So we have to go along and be positive and realize that if some of them don't come back to their full playing abilities, then there will be opportunities for other players. Indeed, expecting all of the veterans to return would be a dangerous gamble for the Panthers. Smith, for one, might be at the end of his career following microfracture surgery on his arthritic right knee last year. The prognosis for the others isn't quite so dim. That's kind of what I'm doing out here now.
Microfracture surgery is a procedure designed to strengthen the knee.
Jeffers had the misfortune of being injured in training camp but the good fortune of spending nearly a full year away from the game to recuperate. The same goes for safety Deon Grant, a second-round pick in 2000 who was projected to start before fracturing and dislocating his hip last August. Peter and Walls were injured during the season and are trying to come back from major surgery in far less time. A first-round draft pick in 1998 who has failed to stay healthy enough to be an impact player in his career, Peter opted for surgery as a last hope to resurrect his career. The Panthers now expect Jay Williams to take over full time at left defensive end this season.