The rumors started to fly last season when Carolina finished 7-9 after being 8-8 in 2006. If owner Jerry Richardson is preparing pink slips, he has kept that information to himself. Bill Cowher, the former Steelers coach and current North Carolina resident, is forever mentioned as a possible replacement, although such a hire would put a financial strain on the Panthers with Fox owed $15 million and Cowher's asking price a lot higher than that.

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Heck, one reason why Fox got the Carolina job in the first place was because Richardson was still paying two fired coaches in Dom Capers and George Seifert.

Finally, what is perplexing about the rumor mongers is that there were extenuating circumstances in Carolina last season.

Jake Delhomme may not be Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, but what chance did the Panthers have once they lost their starting quarterback? Where would Bill Belichick be without Brady; the Colts minus Manning?

Fox was so desperate he actually hired 44-year-old Vinny Testaverde to win a couple games. Testaverde became the first starter at that age to win a game. The team was put in such a predicament when David Carr, their big-money backup, appeared shell-shocked when he had to replace Delhomme, and his teammates immediately lost confidence in him. The feeling probably started with that glove he wore on his passing hand in 80-degree weather.

Then, there was the defensive disappearance of all-world defender Julius Peppers. Fox admits that Peppers had a rough season, but it's hard "to be making spectacular plays when the offense is simply running the ball down your throat. Pass rushers like Julius," Fox said, "need the other team to be throwing. You can't make any plays when you have no opportunities to chase the quarterback."

Still, the insiders in Carolina figure that Peppers had 10 bad games and six good ones. The reason? Peppers did too much traveling and strayed too far from the workout program. Peppers trained arduously this offseason, and if you saw him this week, well, he looks ready to roll after being flopped from his customary left end spot to right end. Peppers remains a physical freak.

With Mike Rucker retired and Kris Jenkins traded, the Carolina front four will look totally different; the big hope being that Charles Johnson, a third-round pick last year, will develop into something special at left end. It's a lot of hope, considering Johnson has seven NFL tackles and zero sacks in his short NFL career.

Even though he has many a gray hair, Fox isn't worried about his future.

"I guess I approach it like a player," he said. "We tell them all the time that they can't play, and most of them find work someplace else. I think I can still coach, and I believe I would find someone else who believes in me if I really did get fired."

Hurney, a man I've known since we were both sportswriters, has taken the rumors a little more personal. He's mad about them and confident that the Panthers will turn it around this season and win.

The attitude explains why Hurney traded a couple picks and next year's first-rounder in order to draft Pitt offensive tackle Jeff Otah last April.

Basically, the Panthers took two potential offensive starters in Otah, a right tackle, and Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart, who looked fine in camp after having foot surgery in the offseason, in the first round. The Panthers figured they had inside information prior to the draft, considering their team doctor performed the operation and is one of the best foot surgeons in the country. Another draftee, Iowa safety Charles Godfrey, is expected to start alongside Chris Harris in the secondary. In front of those two is everyone's favorite young linebacker, Jon Beason.

The key to Otah is that he guarantees that the Panthers will be bigger and, hopefully, tougher along the offensive line. They want to be able to pound the ball better than they did a year ago. But the best news is that Delhomme, who had Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow, appears to have his fastball back. Delhomme said his right elbow had been hurting since early in the 2005 season and that he struggled even warming up on some practice days.

"But there is a big difference between being hurt and injured in this league," Delhomme said. The quarterback said he heard something snap in his elbow when John Abraham sacked him in Atlanta last season. The ball popped loose and Delhomme reached for it while another defender pulled with all his strength. A play later, on a short pass to Brad Hoover, Delhomme realized his elbow was shot.

Asked if there was more pressure this summer because of the rumors, Delhomme said: "We're under the gun every single year, but I guess it is different now because we are coming off two mediocre seasons. The funny thing about it, if Foxy does get fired, I bet half of the other 31 owners would hire him in less than 12 hours. He won't stay unemployed long."

According to Delhomme, Fox's best trait is that "he relates well to all players, from superstars to guys on the practice field. But the best thing about John is that he doesn't lie. He says it like it really is all the time. Now, there may be times when you don't like it, but it's important to know as a player what he expects and wants. Veterans appreciate that. It may bother some of the younger guys, but the veterans tell them that's the way it is in the NFL."

There is no doubt the Panthers expect better things this season and one reason is the return of veteran receiver Mushin Muhammad. In 2003, when the Panthers lost to New England in the Super Bowl, Moose and Steve Smith were just starting to be a prolific tandem. In 2004, Smith missed 15 games and Moose had a 16-touchdown season, the kind of year that earned him a huge contract offer from the Chicago Bears.Moose might be 35, but he knows how to play and he's smart enough to clear out a safety or another defender away from Smith, one of the game's most exciting and productive players.

"Moose is extremely strong, plus he does everything right," Delhomme said. "Every route is a clinic film. That's what he brings. He and Steve respect the (blank) out of each other. That's why we expect better things this season."

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