Steve Beuerlein finally made the Pro Bowl in his 10th season, but he had five offseason surgeries. Will he stay healthy again? In addition, with the season-ending injury to Patrick Jeffers, Beuerlein has one less quality target. Defensively, the Panthers must hope that Reggie White has something left in the tank.

Offense
Quarterbacks: Veteran signalcaller Steve Beuerlein is coming off a career season in which he led the NFL in passing yardage, finished second in TD passes and made his first trip to the Pro Bowl in 13 years. But five minor offseason surgeries are cause for concern.

	Steve Beuerlein threw for a career-high 36 touchdowns last year.

Behind him, both Jeff Lewis and Dameyune Craig have struggled so far this preseason, but Seifert says he still has confidence in his backup situation and isn?t ready to bring in a veteran free agent like ex-Panther Steve Bono, as has been rumored. Grade: B-

Running backs: The Panthers can thank their lucky stars that at least Tshimanga Biakabutuka is still in one piece. Biakabutuka, who has never been able to get through an entire season without getting hurt at some point, looks to be in the best shape of his life, thanks to a new training regimen that includes yoga, martial arts and prolonged stretching. If he stays healthy, his first 1,000-yard season is quite likely. Full back William Floyd is little more than a pounding blocker. The backup running back position is a serious question mark.

Receivers: The loss of Jeffers was a huge blow to a passing offense in which he became an explosive third option behind fellow wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad and tight end Wesley Walls. Now, both Muhammad, who is coming off a huge season, and fellow Pro Bowler Walls, who catches everything in range and is a money player near the goal line, could be double-teamed to death -- unless Hayes can cut the mustard as Jeffers? replacement. Hayes is big and fast, but he?s as raw as steak tartare.

Offensive linemen: Offensive line coach Tony Wise has molded together another decent but athletically limited unit that pass-blocks much better than it run-blocks. The only change from ?99 is at right guard, where the Panthers hope second-year undrafted free agent Jamar Nesbit can hold the fort -- at least until free-agent addition James Dexter fully recovers from a triceps injury.

Defensive linemen: The late addition of White looks like a coup -- he has been impressive in his limited practice time. Swann?s knees remain shaky, but he looked pretty good in his first extended action in the preseason vs. the Ravens. Both players are viewed as situational pass rushers, although White may be capable of doing more than initially expected. Defensive tackle Sean Gilbert can be dominant inside on occasion but continues to wear the underachiever label.

Linebackers: Woodall replaces the retired Kevin Greene in the starting lineup, and while he?s nowhere near the same kind of pass-rushing force as Greene, he is a much better pass defender. With Donta Jones having been surprisingly cut loose -- as much to create cap room for a wide receiver as anything else -- untested rookie Lester Towns takes over in the middle, with Dean Wells, who has looked impressive this preseason, moving to the strong side.
Grade: C-

Defensive backs: A real work in progress, especially at the safety position. Grant, who was looking pretty good before getting hurt, will be replaced at free safety by Robinson, who?s also a former Falcon, and No. 1 draft pick Rashard Anderson, who has struggled after being converted from cornerback. The cornerback spots will be manned by the trio of Hitchcock and holdovers Doug Evans and Eric Davis. Mike Minter has switched back to strong safety, where his run support should help.
Grade: C-

Special teams: Kasay had appeared to be back on track from a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury before his kneecap cracked in half in a routine practice session. For the moment, Richie Cunningham, who replaced Kasay after he was injured last season, looks as though he?ll do the same thing again this season. Left-footed Ken Walter is a decent directional punter. Bates, an NFL All-Decade selection as a kick returner, has added punt returns to his duties. The coverage, which lacked speed in ?99, must improve.
Grade: C