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Is Carolina Abandoning Zone Blocking?

Last year, when the Carolina Panthers had salary cap issues and couldn't afford to chase any free agents, they tried adjusting the offense to fit the personnel. This year, though, they're taking a different tack.

Instead of having offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson institute a zone blocking scheme that fits the linemen on the roster, the Panthers are rebuilding the offensive line from the ground up and signing any super-sized guard they can find -- Keydrick Vincent (325 lb.), Toniu Fonoti (350 lb.), and now Milford Brown (330 lb.). That's literally 1,000 pounds worth of guards, and they aren't exactly the kind of finesse blockers required for zone blocking to work.

Have John Fox and Marty Hurney decided that zone blocking just doesn't work for them? Are they reshaping the entire running game to resemble that Stephen Davis-led (and allegedly steroid-powered) 2003 team that got them to the Super Bowl? And if so, does that mean their interest in Rashard Mendenhall may be genuine after all?

I'm starting to think there's only one real endgame to this scenario -- DeAngelo Williams getting traded to Houston for draft picks, and the Panthers drafting a power back to replace him. Y'all might be seeing my back on Straight Cash Homey before the NFL Draft is over.

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