Coach Ron Rivera said Armanti Edwards was the MVP of the Panthers' 2013 training camp, but that production did not translate onto the field once again.
Sometimes, a relationship just doesn't work out. No matter how hard you try, it just isn't going to happen.
That's the way it was with the Panthers and Armanti Edwards, who Carolina general manager Marty Hurney infamously gave up a future second-round pick for to take in the third round of the 2010 draft.
Edwards, an incredible record-setting quarterback at Appalachian State, tried very hard to make the transition to wide receiver. The Panthers tried very hard to give him the time to make that transition, allowing the "Armanti Experiment" to continue far longer than most NFL experiments.
But ultimately, it failed.
The Panthers waived Edwards on Tuesday, and it was probably past due. He's been here since 2010, and you could still count his big plays in a Panther uniform on his thumbs.
He finishes his career with Carolina with zero touchdowns in four NFL seasons -- that is the most damning statistic for No.14. Even his biggest plays -- an 82-yard reception and a 69-yard punt return, both in 2012 -- came with the same caveat. Yes, but he didn't score. On the 69-yarder, he was tackled by the punter, a source of much amusement in the locker room.
Edwards always practiced and played with class. Everyone who has ever met him comes away respecting his professionalism and his courtesy.
But the bottom line was he just couldn't play in the NFL. He was too slight, for one thing -- cornerbacks bumped him around. His lower-body strength was never quite there. He was fast, but not quite fast enough to make up for that.
Edwards was a tease for years, making one assistant coach after another think that well, maybe, it was finally going to work. Even when it seemed like the writing was on the wall for him to get released following the signing of kick returner-wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr., Edwards had a good training camp in 2013 and stuck around through August and then September.
But he couldn't survive October. This move really should have come sooner -- Edwards has been a non-contributor for a long time -- but it finally has come. I still think Edwards could be a quarterback again in the Canadian Football League. But he is not an NFL-caliber receiver. And no matter how hard he worked, that just wasn't going to change.
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43 comments:
past time for you to go and a few more
past time for newton and smith to go
sign tebow and you can stay
Never forget the Big House.
The Panther's loss will be someone's gain.....Go AE! find someone will use you properly instead of as a pawn or as someone the Observer can use as a scapegoat.
I bet he ends up with the Patriots. Look at all the converted players Belichek has made into solid NFL players.
Instead of letting Jimmy C play quarterback, Edwards should have been given the opportunity to show what he could do at the position. I think he is better than a lot of the QBs I watched this past weekend.
Thanks AE for great football weekends as ASU and for 3 great championships. You were an absolute joy to watch. Too bad the Panthers never used your true talent. We only watched Panther football hoping to get to see you
excell in the NFL - Best of luck to an outstanding young man!!
Observer need to send you packing!
Maybe now Armanti can be picked up by a team that will give him a true chance, not stick him in a dumpster fire of a game and expect him to perform miracles or else!
Edwards was never a WR, but he was a read-option QB long before Cam. Edwards didn't fail. The Panthers failed him. They should have, after Cam introduced this new wave of QB style, moved Edwards back to at least try him at QB.
Past time for anonymous at 4:47 to go for that stupid Cam and Smith comment and even more ridiculous Tebow comment
Now that Edwards is gone it's time for Scott Fowler to move on to his next negative go-to topic. It should come second nature to him though.
1-3 and we cut our 4th WR. Sure, that'll fix our issues...
Time for you to go Scott. We can count your good articles on our thumbs. Your picks and opinions have been non producing for years. There was a time when you showed promise but now you should move to Canada and write.
It amazes me that you can look in the mirror when you and other writers pimped Armanti for material this entire time. Even making it front page news when his father was convicted.
AE didn't lose the the game Sunday. Look at Steve "just throw me the ball" Smith who has attacked and injured two teammates. Look at LaFell dropping the short pass and all he can say"I tried to run before I caught the ball", and DeAngelo who fumbles the ball when we're about to score. Where is our Pro Bowl running back Johnathon Stewart? How about Cam Newton who takes a sack for a safety, celebrates indi individual achievements when the team is losing, sits with a towel on his head when he's losing, etc., etc.
Yep, good thing we got rid of AE before he cost us another close game. Maybe now you might have write about the players who are actualy losing the games.
See, the problem with the Panthers is and has always been this:
Training Camp. Vets intentionally time having surgery or complain of lingering injuries to miss it or they just completely dog it, and show-ups like Armanti look really good because they are the only ones trying.
This is also why the Panthers can't win a season opener - they botch training camp.
