realize that isn't going to happen.

   Even if Favre is interested in Carolina, the Panthers aren't necessarily interested in him. The Panthers have their starting quarterback in Jake Delhomme and they're committed to developing their other two young signal callers Matt Moore and Brett Basanez. It's really as simple as that. So while Favre might be an intriguing one-year option (if the Packers were even willing to part with him), his addition could really set the organization back a few years since it would slow the development of they younger guys, particularly Moore.

   Bottom line: Delhomme is your starter this year, Moore is your No. 2 guy and Basanez is No. 3.

   Even though Marty Hurney and John Fox are in a win-now situation this year, I still think the Panthers are much better off with Delhomme anyway than Favre. Delhomme, who has had just one losing season with the Panthers in terms if his own W-L record, already knows the system inside and out while Favre would have already missed two minicamps and need to learn a completely new system in about a month. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it would be very difficult. And Delhomme, in case you somehow haven't heard, has been looking great in his rehab from elbow surgery.

   Even if Favre returns to the NFL (and I think he might), I don't think the Packers will trade or release him. I think he will play for Green Bay. What his role there will be, who knows?

   With the calendar turning to July, some late-round draft pick should start trickling in here in the next couple of weeks.

   The closest to signing at this point is sixth-round draft pick Nick Hayden, a defensive tackle from Wisconsin. The three seventh-rounders should follow as their deals aren't really all that complicated. Basically, all will receive the minimum base salaries over the next three seasons, which leaves their agents to haggle with the Panthers over a few thousand dollars differences in signing bonuses. But basically they are all locked into to a certain pay scale based on what the player ahead and behind him gets.

   --Also, a limited number of single-game tickets to each of the Carolina Panthers 10 home games for the 2008 season will go on sale Saturday, July 26 at 10:00 a.m. Ticket prices range from $51 to $90, and purchase restrictions apply. Tickets can be purchased one of three ways on July 26: online at www.ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone and Ticketmaster Ticket Centers. You can guarantee your seats for each home game without the hassle of buying single-game tickets each year through the purchase of a Permanent Seat License (PSL).