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 When veteran nose tackle Ron Edwards tore his right triceps last, week it zapped the Panthers of their lone veteran presence at that position and threw everything up for grabs.Now they're relying on youth to carry them - at least for now.Edwards went on injured reserve this past week.That leaves rookie Sione Fua, second-year player Andre Neblett, unproven Tommie Duhart and newcomer DelJuan Robinson as potential replacements.At the other defensive tackle spot, the three-technique, Corvey Irvin has stepped up and is running with the starters. He's being pushed by rookie Terrell McClain and third-year player Nick Hayden.Of the defensive tackles the Panthers have in camp, Hayden has the most experience with 13 starts. Irvin was a third-round pick in 2008 while Fua and McClain were third-round picks this year.Coach Ron Rivera said it's a huge opportunity for the young kids on this team to step up.Right now, we don't have Ron on the field, so at nose tackle we're going to try and find who's going to be the guy that steps up, Rivera said.Fua seems to be the likely candidate.He's coming off a good showing this past Saturday at Fan Fest.At the three-technique Rivera likes what Irvin has brought to the table after bulking up 15 pounds in the offseason and is thrilled with the play of McClain, who has battled back after missing the first two days of training camp.I've played college football and I've had to step in for guys that are injured, said the 320-pound Fua. You just have to step up and be ready to play. I feel like the coaches are preparing me well and I'm getting extra film study and extra meeting time with the coaches to make sure I'm ready for this game. It's vital for the young guys, the guys that are fighting for spots, to come out and perform and show what they have.The good news for the Panthers is Edwards is still around every day at practice, basically serving as another coach for this young group of defensive tackles.Ron Edwards is a really, really good D-tackle, McClain said. I learned a lot from him and I'm still learning a lot from him every day.He told us is we need any secrets he learned with other teams since he's been in the NFL all we have to do is ask. He said he'll be here every day with us, coaching us on and off the field. It's truly a blessing he's still here with us.Although many view defensive tackles as interchangeable - and they are to a certain degree - there is a distinct difference between play the one technique (nose tackle) and the three-technique.Fua's job at the nose is to take up blockers, a space eater per say, while Irvin' and McClain's job is to get into the backfield and be disruptive.They want that three-technique to penetrate, Fua said. McClain is really quick off the ball and has really good hands and really good speed. For me, I'm supposed to dominate that center. That's my game. We both have different games but we're both good at what we do. Hopefully we can bring our talents together and perform well on the field at the same time.At some point look for the Panthers to add veteran help at this position.But for now, the young defensive tackles on this team have a golden opportunity to prove they belong in this league.And everybody, including Irvin, who was cut last August near the end of training camp, has a chance to prove they belong.In all honesty, everybody is getting another opportunity here, Rivera said. This is a situation where we came in and didn't want to have any assumptions about anybody's abilities or their circumstances. It's a chance for us and for everybody to start fresh. So I think more so than anything else it's an opportunity to see what these guys are about.--Wide receiver/punt returner Armanti Edwards is out to prove those who say he's a bust wrong.With Captain Munnerlyn on the sidelines, Edwards opened Saturday night's game against the Giants as the team's starting punt returner and ignited the crowd by reversing fields and breaking a tackle for a 22-yard return. His next return was even better, a 24-yard punt return to midfield where he showed outstanding decisiveness in his cuts.But Edwards wasn't done there.He caught a 36-yard pass from Cam Newton in the hurry-up offense to set up an Olindo Mare field goal before halftime. He did have another pass in hands in the second half but had it ripped out by a defensive back at the last minute.It felt very different, Edwards said of the start of his second season. Last year around this time, I had no clue what I was doing but this year after working in the offseason I got better.Rivera said Edwards brought some energy to the team with his returns.Anytime you can have a dynamic returner that can give you energy, I think that is huge, Rivera said. The thing we have to understand in special teams there is hidden yardage. Instead of being pinned back on the 15 or the 20 like he was initially, to bring that ball out to the 35 or 45 yard line that is great. That needs to happen. With his elusiveness and his vision, if we block and do the things we are supposed to do as a special teams unit, the young man is going to do that for us. It's going to fall on us as a special teams unit to get him opportunities.--Unlike the John Fox era, the Panthers seem more intent on sticking with their running backs for longer periods of time.In the past DeAngelo Williams would rarely play more than three plays before taking a breather, but that wasn't the case in the preseason opener. Williams played almost exclusively in the first four series before giving way for good to Jonathan Stewart.Williams, who just signed a five-year, 41 million contract extension, looked sharp in his first action, carrying four times for 23 yards, the highlight being a nifty 20-yard run around right end.Williams was also used more in the passing game. He was the intended receiver on two passes, catching one for 16 yards.Stewart carried three times for 17 yards.As a team, the Panthers ran for 67 yards on 11 carries in the first half, a respectable 6.1 yards per carry.--Mike Goodson can be one of the most exciting players to step on the field for the Panthers.If only he didn't fumble so much.Goodson showed off his electrifying speed in the backfield and on kickoff returns, but also fumbled the ball away at the team's 24-yard line, a carryover from where he left off last season. In the second half Goodson put the ball on the ground again, but caught a break when it rolled out of bounds.If Goodson wants to get more reps in a crowded backfield he's going to have to figure out how to fix that problem.Rivera said he spoke with Goodson about the problems after the game and told him he wasn't going to give up on him, but said the problem is unacceptable.We have to protect the football, Rivera said.--Cam Newton admitted he had a lot of butterflies before the game, saying a lot of adrenaline was pumping...anxiety. But it was fun to start out on a positive note and keep all the juices flowing and to keep the ball moving.When asked about the speed of the game compared to college, Newton said, I wouldn't say the speed, I would say the philosophy of the game is extremely different. A lot of times they had me guessing out there, and I know this is just the beginning of what is more to come. So I just have to go back into the lab, so to speak, and watch film.QUOTE TO NOTE My performance was OK. It always could be better. After talking to (quarterbacks coach) Mike Shula there were some things that he saw that were good. But after grading myself I think we came off the field too many times and we left too many opportunities on the field. -- Cam Newton on his first NFL actionCopyright (C) 2011 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.
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