As soon as his frustrating 2007 season ended, Carolina Panthers wideout Steve Smith decided he needed to blow off some steam. Instead of doing what some other NFL players might do -- like choking pregnant girlfriends or piloting boats while drinking -- Smith settled on a good old-fashioned workout at the gym.

Only Steve Smith doesn't go to normal gyms. No. He went to Velocity Sports Training, which specializes in improving athletes' speed, strength and agility. Smith really liked the workout he got there. In fact, he liked it so much, he bought a stake in the company.

Not only did Smith see an opportunity to work with other athletes and get a head start on his post-NFL career, but he saw actual improvement in his game during last weekend's minicamp.

"I could see a big difference (in performance) in a short amount of time," he said. "Physically, I feel stronger, and faster in and out of breaks."

So, to recap, Steve Smith, 28, All-Pro NFL wide receiver, is faster and stronger than he was last year, when he had 87 catches for 1,002 yards and 7 touchdowns under adverse conditions. Plus, his favorite quarterback is getting healthy, and his team has new depth at receiver. Still looking like a train wreck to you, Panthers fans?

It's only May, so we're months away from seeing the proof here, but it seems the big story about The Train Wreck That Is The Carolina Panthers -- you can thank the FanHouse commenters for that moniker -- is that they have (*gasp*) actual depth at receiver.

First, there's D.J. Hackett, who reportedly made "several fine catches" during the weekend workouts and had nothing but good things to say about Jake Delhomme. In turn, the Panthers QB had nothing but good things to say about Muhsin Muhammad's return.

"I'll be honest with you -- the day we got Moose back, that was huge. And not for what he's done in the past. Just the way he works, the way he blocks. He brings a presence."

Another report has Jason Carter, the third-year man from Texas A&M who spent last season on the Panthers' practice squad, making the most spectacular catch of the weekend and looking generally impressive. That same report says, "Dwayne Jarrett has great hands. That's all." (Translation: He runs routes like Keary Colbert.)

Of course, it's way too early to tell whether any of these guys will take the double- and triple-teams off Steve Smith during actual games, but it sure sounds like there's a light at the end of the tunn-- Agh! It's an oncoming train! Run!

Reports out of the first day of Carolina Panthers minicamp indicate that Jake Delhomme is throwing short passes without pain and has had zero setbacks in rehab following Tommy John surgery on his elbow.

In other news, all those pundits who thought the Panthers would trade half their draft to get Matt Ryan scurried back to their computers to research how to manipulate Google so that no one would ever find out how silly they were.

Delhomme isn't throwing long bombs just yet, but he's probably further along than the team thought he might be at this stage, and he should be very close to 100% again by the time training camp starts in July. How you react to that news may depend entirely on your opinion of Jake Delhomme as a quarterback. (I have co-workers who refer to him as "Forrest Gump." What they called David Carr, though, is unprintable here.)

The Charlotte Observer is also reporting that 3rd-round picks Dan Connor and Charles Godfrey are getting first-team looks at middle linebacker and free safety, respectively. Connor is filling in for Jon Beason, who had surgery on his wrist on Wednesday but is expected to be ready before full camp opens.

Actor, game show host and intelligent design defender Ben Stein lashed out at the Carolina Panthers yesterday after hearing of their latest free agent signing.

"I think it's shameful that a team in the NFL, which is known to be filled with deeply religious people, would so eagerly accept Darwinism," said Stein.* "People need to understand the horrible impact this theory has had on millions of people."

Then someone explained to him that the Panthers actually signed Darwin Walker, the defensive tackle who formerly played for the Bears and the Eagles.

"Oh," said Stein.* "Well, that's entirely different. I was wondering why they waited so long to draft a defensive tackle."

Reportedly, Panthers coaches had been on the phone with Walker all throughout the draft to make sure he was still interested in joining the team, which explains why Carolina passed on several defensive tackles in the 3rd round. Walker is expected to move into John Fox's defensive line rotation with starters Damione Lewis and Ma'ake Kemoeatu and possibly either 6th-round pick Nick Hayden from Wisconsin or free agent rookie Brandon Jenkins from Mississippi. The full list of the Panthers' post-draft rookie signings is here.

* - Not actual quotes by Ben Stein. These are the jokes, people. It was also a cheap excuse to run that photo of Stein with Jenna Jameson. That pair would make a great sitcom, if sitcoms weren't dead.

We all know the Carolina Panthers drafted Jonathan Stewart to be the next Stephen Davis. Ask the big bruising running back from Oregon which NFL player he'd like to emulate, though, and he gives an even better answer:


Yeah. If video of the late, great Walter Payton pounding the ever-lovin' crap out of everything in his path doesn't get you going on a Monday morning, nothing will. If Stewart displays just half the unwillingness to be tackled that Sweetness did, Panthers fans are going to be very, very happy with this selection.

