Share
Keydrick Vincent was breathing heavy but not complaining after running sprints with the Carolina Panthers' other linemen near the end of Monday's summer school practices.
Vincent, the Panthers' right guard, flashed his trademark smile and talked about how good it felt to be practicing with his teammates.
His only injury of the 2008 season was painfully untimely. After being the lone member of the offensive line to start each of the first 14 games, a groin injury kept him out for the final two games of the regular season and the Panthers' home playoff loss to Arizona, his former team.
“It was disappointing,” said Vincent. “We were on a roll at the end (of the season). But stuff happens.
“Thank God, everything's healed back up. Just to run around and be out here with the guys feels great.”
The Panthers missed Vincent's forceful presence as a run blocker. At 6-foot-5, 325 pounds, he's an ideal fit for the team's physical offensive style.
“What they do on offense is what I'm built for,” he said. “I'm a run blocker. I can pass block a little bit, but we're going to out-physical you. That's what I'm made for. That's what I do. I'm not a finesse guy.”
The Panthers are Vincent's fourth team. He started all 16 games for Pittsburgh in 2004 when the Steelers had a 15-1 regular-season record. He moved on to Baltimore as an unrestricted free agent in '05, spending two seasons there before moving to Arizona in '07, where he played sparingly.
Joining the Panthers last year brought him back to his football roots because Carolina's style of play is so similar to Pittsburgh's.
“This is what I'm used to doing,” he said. “I am what I am.”
Though Vincent plays a key role in the offense, he's the only member of the line who isn't clearly a long-term fit at his position.
Left guard Jordan Gross, left guard Travelle Wharton, center Ryan Kalil and right tackle Jeff Otah are all younger than Vincent (31) and fit more clearly into the Panthers' long-range plans.
Vincent is entering the final year of his contract and doesn't know whether the Panthers will want to keep him beyond the '09 season. However, he said he's content.
“I just want to win games, stay healthy and just have fun,” he said. “Everything else, you can't worry about that. I just thank them for bringing me in. It gave me a chance to revive my career.”
