Mandel: Panther D is "Super Bowl quality"

[gettlemanjack]

Ross Mandel, editor in chief of nfldraftbible.com:

"Carolina's defense is awesome. Even though the league may eventually get around to suspending Greg Hardy for half a dozen games, the Panthers front will be fine. With Charles Johnson outside, Colin Cole and Star Lotulelei in the middle, and depth that includes guys like Kawann Short , Dwan Edwards , and promising rookie Kony Ealy , this team is set where it matters most. At linebacker, the very solid Luke Kuechly will be flanked by Thomas Davis (his resurrection is one of the most underreported stories in recent NFL history) and run specialist Chase Blackburn , though second-year man A.J. Klein should push Blackburn for time. This is truly an outstanding front 7... the (Carolina) defense is Super Bowl quality."

another writer who maintains an NFL blog covering all 32 teams:

"With the changes made on the offensive side of the ball, especially with the wide receivers, the Panthers will be under the microscope early on in the new season, but with a quarterback like Cam Newton, who can hurt opposing defenses with both his arm and his legs, the Panthers should be fine.

...

The defense is outstanding and rivals that of Seattle and San Francisco in the NFC, which gives the Panthers a chance every week they suit up. The front seven are outstanding and led by Luke Kuechly, the linebacking is among the best in the game...the front four of this ferocious defense terrorized opposing quarterbacks last season.

...

As long as Newton remains healthy and the running game keeps things moving along, the offense should provide enough to not put any unnecessary pressure on the defense. This team could very well win the NFC South again this season."

[AceBoogie]

I'll have to see our defense live up to the expectations of being great. Hopefully they can deliver.

[Herbert The Love Bug]

But we don't gace Lavonte David tampa #1

[davos]

I bet if you tallied the players for the defenses they least like facing, we'd be in the same breathe as Seattle.  It's scary good what Rivera has built.   

 

[TheRumGone]

I'll have to see our defense live up to the expectations of being great. Hopefully they can deliver.

This is true.

Can we do it back to back. No reason we shouldn't be able to

[davos]

This is true.

Can we do it back to back. No reason we shouldn't be able to

 

With the talent on this team (even though we don't have the ideal guy there at LT or SS) there really isn't a reason why we can't do it again and make it to the playoffs.  

[CRA]

I'll have to see our defense live up to the expectations of being great. Hopefully they can deliver.

Defense needs Cam saving the O to be elite again....IMO. Cam made the O work....and the O and ST gave our D the opportunity to be elite.

[SOJA]

but but bill barnwell said we are bottom dwellers of the NFL

[Ruff]

Losing Mitchell is going to sting some, because he was such an attitude guy. Hopefully, someone in the secondary can step up and be that guy.

[CRA]

With the talent on this team (even though we don't have the ideal guy there at LT or SS) there really isn't a reason why we can't do it again and make it to the playoffs.

Need a reasonably healthy and functional Cam to make it.....Derek Anderson can't bail out our O and make up for the deficiencies the way Cam did last year

[davos]

Need a reasonably healthy and functional Cam to make it.....Derek Anderson can't bail out our O and make up for the deficiencies the way Cam did last year

 

I don't wanna think about that haha 

 

I keep looking past the fact Cam may not be 100%. erhhhhehh

[davos]

Back to the D..our D-line is so incredibly lethal:

 

Hardy-Star-Cole-Johnson & rotation is dirty--Ealy, Addison, Horton, Frank at DE and Short (who's basically a starter), Edwards, Hardy inside.  

 

Going up against Tampon Bay should be an onslaught.  My expectations are high against a shakier OL than ours.   

 

[JJman]

We have two top tier defensive ends and arguably a top five DT. Not to mention the best LB in the NFL and another top 15 one. Our front 7 is the best in the NFL with San Francisco being the only team close to having one as good as ours. As long as our secondary is respectable we will have another top 3 defense.

[TheRumGone]

Defense needs Cam saving the O to be elite again....IMO. Cam made the O work....and the O and ST gave our D the opportunity to be elite.

We can still be top 5 so long as it's not a complete disaster on offense. That's still elite to me. We got a heavy rotation on the line.

To go top 2 again we'd need cam to be Shula cam