CHARLOTTE -- The best thing that could have happened for Sherrod Martin, pro safety, is that he got a long look and some practical experience as a pro cornerback first.
Most of his spring and summer was spent there before the Panthers started working him at safety in the final two weeks of the preseason. That put him back in a slot he knew well; it was where he flourished during his college days at Troy University, displaying enough instincts, speed and tenacity to work his way into the draft's second round this year.
But during his months at cornerback, he learned how to tighten his focus, cover more ground and move step for step with opposing receivers.
"Man-to-man capabilities. Being able to run with receivers and corners also helps your range of motion at safety as far as covering distance from sideline to sideline," Martin said. "Overall, it just helps. At corner, you focus on the little things a lot more, whereas at safety, you focus on the big picture on the field, and you've got to have more vision.
"Overall, I just feel more familiar with the defense, knowing what's going on at each position. It just helped me overall in knowing what's going on all the field."
This could be the week Martin gets to put his lessons into significant practice. First-team safety
"I'm just making sure I'm well-prepared," Martin said. "Depending on how things go, I'll step in and be accountable."
For a potential first pro start for a defensive back, there are few challenges more daunting than the one posed by an Arizona receiving corps that goes three-deep with 1,000-yarders: Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston. It is a task that Martin would accept if needed, but doesn't fear.
"They've got great guys," Martin said. 'It's just one of those things where you've just got to step up."
MOORE MOVES ON: As the first Mecklenburg County product to don a Panthers uniform in the regular season, wide receiver Kenneth Moore knew that he carried a burden unique among Carolina players. He carried not only his own hopes and dreams, but those of friends, family, acquaintances and well-wishers culled during a path that wound through Butler High School and four years at Wake Forest.
There were plenty of hands to shake after his moments of glory, such as the 55-yard kickoff return against Washington. But when things go wrong, the glad-handing can be replaced by questions, which Moore thought he'd face in droves after his muffed punt last Sunday cost the Panthers a chance to mount a game-tying drive.
"I've just got to take it in and listen to what everybody has to say," Moore said Sunday evening. "I want to listen to everybody when I'm doing well; when I'm doing bad, I've got to take my poison."
Yet in the hours and days that followed the fateful attempt at fielding the punt, Moore found far more who wanted to be there for him than vent at him.
"Everybody that knows me has been of great support to me, especially my teammates and my family. They just tell me to keep my head up," Moore said. "Great players make mistakes. You really build your character by seeing how you battle back from it."
The return to practice couldn't have come soon enough for Moore, for whom the first two days of this week seemed like a month.
"Usually (the week) is kind of fast. It's like Wednesday took a long time to get here, to actually play football and forget about the play," he said. "But it's cool. It's part of my career. I've got to learn from it and just get better.
"I can't sit back and dwell on it; I'll be back in that hole. So I've just got to push forward, learn from it. It's a low part of my career, a low part of the game, but there's other games."
Starting Sunday, which could see him in a more prominent offensive role with
ALSO SITTING OUT SUNDAY will be tight end
Listed as questionable are linebackers
