David Carr wechselt nach North Carolina

[redneck in Germany]

Panthers agree to terms with QB David Carr

PAT YASINSKAS
pyasinskas@charlotteobserver.com

David J. Phillip, AP
Houston Texans quarterback David Carr throws a pass against the Cleveland Browns in this Dec. 31, 2006 file photo. Houston recently waived quarterback David Carr, the first draft pick in franchise history five years ago.

Quarterback David Carr, the first overall pick in the 2002 draft, agreed to terms on a two-year contract with the Carolina Panthers early Friday morning, according to a league source.

Carr, 27, made the decision after returning from a two-day visit with the Seattle Seahawks and meeting with his wife at their California home late Thursday night. Carr had visited with the Panthers Monday and Tuesday. The financial terms of the deal weren’t immediately available.

The Panthers obviously don’t view Carr as the typical backup. Coach John Fox has said several times that Jake Delhomme, who struggled at times last season, remains the starter. But Carr, who has made 75 career starts, could provide a viable alternative if Delhomme struggles again.

That’s something the Panthers lacked last season when Delhomme was forced to miss three games with a thumb injury. Backup Chris Weinke was elevated to the starting lineup, but the Panthers lost his first two starts and let him attempt only seven passes in his final start. Weinke was released after the season.

The Panthers also had Joey Harrington, the third pick of the 2002 draft in for a visit, but Carr clearly was their top target. Sources have said the Panthers view Carr as a player who still has plenty of upside and could flourish with the right team and the right offensive system.

Although there was talk Carr could land with teams such as Oakland, Detroit or Cleveland where he might have a better initial shot at a starting job, the quarterback wanted to land in a situation that presented the best chance of resurrecting his career.

Carr came out of Fresno State viewed as a franchise quarterback. The expansion Houston Texans used their first pick on him (one pick before the Panthers selected defensive end Julius Peppers).

But Carr’s career never took off in Houston. Surrounded by poor offensive lines, he was under constant pressure from defenses. Coach Gary Kubiak stayed with Carr last season after replacing Dom Capers. But the Texans decided to part ways with Carr after making a trade with Atlanta for Matt Schaub and handing him the starting job. Carr was released last month.

Carr did show some progress under Kubiak, completing a career-best 68.3 of his passes and posting an 82.1 quarterback rating. For his career, Carr has completed 60 percent of his passes with a 75.5 quarterback rating. While completing 1,243 of 2,070 passes, Carr has thrown for 59 touchdowns with 65 interceptions.

The Panthers will go to training camp with second-year pro Brett Basanez as the third quarterback behind Delhomme and Carr.