Lewis works with 4th team
CHARLOTTE -- It appears former starting quarterback Jeff Lewis won't even play in the Carolina Panthers' final exhibition game Friday.
Lewis, who has been replaced by 29-year-old rookie Chris Weinke as the team's starter for the preseason finale against Cleveland after a series of poor outings, worked with the fourth team Monday.
There even has been speculation the Panthers could cut Lewis, given that the starting job now appears to be Weinke's to lose.
Panthers coach George Seifert denied that, but he did say he wanted to get both Dameyune Craig and Matt Lytle into Friday's game after Weinke starts.
"We worked Dameyune Craig and Matt Lytle quite a bit today, and we'll probably work them quite a bit tomorrow," Seifert said Monday afternoon.
"We'll come up with some sort of conclusion tomorrow as to exactly how we're going to handle the rotation. But there's obviously a reasonable chance that they're [Craig and Lytle] going to play."
The two reserves have received limited chances this preseason, with Craig playing a portion of the fourth quarter in the opener at Jacksonville and Lytle getting in for just one series the following week against New England.
Last week, Weinke finished the Panthers' 20-17 win over Baltimore after Lewis put the team in a 17-0 hole with interceptions on three straight possessions.
Though the order of work Monday had Lewis at the bottom of the list, Seifert said it was unfair to call him the fourth-stringer.
"No, no, no," Seifert said. "There's not a fourth, or seconds, thirds or whatever when it gets to this part of it right now because we're just trying to get some experience for some of the players to see where we're at."
Nonetheless, it appears Lewis won't play because the team wants to get a good look at Weinke and the other two, who are likely fighting for roster spots with their performances.
Seifert bristled a bit when asked if he had considered releasing Lewis.
"Not at all," Seifert said. "Not at all. Nope."
Charlotte must cut 15 players by 4 p.m. today and 15 more by Sunday.
The Panthers already have invested $4.625 million and two draft picks (a 1999 third-rounder and a 2000 fourth-rounder to Denver ) in Lewis. If they release him now, they'd save his $800,000 salary against the salary cap, but he'd still count around $1.2 million against the cap this year and next.
For Craig, Friday could be his best opportunity.
He hasn't thrown a pass in his two years with the Panthers and hasn't gotten many preseason chances as the team has given more time to Lewis in past years. He said Sunday that he'd get the second chance to play Friday and that he has changed his approach this year.
"It's the first camp where I've stepped back and watched and learned," Craig said. "I've tried to put things on the sidelines, and I've never done that since I've been here, but I think I've progressed a lot by not playing and just watching. Being out there and watching Chris, he's a rookie and makes a lot of mistakes, and I can see a lot of the mistakes that he's making.
"I think it has helped me a lot just to sit back and watch somebody younger go through the trials and tribulations that you have to go through to be a starting quarterback."
CHARLOTTE -- It appears former starting quarterback Jeff Lewis won't even play in the Carolina Panthers' final exhibition game Friday.
Lewis, who has been replaced by 29-year-old rookie Chris Weinke as the team's starter for the preseason finale against Cleveland after a series of poor outings, worked with the fourth team Monday.
There even has been speculation the Panthers could cut Lewis, given that the starting job now appears to be Weinke's to lose.
Panthers coach George Seifert denied that, but he did say he wanted to get both Dameyune Craig and Matt Lytle into Friday's game after Weinke starts.
"We worked Dameyune Craig and Matt Lytle quite a bit today, and we'll probably work them quite a bit tomorrow," Seifert said Monday afternoon.
"We'll come up with some sort of conclusion tomorrow as to exactly how we're going to handle the rotation. But there's obviously a reasonable chance that they're [Craig and Lytle] going to play."
The two reserves have received limited chances this preseason, with Craig playing a portion of the fourth quarter in the opener at Jacksonville and Lytle getting in for just one series the following week against New England.
Last week, Weinke finished the Panthers' 20-17 win over Baltimore after Lewis put the team in a 17-0 hole with interceptions on three straight possessions.
Though the order of work Monday had Lewis at the bottom of the list, Seifert said it was unfair to call him the fourth-stringer.
"No, no, no," Seifert said. "There's not a fourth, or seconds, thirds or whatever when it gets to this part of it right now because we're just trying to get some experience for some of the players to see where we're at."
Nonetheless, it appears Lewis won't play because the team wants to get a good look at Weinke and the other two, who are likely fighting for roster spots with their performances.
Seifert bristled a bit when asked if he had considered releasing Lewis.
"Not at all," Seifert said. "Not at all. Nope."
Charlotte must cut 15 players by 4 p.m. today and 15 more by Sunday.
The Panthers already have invested $4.625 million and two draft picks (a 1999 third-rounder and a 2000 fourth-rounder to Denver ) in Lewis. If they release him now, they'd save his $800,000 salary against the salary cap, but he'd still count around $1.2 million against the cap this year and next.
For Craig, Friday could be his best opportunity.
He hasn't thrown a pass in his two years with the Panthers and hasn't gotten many preseason chances as the team has given more time to Lewis in past years. He said Sunday that he'd get the second chance to play Friday and that he has changed his approach this year.
"It's the first camp where I've stepped back and watched and learned," Craig said. "I've tried to put things on the sidelines, and I've never done that since I've been here, but I think I've progressed a lot by not playing and just watching. Being out there and watching Chris, he's a rookie and makes a lot of mistakes, and I can see a lot of the mistakes that he's making.
"I think it has helped me a lot just to sit back and watch somebody younger go through the trials and tribulations that you have to go through to be a starting quarterback."
