Jerricho Cotchery does not mind being “the old guy” on the Carolina Panthers wide receiver corps – just as long as he is the productive old guy.
Cotchery, 32, realises the team's younger wide receivers are looking to him for experience and occasional words of wisdom, given his 10 seasons in the NFL.
He is good with all of that, but said his primary concern is proving to his new team that he can play at an elite level.
“I want to be known as a guy who can help individuals – not just on the field, but off the field as well,” Cotchery said. “That’s fine with me. But that doesn’t get you anywhere in the NFL. Teams don’t bring you in to be a counsellor or anything of that nature.
“They want you to come in and contribute and make plays and help the team win.”
Cotchery was brought in as an unrestricted free agent to replace Steve Smith, Carolina’s all-time leading receiver and a fan favourite.
Smith caught 836 passes for 12,197 yards and 67 touchdowns during his 13 seasons with the Panthers.
But the fiery Smith wore out his welcome. The Panthers released him over the off-season in a move that was a surprise, considering he was still a productive receiver, even at 35.
“We needed to [sign Cotchery] because we lost Steve,” coach Ron Rivera said. “You lose a veteran player and you have to replace with a veteran player.
“It’s going to be hard to replace [Smith], but I think we can do it with some of the guys we brought in.”
Cotchery has never been a dominant No 1 receiver in the league during his time with the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers, but the Panthers are not necessarily looking for that type of player.
Cotchery proved last season he can still be productive, catching a career-high 10 touchdown passes working with Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, while seeing plenty of action in three-receiver sets.
He has been running with the first team in Carolina alongside first-round draft pick Kelvin Benjamin at training camp at Spartanburg’s Wofford College.
“He’s not as dynamically vertical as Steve was, but again, he’s still a good route runner and a good pass catcher,” Rivera said of Cotchery.
When Cotchery is not trying to impress coaches with his route running, he is normally on the sideline talking with the team’s young receivers, describing how to run a certain route or where to be on a given play.
“Young guys do seem to latch on to him,” Rivera said.
When asked about his experience, Cotchery laughed and said: “I feel comfortable being the old guy. It’s crazy how it’s worked out for me. Even in my third year, I was considered the old guy. So I feel comfortable with it and helping the guys in any way I can to get better.”
Carolina’s wide receivers have taken widespread criticism this offseason after general manager Dave Gettleman cut Smith and allowed Brandon LaFell, Ted Ginn Jr and Domenik Hixon to leave via free agency.
Along with Cotchery, the Panthers brought in Jason Avant and Tiquan Underwood and drafted Benjamin, who helped Florida State University to the college football national championship.
Cotchery said he understands why Carolina’s receivers are not getting much respect, but does not seem overly concerned.
“I like this group,” he said.
Cotchery’s primary goal at training camp is getting on the same page with quarterback Cam Newton.
He said Newton was one of the reasons he signed with the Panthers on a five-year, US$8 million (Dh29.3m) contract that included a $2.25m signing bonus.
He likened him to Roethlisberger at the time, saying Newton has the potential to be a great NFL quarterback that people will remember for a long time.
“There’s a confidence he brings to the huddle, that he brings to the team, that you know you’re going to be OK,” Cotchery said. “That’s what I’ve seen in the great ones.”
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Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
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Torque: 623Nm
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Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Match info
Deccan Gladiators 87-8
Asif Khan 25, Dwayne Bravo 2-16
Maratha Arabians 89-2
Chadwick Walton 51 not out
Arabians won the final by eight wickets
