3C
SPORTa^e Charlotte $o«t
Thursday, May 4, 2006
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO/RICK HAVNER
Carolina Panthers top draft pick and former Memphis running back DeAngelo Williams
holds his jersey at a press conference Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. Williams boosts
Carolina’s depth at running back behind starter DeShaun Foster.
Contender Panthers
draft to boost depth
Continued from page 1C
Branch, who is expected back
after missing all of last sea
son with a knee injury
The team also has signed
veteran free agent Shaun
Williams at the position after
last year’s pleasant surprise,
Marlon McCree, signed with
San Diego as a free agent.
Salley spent two years in
the same Ohio State defen
sive backfield as Panthers
starting comerback Chris
Gamble. Fox said he hked
Salley’s experience in a hi^-
level program and the fact
that he functioned as “quar
terback” of the Buckeye sec
ondary
“I never thou^t the
Panthers would be the ones
to pick me,” Salley said by
telephone from Fort
Lauderdale, Fla., on Simday
“It’s a blessing right now.”
Most of his ejqierience at
Ohio State was at free safety,
Salley said, playing to his
strengths of physicality and
range. He said he hopes to
become a more sure tackier
in tile NFL.
In the fifth round, with the
155th selection, the Panthers
took Virginia Tbch’s Jeff
King, a 6-foot-5, 256-pound
tight end who will be
groomed as a potential sue*
cessor to longtime starter
Kris Mangum. Though tight
end is not a high-profile posi
tion in the Panthers’ offense,
Mangum is entering his
ninth year and backups Mike
Seidman and Michael
Gaines have failed to assert
themselves as potential sue-
“Obviously Carolina's going
to run the football and I’m
going to pride myself on
blocking and hopefully catch
some balls as well when
called upon,” King said by
telephone. “No question, my
blocking is going to have to
be really good and I’m going
to work on that and improve
on it if there’s some weak
nesses there.”
Fox said he sees King as
capable of playing both full
back and tight end.
In the seventh roimd, the
Panthers added a third
\Trginia Tfech player, draft-*
ing center WU Montgomery
as a potential backup to fi:ee
agent pickup Justin
Hartwig. It’s the first time
the Panthers have drafted
three players fium the same
school in the same NFL
draft.
Carolina wrapped up the
draft Sunday by selecting
defensive ■ end Stanley
McClover from Auburn three
picks later, the 237th overall
selection.
Meanwhile, three of the
Panthers’ Day One selections
- firstiroimd running back
DeAngelo Wiliams and
third-round picks Rashad
Butler, an ofiensive lineman,
and James And^on, a line
backer - toured Bank of
America Stadium with
Panthers owner Jerry
Richardson and showed off
their new jerseys for
reporters Sunday
The 5-9 Williams, the
nation’s leading rusher as a
senior at Memphis, was
given No. 34, the same num
ber he wore in high school in
Arkansas when he idolized
Thxas running back Ricky
Wiliams
DeAngelo Wiliams wiH be
in the mix with two other
backs - second-year player
Eric Shelton and veteran
backup'Nick Goings - for the
carries not given to lead back
DeShaun Foster. Foster has
not been particularly durable
during his first four seasons
in the NFL, which could
mean an early opportunity
for Williams to make an
impact.
Butler, from Miami, and-
Anderson, from Virginia
Tbch, played opposite one
another in college, first as
Big East rivals, then over the
last two 5^ars in the expand
ed ACC.
The Panthers’ second-
roimd pick, Richard
Marshall, a comeback from
Fresno State, was the only
early draftee not able to
make the trip; he and the
other draftees - plus free
agent newcomers hlie wide-
out Keyshawn Johnson _ are
due in Charlotte for a mini
camp that begins Friday
Anderson spoke for all the
players - especially the
madly grinning Wiliams
when he said, “Right now it
feels like I’m dreaming ...
Just sitting here wearing a
Carolina Panthers hat, I just
put down a jersey that had
my name on it. I’m like a fit-
tie kid in a candy store, walk
ing around.”
Williams couldn’t stop
smiling about his selection
“I’m still jacked up,” he
said. ‘When I found out I was
getting (No.) 34,1 was excit
ed about that. Everything is
exciting....
“Carolina, it’s still in the
South. I don’t have to worry
about mixing sugar in my
sweet tea.”
Diesel Benz isn’t blowing
smoke with performance
Winfred
B. Cross
Test
Drive
While some carmakers kick
aroimd the merits and draw
backs of hybrids, Mercedes
and a handful of oth^s keep
plugging away with the
diesel.
Yes, the diesel. You know,
those cars that blow out the
smeUy black smoke and
clanky valves.
Nope, those were your
father’s diesels. Most are as
quiet as any other car and
spew nary a cloud of ebony
fumes.
The biggest advantage of
diesels is the great gas
mileage without a pricey
penalty Mercedes offers a
diesel E Class that’s not
much more than a regular
sedan but gets nearly 40 mpg
in highway driving - with a
six cylinder. The E320’s 3.2-
fiter 24-valve, turbocharged
engine makes 201 horsepow
er, which is just OK. But the
torque produced is an amaz
ing 369 pounds-feet, which
laimches the car with
authority The car clicks
through its five-speed gear
box to 60 mph nearly as fast
as its gaseJine counterpart.
You don’t notice much lag.
Press the accelerator and
you’re off There is a bit of
noise under hard accelera
tion but if s nearly complete
ly muted if the windows are
up and the exceptional
Harmon Kardon stereo is
playing.
Driving this diesel is no dif
ferent from any other
Mercedes. It’s rock solid on
the open highway giving you
the feeling you are protected
by a tank.
It certainly doesn’t feel as if
you are driving a tank. The
stewing could use a little
more feel, but communicates
the road to the driver won
derfully weU. The ride is
favorite-armchair-comfort-
able, but has enough sport to
lead you toward a few
twisties.
At $51,050, the E320 GDI
is nicely equipped, but a few
things I think should be
standard at that price are
optional. Another $2,950 gets
you a six-disc changer
(replaces a sin^e unit), ^ass
sunroof, power rear window
shade, heated front seats,
upgraded surround stereo
system and DVD-based nav
igation system. That takes
the as-tested price to $55,465
once you throw in the $690
for paint and $770 for desti
nation.
That’s more than I can pay
for a car, but the 27 city/37
hi^way figures makes this
luxury car seem more sensi
ble and attractive. It’s avail
able in all but five states due
to emissions regulations. Ifs
those states’ loss. This diesel
is a sweet ride that sips gas
(ejqject a 700 mile cruising
range per fillup) and looks
good. Is there more to ask of
a car?
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