Panthers rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen sat out practice on Monday because of a toe injury. The injury wouldn't be a serious concern expect Clausen played a majority of last season at Notre Dame with two torn ligaments in his right big toe and underwent surgery in January. Clausen played the second half of last week's loss to the Jets with no apparent problems.

Browns quarterback Jake Delhomme has attributed his struggles with the Panthers last season to the playoff defeat the team suffered at the hands of the Cardinals in January 2009. "Awful, last year was awful," Delhomme said. "There's no other way to put it. I was awful. There's no sweeping it under the rug. I didn't play well, I played awful. But I put pressure on myself. When we lost in the playoff game [to the Cardinals in January 2009] and I didn't play well at all, my whole focus and goal was to get back and play well. "Then, in the first game of the season, one of my first few passes gets tipped, tipped and picked and it's like, 'Don't make another mistake, don't make another mistake' and I played that way the whole season. That's just something you can't do. You never, ever can play that way and I've never done that. I just put so much on myself. 'I gotta play good, I gotta play good' and when you're so tight like that, it's just worse." Delhomme, who landed in Cleveland this offseason, threw 18 interceptions in just 11 games for Carolina in 2009.

The Panthers have promoted rookie wide receiver Brandon LaFell to the first team during practices. "I was real surprised," he said of his momentary promotion. Carolina selected him in the third round of April's NFL Draft with the 78th overall pick.

Reports out of Carolina are that rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen has looked better and better as camp has worn on. However, Darin Gantt of the Charlotte Observer cautions that Clausen is unlikely to overtake Matt Moore for the starting job in camp.