Panther first-night practice notes

A few first-day Panther practice notes from my observations at Wofford:

-- Watch new Panther tight end Greg Olsen face a football passing machine for five minutes and you realize it's a mismatch. I've seen numerous receivers work with the machines, which fire footballs at you from a distance of 7-10 yards. I've never seen a tight end catch the ball any better than Olsen -- nonchalantly and one-handed with either hand. Talk about a nice safety valve for Jimmy Clausen and Cam Newton -- Olsen is going to make a big impact.

-- Fans at Wofford for the Panthers' first official practice made no secret as to some of their favorites. They cheered lustily every time Newton threw a ball that was completed and every time Armanti Edwards caught a punt and jogged back with it. DeAngelo Williams got a big cheer when he ran onto the field, which he acknowledged with a wave.

-- I saw my first Newton No.1 jersey on my first kid Saturday night at practice. Somehow I doubt it will be the last.

-- Clausen took the snaps with the first offensive unit during the first drill, just like it should be. Whether he's doing that a month from now remains to be seen.

-- Steve Smith dressed like he was ready for 30-degree weather, with a long-sleeve undershirt under his jersey and long tights under his shorts. Seriously? Smith looked quick nevertheless.

-- The most legible of the many autographs given out last night was signed by Sir Purr, who somehow can make a work of art with a Sharpie while signing inside a mascot costume.

On Richardson's letter and Panthers' plan

Just a quick couple of thoughts as every NFL team in the country continues its flurry of phone calls as rosters are assembled:

-- I liked Jerry Richardson's letter that was posted on Panthers.com and in our newspaper in a full-page ad and can also be read here. Richardson has taken on more of a public role these past few months, which is a very good thing for a team that needs leadership and to regain its mojo. The part of the letter I liked the best was this:

"As we saw last year with Green Bay and Pittsburgh, market size does not determine where the Lombardi Trophy lands. Our mission is to bring it to the Carolinas.

"You have my assurance we will make the necessary investments and aggressively pursue every avenue to make that dream come true.

"While our division remains one of the toughest in the NFL, I am excited about the upcoming season. The experience gained by our young players a year ago should pay dividends. With Jordan Gross and Ryan Kalil as anchors, the offensive line can be one of the best in the League. Another Pro Bowl player, linebacker Jon Beason, is the centerpiece of the defense.

"Our new head coach, Ron Rivera, brings a history of success as a player and coach to the Carolinas. With coordinators Rob Chudzinski on offense and Sean McDermott on defense, Coach Rivera has put together an enthusiastic staff that will feature an attacking style of play on both sides of the ball. Add No. 1 choice Cam Newton, and one of the most intriguing draft classes in team history, and this has the potential for a most exciting season.

"I have learned timetables can be tricky (SIDE NOTE -- this is an apparent reference to Richardson first predicting the Panthers would win a Super Bowl in their first 10 years), but I can promise we will continue to make a total commitment to building the championship team you deserve."

2) My column today focuses on the first five "big-ticket" things the Panthers need to do now that the lockout is over. If you haven't read it, it can be found here.

3) In the "for what it's worth" department: Sports Illustrated's Peter King predicts that DeAngelo Williams will end up signing with Miami, but that Charles Johnson will end up re-signing with the Panthers.

Has DeAngelo played his last game as Panther? I hope not

The bracing news that DeAngelo Williams has been placed on injured reserve due to his foot injury -- ending his 2010 season abruptly with a meager 361 yards -- leaves a huge question.

Is DeAngelo done as a Panther?

I hope not. Although Carolina has a plethora of good running backs -- Jonathan Stewart, Mike Goodson and Tyrell Sutton among them -- to me DeAngelo is still the best of the lot. None of those other guys have ever had the amazing sort of 1,500-yard, 18-TD season DeAngelo did in 2008. I think he's the Panthers' best combination of speed and power -- he has 31 career rushing TDs, after all, and a lot of those were inside the tackles. To call him purely an outside speed rusher is to do him an injustice.

But DeAngelo's contract runs out at the end of this season, which means the Panthers are going to have to pay him -- big-time -- to keep him. The average range for a back of DeAngelo's caliber probably approaches the $7-million-per-year range. Stewart is signed through 2012, on the other hand, and Goodson is also on his first contract and a pretty cheap alternative (i.e., Goodson is a poor man's version of DeAngelo).

DeAngelo had a subpar 2010 even before he got hurt -- he never had a single 100-yard rushing game -- but that goes for the entire Panther offense. Perhaps the injury will even be a mixed blessing, for it undoubtedly will cost DeAngelo some money (compared to if he came off another 1,500-yard, play-in-all-16-game season like 2008). Maybe the Panthers can receive a bit of a hometown discount bargain here -- DeAngelo has always seemed happy here and acted like he wants to stay long-term.

So again, I hope he hasn't played his last game here. Stewart was great at the end of 2009, but his 3.0 rushing average this season is a yard under DeAngelo's, and he is never 100 percent health-wise. That's not his fault, but that's the truth.

The Panthers have been saving money all year. So who else are they going to spend it on if not for guys like DeAngelo, a proven commodity who is still only 27 years old? Fix his foot and sign him to another contract.