Agent: Beason could be ready for regular season

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)—The Carolina Panthers entered training camp with a new defensive coordinator, a more aggressive scheme and plenty of motivation in the locker room to erase memories of their late-season slide in 2008.

Halfway through the preseason, injuries are derailing their plans.

Jon Beason, Carolina’s middle linebacker, leading tackler and defensive leader, is the latest concern. He left Saturday’s exhibition loss to Miami with a left knee injury.

Beason’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said the injury was a strained medial collateral ligament, and he was optimistic his client could return for the start of the regular season. Rosenhaus made his comments late Sunday on his weekly appearance on WSVN-TV in Miami.

A team spokesman declined to reveal the results of a scheduled MRI exam. Rosenhaus and Panthers general manager Marty Hurney didn’t return messages. Beason also didn’t update his Twitter page or Web site.

Defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu’s(notes) season was ended by a torn Achilles’ tendon earlier in training camp.
The lack of depth behind Beason, Carolina’s leading tackler the past two seasons, is glaring. Dan Connor(notes), who played three NFL games as a rookie before tearing his ACL last season, is his backup.

Beason said he stayed in the game for a couple of plays after he was injured.

“I was getting off a block and I’m not sure if someone came at me intentionally or if they fell on it,” Beason said. “I’m assuming someone fell on it.”

The Panthers used the 25th pick in the 2007 draft on Beason, who starred at Miami. He set a team record with 160 tackles his rookie year and was selected to his first Pro Bowl last season, when he had 159 tackles and tied for the team lead with three interceptions.

Beason’s absence would provide another obstacle for coordinator Ron Meeks, who ran Indianapolis’ defense the past seven years. He took over a team that gave up 30 or more points in five of the final seven games last season, and was already facing a severe depth shortage on the defensive line.



(sports.yahoo.com)