CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Carolina Panthers signed free agent wide receiver Jason Avant to a one-year contract on Monday. The Panthers did not release financial terms. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Avant spent his first eight seasons in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles. Last season he started a career-high 13 games and had 38 receptions for 447 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers were down from his previous three seasons in which Avant averaged 52 receptions and 633 yards receiving per year. "We are happy to have Jason with the Panthers," Carolina coach Ron Rivera said in a press release. "He provides a versatile player at receiver and brings good size as well as experience to the position." Avant becomes the third free agent wide receiver to sign with the Panthers this off-season. Carolina previously signed Jerricho Cotchery from the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tiquan Underwood from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to help fill major voids at the position. After a 12-4 season in which they won the NFC South championship, the Panthers released their all-time leading receiver Steve Smith and lost Brandon LaFell, Ted Ginn Jr. and Domenik Hixon to other teams via free agency. That left Panthers quarters Cam Newton without any wide receivers on the roster that he completed passed to last season. A fourth-round pick in 2006, Avant has played in 116 during his career with 297 catches for 3,646 yards and 12 TDs. .C. -- Steve Spurrier was much happier about South Carolinas improved performance than about his lastest career milestone. . He liked what he saw on Tuesday night. Not only did his team post a comeback 3-2 victory in a shootout over the Montreal Canadiens, but the rival Washington Capitals were beaten 5-1 in Buffalo.
http://www.cheapmapleleafsjerseysauthen ... sey-jersey. Its not intended to be some magical formula and doesnt apply any context, like, for example, taking injuries into account. This remedial statistical method has gone 9-5 in picks through the first three rounds. . -- Kevin Harvick pulled away on a restart with 47 laps to go and ended Chase Elliotts two-race winning streak in NASCARs Nationwide Series with a dominating victory early Saturday at Richmond International Raceway. . -- Two nights after losing to the Eastern Conferences worst team, the Phoenix Coyotes handled the best.CHICAGO -- Ian Kennedy has had enough problems getting run support from his offence. This time, he had to deal with a mental lapse by his defence. Kennedy struck out nine in six strong innings and Yonder Alonso hit a two-run homer to lead the San Diego Padres past the Chicago White Sox 4-1 on Friday night. Cameron Maybin hit his first home run of the season in the third inning, but also had a mental lapse in the fourth. With one out and Conor Gillaspie on second, Alexei Ramirez hit a routine fly to Maybin in centre field. Maybin thought it was the third out of the inning. He put his head down and started jogging in. Gillaspie noticed that Maybin was unaware of how many outs there were and tagged up to third without a throw. One pitch later, Gillaspie scored on Kennedys wild pitch to tie it at 1. "You hate to see that," Padres manager Bud Black said. "Cam, when he came in, the first guy that he went to was to Ian and apologized. Cam doesnt make those mistakes." It wasnt the first time Kennedy had to overcome a position player forgetting how many outs there were. "Ive done it before on the mound so at that point, for me, Ive just got to get over it. My job was to keep that runner there. Yeah, but he came up to me and apologized to me," Kennedy said. "It was after he hit the home run and I said, Make it up to me, hit another home run, I will forget about it." Kennedy (4-6) allowed one run and four hits with three walks. The right-hander has struggled to get help from San Diegos offence. Before the game, he ranked 98th out of 101 qualified pitchers with 2.79 runs of support per nine innings. He struck out the side in the fifth and Gillaspie leading off the sixth. Alonso finished with three hits as the Padres ended Chicagos three-game winning streak. Padres closer Huston Street pitched a perfect ninth for his 16th save in 16 opportunities. Nick Vincent and Joaquin Benoit backed up Kennedy with a scoreless inning apiece. "In this day and age the bullpen is so important," Black said. "Our guys have been pretty solid all year, pretty consistent. We saw that again tonight. We feel good about our pen. Its a big part of our early-season victories." White Sox starter John Danks (3-5) followed an impressive outing against the Yankees with seven effective innings against the Padres. Danks allowed two runs and scattered eight hits. He struck out four and walked one.dddddddddddd "I for the most part was able to get the kind of contact I wanted," Danks said. "Obviously, made some mistakes and got burned for them, but all in all it was a good day." Danks pitched eight shutout innings last Saturday but ended up with a no-decision in Chicagos loss to New York. White Sox starters have 2.21 ERA in their last 10 games. "Theyve come along," manager Robin Ventura said. "I think theyre getting stronger as we go along. Where were at right now, you stay with them and we have confidence when they go out there." Maybin led off the third with a home run on a 2-0 pitch from Danks. It was his first home run since June 9, 2013, at Colorado. Danks got help from second baseman Gordon Beckham. Everth Cabrera put down what appeared to be a perfectly placed bunt, but Beckham dove at the ball in the infield grass and swiped the ball with his glove to Adam Dunn at first for the out. Rene Rivera led off the fifth with a double to the warning track in centre and later scored on Danks wild pitch to give the Padres a 2-1 lead. "Its kind of odd that they score a run on a wild pitch and we score a run on a wild pitch," Kennedy said. "Its crazy how the game works like that. For the most part, its nice to get that in the next inning right away." Alonso added insurance runs in the eighth with a two-run drive off reliever Javy Guerra, his fourth homer of the season. NOTES: Kennedy struck out 12 against Miami on May 8. ... White Sox LHP Chris Sale (4-0, 1.73 ERA) will start Sunday instead of Monday, scuttling a potential marquee matchup against Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw (3-2, 3.57). ... Chicago DH-1B Paul Konerko, bothered by a stiff back since Tuesday, said he was available to pinch-hit. ... Ventura reiterated his support for RHP Ronald Belisario (3-0, 5.10) as the teams closer, saying there was no need to break in somebody else. Belisario has three saves in six chances. ... San Diego RHP Andrew Cashner (2-5, 2.35) threw all his pitches during a bullpen session and is expected to throw a simulated game Monday. Cashner has been on the disabled list, retroactive to May 15, with soreness in his right elbow. ... Black said LHP Robbie Erlin (3-4, 4.53) continues to rehab his sore left elbow in San Diego and there is no timetable for his return. Erlin is on the 15-day DL retroactive to May 18. ' ' '
