That's a major reason why he wasn't selected until the seventh round of the 2008 draft despite registering double-digit sacks totals his senior season at the University of North Carolina.

But Taylor talks like a guy who's willing to do whatever it takes to be a difference-maker at the next level. When asked on Monday what he foresees his role being this season with the Panthers, Taylor eagerly responded, "My role is to give it up for the team, to do whatever they need me to do.

"Right now they want me to be a pass rushing guy and contribute on teams. I'm happy with that. If I make my mark there, maybe I can eventually be an every-down defensive end."

Taylor said his goal is to gain about 10 pounds and maintain a playing weight around 255 pounds.

That, he figures, will help him against the league's bigger offensive tackles.

He idolizes Jason Taylor, the Miami Dolphins' five-time Pro Bowl defensive end who has 117 career sacks. While Jason is about three inches taller than Hilee, he only weighs in at 255 pounds.

Hilee believes he can be that same type of player for the Panthers if he puts on a few pounds.

"Jason Taylor is the guy I pattern my game after," Taylor said. "He's a little taller than me, but he's a high-motor guy and doesn't let his weight issue become a factor. If you play against him you think he's bigger than he is."

The Panthers are in need of player who can get after the quarterback following a season in which they had just 23 sacks.

Taylor, coaches feel, might be a guy who can give them a few sacks here and there on third-and-long situations. Julius Peppers will start at one defensive end spot for the Panthers, but the other spot is up for grabs between veteran Tyler Brayton and youngsters Stanley McClover and Charles Johnson.

--Coach John Fox is anxious to have rookie running back Jonathan Stewart back at practice. Stewart isn't allowed around the facility until the University of Oregon finishes its final exams. Oregon is one of the few schools around the country that works on the quarter grading system.

"He's a sharp guy and I like this demeanor and his football character," Fox said of the team's first-round draft pick. "I like what I saw from his college tape. He just has to get healthy."

Fox said he expects Stewart will be ready to go in training camp.

"He's out of his boot and he's one schedule. He will be coming here shortly and being doing rehab with our medical people and they are telling me he will be ready for July 25 (the start of training camp)."

--Fullback Brad Hoover thought long and hard about venturing out of North Carolina this past offseason.

In the end, he didn't.

So Hoover accepted a three-year offer from the Carolina Panthers on the day before the start of the free-agency signing period, returning for a ninth season.

And he's glad he did.

"It's one of those things where I was trying to weigh all of my options," said Hoover, the Panthers' longtime starting fullback. "There were other options out there. It was just trying to see what I wanted to do. Ultimately it just made sense for me to stay."

After growing up in Thomasville, N.C., and playing prep football at Ledford High, Hoover went on to play for Western Carolina and then caught on with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2000, so he's never played a "home game" outside the state.

He'd like to keep it that way.

"This is where I've grown up and my family is still here and I've been with organization since day one. So it was important for me to stay here," he said.

Hoover also has a gut feeling the Panthers are ready to turn things around after two non-winning seasons.

--Hoping to appeal to the Spanish-American fan base, the Carolina Panthers have announced a new, one-year partnership with Radio Lider WNOW-AM to broadcast all of their games during the 2008 season in Spanish.

The Panthers will be the 12th team in the NFL to have a Spanish broadcast.

Radio Lider WNOW-AM became the first commercial station in the Carolinas to begin broadcasting in Spanish more than 14 years ago. Their daytime-only signal reaches the seven county Charlotte metro area with an estimated Hispanic population of nearly 200,000 people.

"With the tremendous growth in the Carolinas' Hispanic population, we have been looking for the right partnership to make Panthers football available in Spanish," said Henry Thomas, the Panthers' director of broadcasting and new media. "Radio Lider WNOW-AM has provided that partner, and we are excited about this opportunity."

--Jake Delhomme asked about the changes on offense and he went into great depth describing his reason for being optimistic.

"The offensive line has done an outstanding job. Jordan (Gross) and Travelle (Wharton) work great together. When we put them together in '04 in the middle of the season they really picked it up. (Jeff) Otah has looked the part. I like what I've seen. I like it a lot."

QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's a physical game but it's not all about that. It's about smartness. Everybody here has what it takes and everyone has the talent, but it's how smart you are and how quick you are to react. If you know what you're doing you are going to react quicker. If you don't it can turn into a 100-yard gain. You have to fight through and don't let it get to you." -- Panthers DE Hilee Taylor.

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