Carolina Panthers 2008 Draft Picks:

13. Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon
19. Jeff Otah, OT, Pittsburgh
67. Charles Godfrey, DB, Iowa
74. Dan Connor, LB, Penn State
141. Gary Barnidge, TE, Louisville
181. Nick Hayden, DT, Wisconsin
221. Hilee Taylor, DE/OLB, UNC
241. Jeff Schwartz, G, Oregon
250. Mackenzy Bernadeau, G, Bentley

The Good: John Fox wanted to go back to the power running game he had in 2003, and GM Marty Hurney took this year's and next year's 1st-round picks to get it. Jonathan Stewart is the next Stephen Davis, and Jeff Otah could be a run-blocking force from the start. Carolina added some value players in the 3rd round, including a potential replacement for Chris Gamble, who's in the last year of his contract, and possibly another Dan Morgan without the concussion issues. They also added yet another 5th-round tight end -- their third in three years -- which could be a sign that Dante Rosario is poised to replace Brad Hoover at fullback after this season. They waited a while to get a defensive end, but they didn't need a starter there, and Nick Hayden has that Jordan Carstens look about him. (That's a good thing.)

I freely admit that I was expecting the Carolina Panthers to use at least one of their 3rd-round picks to add some depth to their defensive line. Pat Sims from Auburn and Marcus Harrison from Arkansas were both available, and the Panthers needed to add to their defensive line rotation after trading Kris Jenkins to the Jets.

Instead, GM Marty Hurney veered left and went with a couple of guys whom many will consider "value picks" -- Iowa CB Charles Godfrey and Penn State LB Dan Connor.

I didn't really think the Panthers needed another linebacker, but Connor could be considered a poor man's Dan Morgan, and he provides some extra depth at the position behind Jon Beason. He could also step in and become a special teams performer.

As for Godfrey, he will become a special teams player out of the gate. He's known more for his tackling than his pass coverage, and somewhere down the road, he could be converted to (*gasp*) free safety.

These are not bad picks, really, and there might be plenty of defensive tackles late in the draft. (Carolina still has five picks left.) Still, there's not much behind Damione Lewis and Ma'ake Kemoeatu right now, and Carolina passed on some guys who probably could have helped that.

The Eagles traded out of the first round last year and appear to have done it again today. They gave the 19th overall selection to the Carolina Panthers in exchage for the Panthers second rounder (43rd overall), fourth rounder (109th overall), and a first round choice in the 2009 draft.

With a number of attractive players on the board such as OT Jeff Otah or WR Devin Thomas, the Eagles decided the package Carolina gave them to be a better option.

The Eagles now have twelve picks in this year's draft and I wouldn't be surprised if they do some maneuvering to get back into the first round.

It remains to be seen how the Birds 2008 draft will unfold but this early trade seems to be a tremendous value win for the Eagles.

There had been talk of the Panthers trading down, but trading up shouldn't surprise anyone. GM Marty Hurney had suggested that the extra picks he got from the Kris Jenkins trade would give Carolina some flexibility. Clearly, they used it to get the extra tackle they needed in Jeff Otah, who, along with Jonathan Stewart, fits in with John Fox's power-rushing philosophy.

Still, Carolina had to give a lot to the Philadelphia Eagles get Otah -- their 2nd-round pick and 4th-round pick this year, plus their 1st-round pick next year. If Jeff Otah really worth two 1st-round picks?

I suppose we'll find out soon enough, but it's clear that Fox wants to use this draft to get back to basics -- specifically, the basics that helped him get to the Super Bowl. Less than one round into this draft, he's got a big beefy power runner and a big beefy tackle to block for him. Perhaps the only question now is whether Jordan Gross moves to left tackle to accomodate Otah. Either way, though, the Panthers have a lot more options on their offensive line than they did before.

Pittsburgh offensive tackle Jeff Otah has a major feather in his cap: He outplayed Chris Long when Pitt played Virginia. But he's more than just a one-game wonder, and the Panthers will be glad they traded up to get a second first-round pick and select him in the NFL draft.

Between Otah and Jonathan Stewart, there's no question that the Panthers' running game got a lot better today. But it's a bit of a surprise that the Panthers traded up for someone other than a quarterback. It's on you, Jake Delhomme.

Previously on FanHouse:
FanHouse Mock Draft: Carolina Panthers Select Derrick Harvey No. 13
Panthers Focus on Big Boys for Draft
Why Ryan Clady's Wonderlic Score Might Make Chris Williams a Better Pick for Carolina
Panthers Don't Need Rashard Mendenhall
Panthers GM Has Pretty Lousy Draft Record