CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- While Leonard Johnson may not be able to save Carolinas struggling secondary on his own, the veteran nickel cornerback has brought some needed energy -- and some playmaking ability -- to a group still looking for an identity after losing All-Pro Josh Norman to free agency this past offseason.Johnson was stellar in his first game with the Panthers last Sunday with eight tackles, a sack and pass breakup in 30-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals.But it was his all-in emotional intensity that teammates said made the biggest impact.He brought electricity, said defensive tackle Kawann Short.Teammates noticed Johnsons upbeat personality when he joined the team for training camp -- even though he was rehabbing on the side with trainers.Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman thought enough of the 5-foot-10 Johnson to sign him as a free agent in July even though he was still working back from a torn Achilles. During rehab, Johnson would wear game pants -- rather than just athletic shorts -- to practice, a reminder to himself of his desire to get back on the field.Hes hungry -- and I like that, Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott said.Johnson stepped into a secondary that had allowed Matt Ryan and Drew Brees to throw for a combined 968 yards and eight touchdowns in two of the three previous games.It didnt take long for Johnson to make an impact Sunday.I noticed it right away, Rivera said. I was like, `OK, hes getting into it. And he was into it. And he was definitely chatty. You could hear him out there. He says some pretty outlandish things in terms of getting after guys and challenging guys. He does bring that energy.Sometimes too much energy.Johnson would have had two sacks on Sunday had he not been flagged for unnecessary roughness when he ripped the quarterback Carson Palmers helmet from his head. That cost the Panthers 15 yards -- and Johnson a $9,175 fine from the league for an illegal hit.He apologized to his teammates at the time, but they simply told him to keep playing hard and bring the energy.He did just that.He brought juice, linebacker Luke Kuechly said. Leonard has love for the game and thats good to have.Added safety Kurt Coleman: Whether he was trying to make a play or trying to hustle to the play, he was full out. Was he perfect? No. But he made a lot of things happen. It was just a great addition to what we strive to be, a team that is running to the ball to make things happen.Rivera said the Panthers have been looking for a slot cornerback similar to Captain Munnerlyn, who left to join the Minnesota Vikings as an unrestricted free agent following the 2013 season.They think they have finally found that replacement in Johnson. Hell get another shot Sunday on the road vs. the Rams.Its only been one game, but hes done some really good things, Rivera said. You can also tell he was rusty. We just feel if we continue to grow and things get better, he can be a big part of what we want to do on defense.Game notes Left tackle Michael Oher (concussion), center Ryan Kalil (shoulder), linebacker Shaq Thompson (knee), cornerback Daryl Worley (elbow) and defensive tackle Vernon Butler (ankle) did not practice Thursday and their status is uncertain for Sundays game against the Rams is uncertain. Kuechly was held out of practice as a precautionary measure with a groin injury, but Rivera said he should be back to work on Friday.---AP NFL website: http://pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL Discount Cardinals Jerseys . They hope to persuade the other team owners and commissioner Roger Goodell to put pressure on Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to drop the nickname they find offensive. 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Youth Cardinals Jerseys . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. ANAHEIM -- A former Cy Young Award winner likely will pitch with his career on the line when the Los Angeles Angels and the Texas Rangers meet Tuesday night at Angel Stadium.Right-hander Tim Lincecum, once the mainstay of the San Francisco Giants rotation, will face the Rangers Kyle Lohse with his spot in the rotation -- and perhaps on the roster -- in jeopardy.Lincecum, who won two Cy Young Awards while helping the Giants win three World Series, underwent hip surgery in September and had not pitched in 11 months when the Angels signed him May 20 to bolster their beleaguered rotation. His season debut followed a script that screenwriters for the Hallmark Channel could have produced.At the O.co Coliseum in Oakland on June 18, Lincecum earned a 7-1 victory over the Athletics in his first appearance since June 27, 2015. The right-hander threw six innings and allowed one run, two walks and four hits while adding two strikeouts.Since then, however, the fairy tale has turned ugly.Not only has Lincecum failed to win any of his four ensuing starts but the former ace has pitched just 17 2/3 innings and failed to last longer than 5 2/3 innings during any single appearance. During that stretch, the right-hander permitted four home runs among the 34 hits he allowed and compiled a 9.17 earned-run average.With left-hander Tyler Skaggs close to returning after missing nearly two years because of Tommy John surgery, Lincecum has little margin for error.I think for any player on a major league field, its performance based, Angels manager Mike Scioscia told MLB.com. He needs to perform well, and nobody is immune to that. But we have a lot of confidence that hee is going to do what he needs to do to be one of those five guys who are going to give us a chance to win games as a starting pitcher.ddddddddddddLohse finds himself in a similar situation. After going 5-13 with a 5.85 ERA for the Milwaukee Brewers last year, Lohse languished on the free-agent market until May 13, when he signed a minor league contract with the Rangers. The right-hander made 10 starts at Triple-A Round Rock before being promoted to make his season debut July 9.But in that game against the Minnesota Twins, Lohse surrendered six runs on nine hits while throwing 99 pitches in just five innings. Worse, Lohse sustained a mild strain in his right oblique muscle that forced him to begin an immediate program of accelerated recovery.I didnt have that fun of an All-Star break, doing two-a-day treatments to see how good we can get this thing going quickly, Lohse told MLB.com. It didnt feel like it was going to be something short. But we have been making progress every day.That progress culminated Saturday, when Lohse threw a bullpen session before the Rangers game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field and felt no ill effects.I came out of the bullpen session feeling good with minimal soreness, Lohse told MLB.com. We did a lot of work on it and feel good where its at.Had Lohse been unable to pitch Tuesday night, right-hander Nick Martinez would have been recalled from Round Rock to make the start. Martinez had been optioned July 8 but made one start for the Express, making him eligible to return quickly. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '