Where we're at, What we need (defense)

[Woodie]

Defense

Defensive Line

Projected Starters

DE – Julius Peppers (as of now) – He is a very good DE that teams must always account for. However, he can also be frustrating to fans because many feel that with his combination of speed, power, and athleticism he should dominate more consistently. Yet, he does not, so many consider him a bit of an underachiever. Although the truth is that while he is very good at everything, he may not be the best DE at any one aspect. So, I do not buy into the whole “he takes plays off” argument. I just don’t think he is as dominant at any one phase as some think he is/should be. His real value is that he is the most complete DE in the league.

DE - Tyler Brayton – Proved to be a very good addition to the DL. He is able to get some pass rush while being a good run defender. So while he is solid at most aspects of DE, he does not dominate at any. Therefore, he is probably best suited to come off the bench in a rotation. He also gives the added bonus of being able to move inside on passing downs.

DT – Maake Kemoeatu – A very good run defender who is the anchor in run defense. He is vastly underrated by some fans that seem to equate sack numbers and QB pressure with quality, even though getting sacks is not his role on this team. As such, he needs a solid penetrating DT behind him to rotate in on passing downs. Lewis was ideal for that role in previous seasons (and hopefully will be again this year).

DT – Damione Lewis – A good pass rushing DT who struggles at times against the run. His play also tailed off last year as he seemed to wear down with the added time as a starter. Probably best suited as a backup that comes in on passing downs. Was, and would be, ideal playing in a rotation with Kemo.

Key Backups

DE - Charles Johnson – Had a reputation as a solid run defender coming out of college, and is better here than many give him credit for. He has also shown an explosiveness and ability to get to the QB in pass rush. However, he did miss a handful of sacks by not finishing well. Overall, he just needs to continue the kind of improvement we saw last year and he will probably supplant Brayton as the starter at DE. In fact, he and Brayton make an excellent rotation at DE. Also, like Brayton, he can move inside on passing downs.

DE - Hilee Taylor – In bursts, he shows the skill set to be very good in a Meeks defense. However, he was light coming in from college, so one question is how well will he be able to maintain his speed and quickness once he gets to his final playing weight? And while he did fairly well against the run, can he consistently be solid if given more time? Most likely a backup and 3rd down specialist.

DT – Nick Hayden – A lunch pail kind of guy that should be able to fill the Jordan Carstens type of role once he gains some experience. His first game last year was a disaster, but he played much better after that outing. So while he has the makings of a fine rotation guy, he needs to show some overall improvement if he wants to earn a spot in our game day rotation.

Overall, as it stands now, this unit is solid at both starting DE positions, but it needs Taylor to give more rush and/or bring in another pass rush specialist (obviously, if Peppers is traded, we will also have a need for a starting level DE). And while the starting DT’s are returning, we need to bring in someone who can penetrate and collapse the pocket to start along side of Kemo, as well as push Lewis to the situational role he is best suited for. It would also probably be smart to bring in another DT to compete with Hayden for the fourth DT, but whoever this would be, he must be able to play the run effectively.

Needs: starting level DT, backup DT, pass rush DE, and possibly starting level DE.

Linebackers

Projected Starters

OLB – Thomas Davis – He came into his own last year and should be a cornerstone for years to come. Has really improved his pass defense and is very good against the run.

OLB – Na’il Diggs – Is underrated by some fans. He is very good against the run, is rarely out of position, and while he doesn’t excel in coverage, he is not a disaster either. Basically a steady LB who does not make a ton of big plays, but he’s also rarely a liability. Could be replaced by a younger guy, but it will have to be earned.

ILB – Jon Beason – The heart and soul of our defense and a legitimate pro-bowl player. He can sometimes get out of position in coverage, but generally is an excellent player at all phases.

Key Backups

OLB - Landon Johnson – Is probably better than he showed last year. A year in the system should really help him on defense. He is also a very good ST player.

OLB James Anderson – Is restricted, but should eventually sign his tender. Has not developed as much as I expected/hoped when he was drafted. He doesn’t seem to have great instincts at LB, so often gets out of position. Good ST guy, but probably not someone you want on the field in base defense very often.

ILB – Dan Connor – Is still a bit of an unknown at the NFL level due to his injury. While there are questions about him physically (what he can and can’t do), he is a very talented guy that is simply a football player. The team will find some way to get him on the field this year. If he shows enough, it’s not inconceivable that he will be the one to supplant Diggs, either this year, or next.

Overall, this is one of our deepest and most reliable positions.

Needs: none pressing. The only need we may possibly have is if we want to replace Anderson with someone that can give us the ST play, but be better on defense.

Defensive Backs

Projected Starters

CB – Chris Gamble – He is one of the best CB’s in the league. Has shown great improvement the last couple of years, and is a cornerstone of our defense. Although he does occasionally bite on play action and occasionally will give up a play, he usually locks down the receiver, forcing the play to the other side of the field.

CB – Richard Marshall – Does he deserve to be handed the starting spot now that Lucas is gone? I tend to think he had almost as many problems last year as Lucas, so bringing in someone to compete with him as starter would be reasonable. While he shows a lot of skill, he still bites on play action and double moves. He also plays a somewhat gambling style of CB, so while he may get some interceptions, he also gives up the occasional big play. Right now he is too inconsistent for me to feel comfortable with him, although he has shown the skills to suggest he can be a good CB.

FS – Charles Godfrey – Many people mistakenly blame Godfrey for a lot of the pass defenses struggles last year. Particularly, they use him as a way to explain why Lucas and Marshall played so poorly and gave up so many big plays. After all, in many people’s mind, both were good players prior to last year (although Marshall has always been inconsistent in coverage), so what changed to make them fall apart? After a couple of magnified blown coverages, Godfrey became the convenient scapegoat. And as things usually go on internet message boards, the more and louder some people talked, the more others began to buy into it…particularly those that were looking for a reason.

