PANTHERS AT A GLANCE
	< Muhsin Muhammad
	Last year: 4-12, tied for fourth place in NFC West Key returnees:: QB Steve Beurelein (2,613 yards, 17 TDs); RB Tim Biakabutuka (422 yards, 3 TDs); WR Muhsin Muhammad (68 receptions, 941 yards and 6 TDs); LB Mike Barrow; CB Eric Davis. New faces: QB Jeff Lewis (Broncos); WR Patrick Jeffers (Cowboys); OL Chris Terry (first-round pick); OL Nate Newton (Cowboys); LB Donta Jones (Steelers) New places: OL Blake Brockermeyer (Bears); WR Raghib Ismail (Cowboys); DL Shawn King (Colts) Watch out: Beuerlein could lose starting job to younger Lewis, with another veteran, Steve Bono, also in the mix. Better than '98: Defensive-minded new head coach George Seifert will influence a defense that ranked dead last in the league statistically. Worse than '98: Losing the steady Brockermeyer off last year's weak offensive line won't do much to help pass protection. -- Scripps Howard News Service

The Panthers had no first-round pick this year and do not have one next year after the disastrous signing of DRT Sean Gilbert before last season.

Enter George Seifert, who left the cushy network television studio to coach this squad, which bears no resemblance to any of the 49ers' teams he coached so successfully. He will be hard-pressed to maintain the .755 winning percentage he recorded from 1989 to '96 in San Francisco.

Carolina was one of the NFL's worst teams in 1998, ranking last in total defense and near the bottom in many other defensive and offensive categories. The team committed nine turnovers at or inside its opponents' 1-yard line. On the offensive side of the ball, the team has question marks up front and at quarterback. The skill positions have some talent, but none of the players has produced consistently.

A major step in turning this team around is getting its once-strong defense back on track. Seifert will convert the defense to a traditional 4-3 scheme after the team spent its first four seasons in the zone-blitzing 3-4. New defensive coordinator John Marshall will try to turn around a unit that struggled mightily against the run and spent a lot of time on the field. One area where the Panthers are almost certain to improve is in tight games, where the team lost an NFL-record nine games by seven or fewer points.

Here's a position-by-position look at Carolina's roster:

Quarterbacks
Steve Beuerlein will start the season, but he is not the guy the team hopes to build its future around. The 34-year-old signalcaller is on the downside of a career that never went that high.

The man the team hopes to build around is Jeff Lewis, who was obtained from the Broncos for draft picks despite missing the entire '98 season after suffering a knee injury playing basketball. He is unproven but may be able to improvise and make the big play, something the immobile Beuerlein is unable to do. Veteran Steve Bono is also in camp, as is Dameyune Craig, who had a big season in NFL Europe and could stick. Grade: B-

Running backs
The Panthers spent the No. 8 pick in the '96 draft on Tshimanga Biakabutuka, and he looked like a bust until the final four games of last season, when he gained 377 yards. It should be noted that a severe knee injury after holding out as a rookie had contributed to his poor performance. He will get a chance to claim the No. 1 spot after nearly being released by the team after the '97 season.

Former starter Fred Lane is still around, but he does not have the breakaway ability Biakabutuka has shown flashes of and is more of an inside runner. FB William Floyd is not the player he once was, after suffering a severe knee injury, but he is happy to be reunited with his former coach. Grade: C

		The Panthers have big issues everywhere, other than tight end, (Wesley Walls) and quarterback (Steve Beuerlein, Steve Bono and Jeff Lewis). They're not the best players, but they're solid, and Lewis is their future. The secondary is going to get worked. The Panthers don't have depth on defense. Their offensive line is suspect. And Tim Biakabutuka and Fred Lane haven't proven they can carry the load. I like George Seifert, but I think the Panthers might struggle as much as any team in the NFL. They will be the cellar-dwellers in the NFC West.

Receivers
TE Wesley Walls has been to the Pro Bowl each of his three seasons in Carolina, but he is not featured as much in the West Coast offense and was never much of a blocker.

Carolina lost WR Rocket Ismail to Dallas but believes '97 first-round pick Rae Carruth can fill his shoes. Muhsin Muhammad had a breakout year in '98 while finally staying healthy, and he is in a contract year, so he has incentive to do well. There is little depth behind Carruth and Muhammad, and the team is looking for Patrick Jeffers, Iheanyi Uwaezuoke or Donald Hayes to assume the No. 3 wideout spot. Grade: B

Offensive linemen
This very soft spot in '98 was weakened further by the defection of free-agent OLT Blake Brockermeyer to the Bears. Second-round pick Chris Terry should start at right tackle, with OLT Clarence Jones, OLG Matt Campbell, C Frank Garcia and ORG Anthony Redmon rounding out the starting unit. The group has not shown that it can run-block as a unit and thus far has been better in pass protection. New OL coach Tony Wise will have his work cut out for him. Grade: D+

Defensive linemen
Gilbert will get the chance to prove that he was playing out of position as an end in Carolina's 3-4 defense of a year ago. He will return to his traditional tackle spot in a 4-3 alignment, with the team hoping he will play a more physical brand of football. Jason Peter, the Panthers' 1998 first-round pick, did not contribute during his rookie season but has shown some preseason flashes. Rounding out the starting unit are DT Tim Morabito and DE Chuck Wiley, who are virtually unknown. Expect Gilbert to see a lot of double-team blocking unless someone else along the line steps up. Grade: C-

Linebackers
The Panthers are hoping that 37-year-old Kevin Greene can flash some of his old form for a year or two until they can find somebody else. The emotional Greene, who had 15 sacks last season, wants to prove that he is more than just a situational pass rusher, so he also will be called upon to cover tight ends this season.

Micheal Barrow, the team's best linebacker, will line up on the weak side and flow to the ball, which is what he does best. In the middle, the team is still deciding between Dean Wells and Steve Tovar, but neither one will set the world on fire. Grade: C+

Defensive backs
LCB Eric Davis is a solid cover man, but he has limitations and often needs help. The rest of the secondary underachieved or suffered injuries in '98. CB Doug Evans, who left the Packers for the big bucks in Carolina, was never healthy last season, playing much of the time with a cast on his wrist before separating his shoulder. Now that he is healthy, the team expects him to regain the form he showed in Green Bay and be an upper-echelon cornerback. The Panthers are still searching for someone to step up as the third and fourth corners.

Brent Alexander started every game last year at safety, but he has not had an interception in two years. FS Mike Minter was a player on the rise before contracting a staph infection in his knee last season. He has great speed and range and is a fine hitter. However, Minter and Alexander form an undersized safety combination. Grade: C+

Special teams
PK John Kasay, who had been one of the league's best kickers, is coming off a subpar year. P Ken Walter, who is left-footed like Kasay, punts with excellent placement and hang time, making his punts difficult to return. Michael Bates and Winslow Oliver give the Panthers a dangerous tandem of return men. Grade: B

Material from Pro Football Weekly.
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