Armanti Edwards should never, ever have been drafted by the Panthers in the first place. In addition, to waste 4 long years on this project was something this team did not need to do.
In the same draft, in the 6th round, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted star Wide Receiver Antonio Brown...and they didn't have to trade up or give up picks to get him. Call this a blunder of epic proportions that was further magnified when Armanti was left on the roster year after year.
When you make a mistake, own up to it and cut bait. Armanti Edwards fits right up there with Rae Carruth, Jason Peter, Bruce Nelson and Eric Shelton when it comes to complete draft goofs.
Goodbye, Armanti...and good riddens!
^What's a riddens?
Keep your head up Armanti. This could be the best thing to happen to your professional career. You might just end up with a team that isn't a perennial loser this go round.
So we cut a class guy. I get it, he didn't pan out as expected but others need to go if this is how we are going to improve. First let's let Cam Newton spend more time developing clothes for Belks, he has not developed as promised either. Next, let's give Rivera time to get back to what he does best, BE AN ASSISTANT. Maybe the observer could do the same, Scott you can go back to.......
I LOVE CAM NEWTON!
SOOOOOO glad they cut waterboy Armani!
Keep up the good work Mr Richardson!
Panthers to the SUPERBOWL!
As long as the Panthers dont go after Tebow we will be OK!
Armani was TERRIBLE! And he is still the best thing to ever come out of crApp State. He should have went to alaScama!
Keep up the good work Observer Sports Writers - especially you Scott and Tom!
:-* cam
MP
ASU 2003
Scott Says...well nothing as per usual. I'll be sure to take a pass on reading your pompous "editorial blog" next time I even bother to log on to this site or pick up my paper subscription. Come to think of it, it's PAST TIME for me to cancel the Charlotte Disturber once and for all. Wish I could do the same for the Panthers.
Well Scott, I must disagree with your opinion. The Panthers misused this young man, using him as a press novelty, or as pawn against management during his days in Charlotte.
Despite what you or your brethren say, he was not utilized properly in Carolina.
So Armanti moves on and he deserves better. He will get another chance to play football. Or, as much as he loves his family he may choose to use the degree he earned at Appalachian State and get a "real job" and be a Dad. Perhaps Coach Satterfield will want him as an assistant coach to help ASU move to FBS football. Whatever, Armanti will get a much better shake than he got in Charlotte where football wannabes in their shorts with a bowl of Cheetos judged his every move from the basements of their ignorance.
So it WAS Armanti's fault!!!
NOT!
Armanti had every opportunity to prove himself to the coaches and the rest of the NFL. In fact, he was given the same amount of time as an average career length of an NFL player, which is 3.4 years long. Armanti had 4 preseasons to show what he could do, so I don't want to head the App State crybabies state he was not given a chance. If Armanti was drafted by the Chargers, the Seahawks, the Patriots, the Packers, or the 49ers, he would have been cut long ago. Just because he was some folklore hero here in Cackolacky, Armanti was given chance after chance to play the slot, dazzle with trick plays, return punts and kicks, and fill in for Smitty.
Armanti was a failure and the sooner you App State rejects figure this out, the sooner you can move on with life.
Armanti Edwards isn't getting another chance to make a difference on the field in the NFL. If he gets picked up, it will be merely for special teams purposes, as he cannot play receiver, PERIOD!
This is the best thing that could have happened to Armanti. The Panthers are one of the sorriest organizations in the league. They have no head coach, an athletic QB who'll never be even top 20 in the league, and an aging cry baby #1 receiver. All this to go along with an owner who has no clue, and you've got a franchise that's headed to where the Jaguars are.
Good luck Armanti, you deserve better and I think you'll get your shot!
I guess now the Panthers will win every game, since AE being drafted was obviously the root of all their problems. Funny that in his last game, he was thrown to twice: one pass was tipped by the defender and one was thrown into the referee. CLEARLY this was AE's fault! And if you actually watched games and saw where the poster child Steve Smith was targeted by the over-rated QB...many times you would see AE wide open! I'm sure AE is thinking "Free at last, free at last, good God almighty I'm free at last!" Best of luck to the young man.
