Youth movement makes Panthers NFL's youngest team

Sep 8, 2010 - 11:53 PM By MIKE CRANSTON AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- The Carolina Panthers weren't fooling around when they started their youth movement. It's produced the NFL's youngest team.

According to STATS LLC, Carolina's average age of 25 years, 233 days is the most youthful in the league based on Wednesday's 53-man rosters. It comes after the Panthers shed numerous veterans - and payroll - in the offseason. Carolina then kept nine of 10 draft picks and undrafted rookie defensive tackle Andre Neblett.

"You can tell a little bit. I think that's good and bad," said running back DeAngelo Williams, one of only 14 players with four or more years of NFL experience. "We've got youthful legs, they don't have as many miles as a lot of the teams have. But with that comes maybe mental mistakes."

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the second youngest team at 26 years, followed by the Jacksonville Jaguars at 26 years, 31 days, the Miami Dolphins at 26 years, 121 days and the Houston Texans at 26 years, 150 days.

The oldest team is the Washington Redskins with an average age of 28 years, 69 days. To compare, only six of Carolina's 53 players are 28 or older. Receiver Steve Smith, at 31, is the oldest non-special teams player and one of only five players over 30.

Panthers management bristles when asked if it's not a youth movement, but a cheap movement, just as owner Jerry Richardson is set to play a key role in labor negotiations with a lockout possible in 2011.

"The players we kept didn't have anything to do with money," general manager Marty Hurney said.

But Carolina was much older, and had a much larger payroll, in 2009. Since then the Panthers decided to let five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers (30 years old) leave in free agency. Seven-year starting quarterback Jake Delhomme (35) was cut. So was fullback Brad Hoover (33), defensive tackles Damione Lewis (32) and Maake Kemoeatu (31) and linebacker Na'il Diggs (32). Receiver Muhsin Muhammad (37) and guard Keydrick Vincent (32) weren't re-signed. Safety Chris Harris (28) was traded.

While it allowed Carolina to avoid taking a salary-cap hit in a non-capped year by releasing veterans with big deals, Hurney insists it was part of a plan to get younger, faster and more homegrown. The Panthers have 35 of their own draft picks on the 53-man roster.

"We feel good about our team in general and the young players we have and their skill level and what they can bring to us," Hurney said. "A lot of the people I've talked to I think are very excited about the energy and the competitiveness that all of our young players have shown in the preseason."

But the Panthers became the first team in at least 14 years not to score an offensive touchdown in the preseason. After Smith, Carolina's five other receivers have combined for 34 career catches and one touchdown. Starting quarterback Matt Moore has eight career starts, and his two backups have none.

That means the Panthers will likely lean on Williams and Smith, who has become a virtual old-timer in the locker room.

"I'm not the oldest guy. John Kasay is the oldest guy," Smith said Wednesday.

Told he's the oldest position player, Smith argued that Kasay, Carolina's 40-year-old kicker "is a position" just as Kasay walked by his locker.

"There he is. There's the oldest guy," Smith said.

Kasay didn't break stride, but had a short reply.

"Just to make you feel good," he said.