Former New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey signs with Carolina Panthers for 2011 NFL season
Jeremy Shockey might have caught a lucky break in signing a one-year contract with the Carolina Panthers just a day before the current collective bargaining agreement expired. If contract negotiations with the Panthers had been delayed another day, Shockey wouldn’t have been able to sign a contract with any team until a new labour deal got signed.
Late last month, the New Orleans Saints cut Shockey from the roster and he became an unrestricted free agent. The tight end had a rough 2010 season. Although he played a pivotal part in New Orleans 2009 Super Bowl victory over the Indianapolis Colts, his performances have been getting worse since. Some said that Shockey had peaked in his football career. In 2010 he caught 41 receptions for 408 yards; career lows for the tight end.
Shockey has been struggling with injuries throughout his career. In three NFL seasons with the Saints, the tight end played just 38 games and started 34 of them. In his nine-season NFL career, Shockey hasn’t started all 16 games even once. However, when he is not restricted by injuries, Shockey can be a highly effective receiver.
“We are very pleased to add Jeremy to our football team,” Carolina Panthers head coach, Ron Rivera said. “He is a highly competitive player with a good skill set and a wealth of experience. He should make a solid contribution to our offence.”
The Panthers could certainly use Shcokey’s skills and his contributions to the offence. The Carolina Panthers have three tight ends on its roster that has caught a combined 51 receptions for just 385 yards. Jeff King is the only tight end on Carolina’s roster that has caught a touchdown this season. Gary Barnidge didn’t have a single reception and although Dante Rosario caught 32 receptions for over 260 yards, he didn’t have any touchdowns in the 2010 season.
Carolina’s passing offence ranked 32nd in the NFL and was able to gain an average of just 143.1 yards per game. The panthers had the worst winning record in the NFL and won only two of their 16 regular season matchups. Shockey’s addition to the Carolina’s offence is significant for the Panthers and for Shockey, whose career seemed to be slipping out of his hands.
Shockey told reporters, “Time for the Next chapter. This is a great opportunity for me, and I am excited to play football. Let’s hope we all have the chance to play this season.”
The labour dispute between the NFL and the players association has jeopardized the 2011 season. That has also made off-season decisions more complicated. The Panthers relied on rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen and it didn’t work out for them. Carolina needs a quarterback but it can’t find one if the labour strife results in a lockout.
Even if the Panthers choose a quarterback with their first overall draft pick in April’s draft, they will not be allowed to make contact and sign their pick until there is a new labour deal.
The Panthers could also try to trade for a quarterback within the league and find an experienced quarterback for its receivers to pass to. Whatever Carolina decides to do next, having Shockey to pass to will help whoever steps in for Jimmy Clausen in the 2011 season.
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