This franchise will never improve. Here is an article on espn about the owner's priorities, this was 5 years ago.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3223598
How can these coaches avoid looking at the stats of our receivers,Other than Olsen and Ginn this team is hurting big time at this position,Hixon if healthy should be given a shot opposite smith ,Look at La`fells numbers they suck, 28 yard average in 4 games!!!!, 113 yards total in 4 games ,Shula be part of the solution fix this now,Hell you could start a practice squad player and get those results.LEARN HOW TO DIAGNOSE A PROBLEM AND FIX IT! BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH THIS ORGANIZATION IS THAT THE COACHING STAFF SEEM TO BE LOST ON HOW TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS THAT NEED FIXED !!!!!terrible troubleshooters
People keep talking about "oh he we such a class act" and "he was awesome to watch at App" Thats great.... Class acts and success at d2 schools dont matter in the NFL. What you do on the field during gametime is what matters... and he did nothing!
Why all the Armanti love? "Maybe another team will use your true talent". Take off your blinders folks. Where did he ever fit in? What talent does he have that will work with another NFL team? We gave him opportunities.... He ran terrible routes, runs like he's underwater against NFL LB's and secondary's, dropped balls, and couldn't even return the ball past our own 15 yard line. I just really can't believe these posts saying that Armanti deserves another chance.
As long as Cam is the QB, they will never win the big one. I did not like him befor they got him. Teams can't win when they have an ok or just getting by QB. Warning......don't get your feelings hurt if you think he can get you to the playoffs or Super Bowl!
where is Gettis???
The Panthers do not know how good AE is/was because they never gave
him a chance....the few time Cam threw to him....high (even for a Wilt C type), behind or when he was double covered.
A foolish move reported by a non-classie reporter.
You App. fans are so pathetic. Go to a real school and find a team you can actually be proud of vs. one you can make excuses for... just like you are for crystal, no wait, ferrari... no armanti! Really, a guy named after a suit who's had 4 freaken years and done NOTHING... that's who you're reduced to backing? Sad
OCTOBER 8TH AT 6:43 PM
DE`ANGELO FUMBLED BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE REPLAY SMITH WAS ON THAT SIDE WHERE HE WAS RUNNING TO AND DID NOT GIVE A BLOCK ON THE CORNER COVERING HIM SO THE CORNER WENT AROUND SMITH AND WAS THE 1ST IMPACT TO SLOW DOWN AND TAKE DOWN DE`ANGELO AS THE OTHER SEAHAWK CHASING DE`ANGELO KNOCKED IT OUT FROM BEHIND,HAD STEVE GOT ON HIS MAN AND DROVE HIM IT MAY HAVE BEEN A TOUCHDOWN!!! I`M GOING TO TELL IT LIKE IS IF IT HURTS FIX IT...
it's time for you to go scott, you're reporting is soo predictable.leave the reporting to great sportswriters like sorenson and ron green senior and junior.
Keep your head up Armanti! Your time will come, on or off the field. Football is only a GAME!! Ya'll need to remember that.
I have to say that Cam Newton is another Tony Romo. We will spend years on him because of his atheletic ability with nothing to show for it. The Panthers will never get close to the SB with him. He is only out for himself. Cam isn't half the QB as Jake Delhome because Cam has had everything handed to him and has not learned his craft.
Dave Gettleman, I liked this choice in the beginning but I see a 1-3 record and that one win came against his old organization. If Thomas Davis was treated like Jon Beason after an injury, wouldn't be here now.
Now, I was willing to watch a team lose with my favorite players (Armanti) but am unwilling to watch them lose with players that are self centered and self absorbed. It is clear this is a coll3ctionof individuals out for money and gaudy stats except the most important one, wins.
You have to wonder what these AE haters are going to squeal about now that he is gone. My prediction: Carolina will continue to lose in some form or another. Rivera will be fired, a new coach brought in and they will lose some more. There are teams that were meant to lose and the Panthers are one of those teams.
What I haven't much of is that AE had to play a completely different position. Can u see a linebacker jumping from FBS to NFL & asked to be a running back? Or a receiver becoming a cornerback? Almost impossible task they gave him. He could've been the ultimate wildcat...the only thing D. Williams can do is run. Single threat < Triple threat.
Better Headline: It is past time for Rivera to go
Armanti was Rivera's pre-season MVP, but I suspect he was Gettleman's early season goner. Of course, ex-Giant Dominick Hixon (yet to show either AE's promise or production) is still here.
Indeed, I have a feeling that we may see the Panthers getting very cozy with the Giants. It was certainly very generous of the Gettleman to give up Jon Beason for next to nothing. Of course, it's a shame that the Giants have suddenly become the worst team in the conference, but probably lucky for Gettleman to have gotten a job (with ex-Giant GM Ernie Acorsi's invaluablle help) here in the sunny south before a potential drop of the axe in winless New York.
ITS "BOW" TIME !!!!!!!!
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