Football Outsiders: Carolina Panthers top offseason needs

[CatMan72]

Here's something I found on ESPN by the Football Outsiders about the Carolina Panthers top offseason needs as they see it:

The Panthers are likely to pull a page out of the Giants' personnel playbook this offseason: They will try to get better by standing still.

The team that finished dead last in the NFL in our defensive DVOA ratings and allowed 46 offensive touchdowns expects to get an immediate boost when Pro Bowl linebacker Jon Beason returns from an Achilles injury. Most of the team's core defensive players are under contract, and the team is expected to release injured linebacker Thomas Davis, clearing the necessary cap room to sign linebackers Dan Connor and Jordan Senn, who grew into their roles when Beason and Davis were hurt.

Even if they stick with the slow-and-steady approach, the Panthers need more bodies in their nickel package: a cornerback, a coverage linebacker, a nickel safety, or all three. The Panthers finished last in the league at covering tight ends, with Senn or fellow linebacker James Anderson often drawing the short straw and chasing Jimmy Graham or Tony Gonzalez up the seam. Connor almost always leaves the field on passing downs, and if they lose Davis the Panthers still need a Davis type to platoon with Connor, whether it's a linebacker who covers like a safety or a safety who tackles like a linebacker.

If the Panthers upgrade the cornerback position, safeties Charles Godfrey and Sherrod Martin can do more than play deep and clean up after their teammates -- they can draw more assignments against Graham types. Chris Gamble is an adequate starter on one side, but Captain Munnerlyn fits best as a scrappy slot corner, not a starter.

The Panthers' defense allowed opponents to convert 42.8 percent of third downs. The sooner they add a cornerback and an over-the-middle nickel defender, the sooner they can get off the field and let Cam Newton go to work.

Read more: http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7581256/biggest-offseason-needs-every-nfc-south-team

[nctarheel0619]

Realest and best article I've read on the Panthers this whole short offseason.

[Stumpy]

Overall it was a good article.

Whoever wrote it seems much more informed about our current needs than most ESPN writers. Hell, sounded better than most of our beat writers...

But I LOLed at this...

Chris Gamble is an adequate starter on one side

He had the second lowest passer rating against of any corner in the league.

While some stats for corners can be skewed by who they play next to, this is simply QB vs CB and Gamble was the second best in the league.

Far better than adequate.

[Real Emotional Trash]

Inaccurate about keeping Connor in my opinion, but a good read.

[KillerKat]

Its flipped. The Panthers are expected to let Connor leave right now, not Davis. Martin will not be starting either.

[Ivan The Awesome]

We need a linebacker, bad. Funny how all the needs are defensive.

[CarolinaAllDay]

Overall it was a good article.

Whoever wrote it seems much more informed about our current needs than most ESPN writers. Hell, sounded better than most of our beat writers...

But I LOLed at this...

He had the second lowest passer rating against of any corner in the league.

While some stats for corners can be skewed by who they play next to, this is simply QB vs CB and Gamble was the second best in the league.

Far better than adequate.

sounds like we need laron landry and a good cb in the draft and our defense will be stacked.

[pstall]

Since te's are all the rage and the panthers play 2 good ones 4 times a year i wonder if a new scheme as well as talent is needed? Or if the article suggests being like the Giants then i would say some intense pass rushers. No time for a qb makes it kinda hard to hit your rec'vers.

[stirs]

Overall it was a good article.

Whoever wrote it seems much more informed about our current needs than most ESPN writers. Hell, sounded better than most of our beat writers...

But I LOLed at this...

He had the second lowest passer rating against of any corner in the league.

While some stats for corners can be skewed by who they play next to, this is simply QB vs CB and Gamble was the second best in the league.

Far better than adequate.[/quote

If on a scale of 1-10, Gamble is but a 6, why go at him when on the other side is a 3 and even easier to pick on?

[CatMan72]

I agree that Gamble is more then adequate and we'll be bringing Davis back as long as he's willing to renegotiate his contract.

[Jackofalltrades]

Nothing about DT?

OMGZ!!!

[panther4life]

If on a scale of 1-10, Gamble is but a 6, why go at him when on the other side is a 3 and even easier to pick on?

According to the site mentioned Munnerlyn was thrown at 61 times and allowed 45 completions. That means the completion percentage against him was 73.8%(worst in the nfl)and thats mainly going against # 2 receivers.

Gamble was thrown at 60 times and allowed 27 receptions. Translating into a 45%(4th best in NFL)completion percentage and he was mainly matched up against # 1 receivers.

(4th best in the nfl)

QB ratings against corners also has nothing to with how often your targeted. Anyway according to pff qb's rating against Gamble was 53.3(3rd best in NFL) and against Munnerlyn 126.9(2nd worst in NFL).

Heres the link for pff https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2012/01/12/cornerbacks-a-glance-at-the-2011-numbers/

Aaron Rodgers who had the highest qb rating over the course of the season finished with a rating of 122.5(4.4 lower than the sum of what every qb we faced this year did to Munnerlyn)

Drew Brees finished the season with the highest completion perecentage 71.2% on the season(2.6% less than what qbs did to Munnerlyn)

On the flipside The Golden Calf of Bristol finished with the lowest completion percentage on the season 46.5%(1.5% higher than what teams did to Gamble)

and the lowest QB rating was Gabbert coming in at 65.4(11.1 better than what QB'S did to Gamble last year)

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?tabSeq=0&season=2011&seasonType=REG&d-447263-n=1&d-447263-o=1&d-447263-p=1&conference=null&statisticCategory=PASSING&d-447263-s=PASSING_PASSER_RATING

[catnip]

We all should remember Meeks is gone. He wanted our defense to lay back and stop the big play. That didn't fit with a Rivera defense, thus he was let go. We now have an all Rivera coaching staff, so we need to let him decide who goes and who stays. The draft will show us who is going to be cut. A few good picks, maybe a FA like the TE last year, and our guys healthy we will be in position to make a run. Go Catsssssssssssssss

[L-TownCat]

Good read. Good comments.... Where the Hell am I?