Last year, Smith called out Jarrett, then a rookie, during an open locker-room session. While conducting an interview at his locker with two local beat reporters, Smith interrupted and told Jarrett he should spend more time in the film room instead of talking to reporters.

It was an embarrassing incident for Jarrett, who was having trouble producing on the field.

He finished last year with just six catches.

On Monday, after pleading guilty to DWI charges, Jarrett said the much-publicized incident led to some differences between him and Smith, a three-time Pro Bowler, but that now they're on the same page.

"Steve handled things in his own way," Jarrett said. "That's my teammate. He's definitely one of the most explosive players in the NFL, so he's someone you take heed to and look up to.

"We collided heads at times, but along the way he wanted the best for me. We just had that miscommunication between us and we worked things out. There's no bad blood between us. I'm here every day working hard just like he is and I'm just trying to learn from him."

Smith has been asked about Jarrett a number of times but has refused to offer any glowing reviews.

In most cases, he simply sidesteps the questions. When asked about Jarrett last month, Smith said, "We're all here to play football."

"We definitely had a lot of talks the last year and that it's between us," Jarrett said. "There's nothing I can pinpoint on. But he came to me and said some things he wished he could have handled better as far as things he said in the past and got out -- that kind of conflict between us that it was made to look like in the paper.

"But he's my teammate and we're just trying to get the Panthers back to that big game and I'm trying to do everything in my power to help them."

Jarrett is hoping to find playing time this year in a crowded receiving corps that includes Smith and free-agent acquisitions Muhsin Muhammad and D.J. Hackett.

Jarrett was arrested March 11 in Mint Hill after police say he crossed the centerline and ran a red light. The police report said Jarrett's blood-alcohol level was .12, above North Carolina's legal limit for driving of .08.

The charge for running a red light was dropped.

As for Jarrett pleading guilty to DWI, he hopes his troubles are behind him.

"This is a thing that happened and you learn from your mistakes," said Jarrett, 21. "You always have to take the right steps in everything you do. That's life in general. I took full responsibility for what happened. I'm here in court. Everything worked out."

--Rhys Lloyd is hoping to land a job as Carolina's kickoff specialist - and right now there's a good chance he will.

Original Panther John Kasay, who turns 39 later this year, has been one of the more consistent field-goal kickers in the NFL over the years - he was 24 of 28 last year -- but within the past few years his distance on kickoffs has noticeably decreased.

Many of Kasay's kicks that once sailed close to the goal line and beyond weren't even reaching the 10-yard line last season. Five of his kickoffs bounced out of bounds, by rule giving the opponent starting field position at their own 40-yard line. Punter Jason Baker, who has shared some of the kickoff duties in the past, has struggled as well.

Lloyd is a possible solution.

The Panthers added him to their roster late last season and activated him for the season finale against Tampa Bay. It took him only 60 minutes to match Carolina's entire season total in touchbacks, knocking two balls into the end zone that weren't returned. Lloyd's two touchbacks kept the Panthers from finishing last in the league in that category.

By comparison, Oakland's Sebastian Janikowski led the NFL in touchbacks in 2007 with 22.

Impressed, the Panthers quickly signed Lloyd to a two-year contract that runs through 2009.

Given how important field position is in the NFL, Panthers coach John Fox is now faced with the possibility of having to keep Lloyd on the 53-man roster as a kickoff specialist, something NFL coaches prefer not to do because it robs them of a roster spot that could be used for a positional player like a wide receiver, linebacker or defensive back.

"This isn't a novel thought. There are a lot of people in the league that carry two kickers," Fox said. "It's an option, just like anybody else on the roster. If that's going to make us better, that's who we'll keep."

So Lloyd will basically be fighting his own personal battle this summer when the Panthers reconvene at Wofford College for the start of training camp on July 25.

If he proves he can put the ball in the end zone on a consistent basis then Lloyd probably gets a roster spot.

"Obviously John is here and John will continue to do the job he's been doing," Lloyd said. "I'll just kind of fit in as they need me. It's a good opportunity and hopefully I can succeed at it."

--Outside of Jake Delhomme, the Carolina Panthers are extremely young at quarterback.

But Coach John Fox isn't lacking in faith when it comes to backups Matt Moore and Brett Basanez if something were to happen to Delhomme, who is coming off Tommy John surgery on his elbow.

"Anytime you have a young player they need to continue to develop," Fox said. "But I think Matt showed in those three games he started last year that he's capable of being a quarterback in this league. Where that ends I don't know. That will be up to him and his development."

So no, it doesn't sound like the Panthers will be adding Daunte Culpepper or Byron Leftwich. And no, it seems unlikely they will try to trade for Chris Simms.

"We weren't sure that if we went out and got a veteran that we would be all that much further along," Fox said.

Moore, in his second season, has started three games. Basanez, in his third year, has started none.

Delhomme missed three games late in the 2006 season with a thumb injury, a loss that possibly cost the team a playoff spot just when the offense was beginning to get on track. Last year, he played only three games before injuring his right elbow, the end result being Tommy John surgery.

We all know what happened last year.

It was a disaster.

The Panthers played musical quarterbacks every week, sometimes not knowing until game day who would take snaps from center - a head case, a 44-year-old with a two bad Achilles heels or an undrafted rookie.

Yet, the team has done nothing to fill the void following the retirement of Vinny Testaverde and the much-anticipated departure of David Carr, who was a complete flop in Carolina. They didn't add any veteran quarterbacks in free agency and didn't draft one either.

That's largely because Fox and general manager Marty Hurney feel like Moore, and to a lesser degree Basanez, are ready to take the next step.

"And when you do that you take away reps from that young guy developing. So it's kind of a catch-22, but we feel pretty good about Matt Moore at this stage," Fox said.

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