Greg Auman
NFC South Reporter
Carolina had the worst record in the NFL last season, so no amount of offseason changes should be surprising. But the first week of free agency brought a major overhaul to the Panthers’ defense, swapping out at least six starters and some of its biggest names.
Four of Carolina’s top six players in defensive snaps last season are gone: Pro Bowl pass-rusher Brian Burns traded to the Giants, cornerback Donte Jackson traded to the Steelers, linebacker Frankie Luvu signing with the Commanders and safety Vonn Bell cut, later signing back with the Bengals. Yetur Gross-Matos, a second-round pick in 2020, also left, signing with the 49ers.
It’s hard to make a case that more than one of the replacements is an upgrade, and Carolina’s new leadership hadn’t signaled such a dramatic change for what was seen as the Panthers’ stronger side of the ball in 2023.
“Of course you want to keep your defense together, not only the coaching staff but the players,” new general manager Dan Morgan said at the combine in Indianapolis. “We’d love to keep everybody together, but with the salary cap it’s not always possible.”
Carolina had three players finish with more than two sacks last season, and all three were gone in the first day of free agency. And while new head coach Dave Canales made it a priority to keep defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, the Panthers have also made it clear that their path to recovery and success includes significant personnel changes on the defensive side of the ball.
And, looking back, perhaps it should. Carolina finished fourth in total defense — yards allowed — but struggled in many other areas. The Panthers ranked 31st in sack percentage, 31st in goal-to-go situations, 27th in the red zone and 29th in points allowed. They ended the season with an NFL-low 11 takeaways — three fewer than any other team — for their third straight season with fewer than 20, a feat matched only…
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Publish date : 2024-03-18 14:06:56
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