Sure Godfrey had his share of rookie mistakes, but last year he actually did very well considering he was a rookie that was learning a new position. So every mistake was in the glare of the cameras, and he became an easy target for our pass defense woes. Overall, he has excellent coverage skills at Safety, and should be much better with a year under his belt. His biggest problem, IMO, was not mistakes, but a lack of big plays. He has all the skills to be a playmaker at Safety, so needs to be more disruptive and get more interceptions.

SS – Chris Harris – Not great in pass defense, but a very good run defender. He is also a good leader, and a driving force for the defense. Once Godfrey gets adjusted, they should pair well together as Godfrey is very good in coverage, which would allow Harris more freedom to play closer to the line.

Key Backups

CB – C.J. Wilson – The coaching staff is said to really like him, but what hasn’t been said is for what. We don’t know if they see him as a nickel back at best, or a possible starter. Right now he is being penciled in as the nickel, but if we do bring in competition for Marshall, the loser of that battle will probably fill that role. So what is Wilson’s future here, it’s still too early to know. He’s got some good skills, but is not particularly fast and is still learning. What the team does in the draft should be very telling about how they view him.

CB – Dante Wesley – Pretty much only a ST guy. He can be used in a pinch at CB, but it’s not something you really want if you can help it. At worst, the team will likely try to upgrade this position, whether by bringing in someone as a 4th CB or to compete with Marshall, causing Wilson to slide down to this spot.

S – Nate Salley – A solid Safety that provides good depth. He probably isn’t starter material, but is fine coming off the bench and on ST.

S – Quentin Teal – Falls into the Wilson category of the staff liking him, but how much is unknown. He’s a decent FS off the bench, but the fact they brought in Godfrey last year means they probably don’t see him as anything but depth.

Overall, this unit is pretty good, but probably is a player or two away from being elite. Gamble, Godfrey, and Harris are set, but the CB spot opposite Gamble is still a bit of a question. Better depth could also be used.

Needs: CB (to compete as starter/nickel), better depth at both spots.

[scpanther22]

hopefully dan connor will be a OLB

[Lilsmitty09]

we need to keep peppers. idk why he wants to leave for a 3-4 defense. he will ruin his legacy here at Carolina. man pep cmon man. i still think we need another DT too

[Fireball77]

Agree 100% re: Diggs and Davis.

I would love it if Hayden could be a Carstens type.

[carpanfan96]

Nice Job on all the breakdowns you did on the team and needs.

[Cardiac Cats86]

i have high hopes for Conner, I think he'll come into his own this or next season.

[BlueHose]

Good analysis. Although concerning Peppers...its not that I expect him to dominate more, I would just like to see a more relentless pursuit of the QB. I don't think he takes he takes plays off in the sense that before the snap he says "I'm going to rest this play." Its seems more that when he feels he's not going to get to the QB, he just quits rushing in and steps back to see if the play is coming his way. While this may occasionally result in him making a play in the flat, in would be much better for him to continue his rush to give the QB more of a sense of urgency and because you never know how long the QB is going to hold the ball.

[SCpanther]

Nice job. I agree with most of what you said.

I've been a Kemo critic in the past but it's not because of the lack of sacks or QB pressures that you mentioned. I feel that he sometimes doesn't play up to his size, especially in short yardage and goal line running situations. However, I have backed off a bit now that I've seen the drop off on our run defense when he's out.

[mountainpantherfan]

Great job Woodie! Here are some extra comments on my part.

D-line - I think that if Peppers stays we may see the type of DE sack master a lot of fans have been wanting with the way Meeks runs a defense compared to Trgo. I think Brayton will problably keep his starting position but I think we may see a lot of Peppers, Johnson and Brayton on the field at the same time with Brayton (or Johnson) moving inside.

LB - Like others have said, I'm hoping that Conner can take over at SLB for Diggs. I really like Diggs and like you said he is not a big time playmaker but is very solid. But when I hear about Meeks wanting to have a defense that "swarms" to the ball, Conner is exactly the type of LB I think of. I also wonder if the team looks for a replacement for Anderson.

CB/S - I could not agree more with the Godfrey comments. I pointed out in another thread a while back that Godfrey was the only rookie to start all 17 games this season. One, thats impressive and two, as a rookie his body wasn't used to playing that many games and it did show towards the end of the season. Next year I think this kid may show that he is speical as he continues to translate his talents and body to the NFL.

As for Marshall, I question him as the starter as well but for me his weaknesses are no different that Lucas'. So even though he might not be the ideal replacement I don't think we will see a drop off at the starting positions. For me, I'm more worried with the nickle position as I don't trust Wilson at all. I'm glad the coaching staff seem to be high on the kid but until he shows it on gameday I will have a big question on that position.

[Brandon]

You're forgetting about Gary Gibson, who was a bit of a pleasant surprise coming in to relieve Lewis/Kemo last year. Very average but considering he is still very young, and it takes a few years to develop at DT, I think he's something to look forward to in the future. He won't be a star but then again he will be a very hard working part of this defense.

[scpanther22]

You're forgetting about Gary Gibson, who was a bit of a pleasant surprise coming in to relieve Lewis/Kemo last year. Very average but considering he is still very young, and it takes a few years to develop at DT, I think he's something to look forward to in the future. He won't be a star but then again he will be a very hard working part of this defense.

what did gibson..do when he was in he did not look that good..to me.how old is gibson anyway

[DOUBLETROUBLE28]

i think godfrey is going to grow in his position and have a great year