The player that the beefed up front could help the most...

[Snake]

I think it actually allows us to run the zone blitz scheme they have wanted too do for a while. While we have a dominate front four it will make it that much more confusing adding in blitzes. Also we have a good group of ballhawk CBS that will make turnovers. Will we get burned in the secondary? Sure but we will also cause many turnovers.

[carolina-chuck]

I hope that's the lineup we go with. Norman (1) and Florence (2). As good as Thomas and Dockery played late last season, I'm still not comfortable with them as starter. Norman and Florence gives us better size.

[nosuchthingasapanther]

_rotoworld...

The Charlotte Observer expects Josh Thomas to play behind Josh Norman this season.

Norman struggled as a fifth-round rookie last season, ending up benched in favor of Thomas to close out the year. But he has significantly more upside and has been talked up relentlessly by GM Dave Gettleman. Regardless, the Panthers' secondary is going to be one for fantasy owners to exploit once again. A cornerback quartet of Norman, Drayton Florence, Captain Munnerlyn and Thomas just isn't going to cut it.

 

 

 

 

[AceBoogie]

I think he's overly confident, he doesn't lack confidence at all. He's arrogant and last year he believed he was better than he actually was. He got benched and hopefully humbled lets see how he bounces back.

[Rubi]

it's definitely up for debate. info from another thread...

I think Norman lost his spot towards the end if I remember correctly

[SuperMan]

Josh Norman..

Reading the tea leaves... He could be the #1 with Florence across from him at #2. Munny and Moore rotating at Nickel with Thomas and Dockery rotating in as needed. 6 active CBs and the most ideal 2 deep or is it just totally off?

A great front can make a decent CB look great. The pressure could play right into Normans natural skill set, which is finding the ball on his side of the field.

If Norman can level his game and begin to play with both discipline and confidence maybe we will see some of that promise in camps last year on Sunday. Call me an optimist but I still have hope for his prospects and truly believe he should've learned a lot from all of his experiences last year (i.e the embarrassment of being benched after he ran his mouth all year)

Heres hoping we have a legit top corner on the roster next year.

 

Florence will not start.... I will actually be surprised if he makes the final roster.

[rayzor]

Florence will not start.... I will actually be surprised if he makes the final roster.

lol

[SuperMan]

I hope that's the lineup we go with. Norman (1) and Florence (2). As good as Thomas and Dockery played late last season, I'm still not comfortable with them as starter. Norman and Florence gives us better size.

In what way does that give us better size?

 

Thomas is 5' 11 190 4.5 40

Dockery is 6'1 190 4.44 40

 

 

Norman is 6'0 193 4.5 40

Florence is 6'0 193 4.4 40 (probably closer to 4.6 now)

 

 

If size is your argument you don't have much of one....

 

Add in the fact that Florence is 32 injury prone and has defiantly lost a step.

 

 

Between the two combos you have the same average height....

[Snake]

I think our secondary is still weak but more pressure is not a bad thing. This team needs two good off seasos to be relevant and we have only had one. Adding some ball hawks didn't hurt either.

[SuperMan]

I would much rather have a monstrous front seven and a weak secondary than the other way around.... 

 

 

example Dashon Goldson he is incredibly overated and people will see that this season now that he isn't playing behind the niners front 7.

[natty]

It's not as if our pass rush was bad last year.  The key for our pass defense will be stopping the run.  Stopping the run = dictating what the opposing offense can do.  To get sacks, interceptions, getting off the field in general requires obviously passing situations.  We had relatively very few of those last year.

[Razeyfingers]

Corner is such a ridiculously hard position to learn. Its like a miracle when you find a decent one with a year under his belt. Theyre already fighting a losing battle since the league wants touchdowns. Rules committees are making sure of that. Receivers are trained to use the slightest fault in theyre technique against them. Things like being soft with your hands will get you owned over and over again even if you have the speed to be in every play.

 

We're in a pretty good spot though. Massive front seven, lost a badass corner and got a decent replacement to protect the 1, safety has competition at least, and the 2 will be up for grabs from Thomas or Norman.

 

 

32 is not old for a corner btw, its up there but its not out of their prime. Champs is doing just fine at 34 or 35 right now and Darrell Green was tackling running backs and covering Megatron sized receivers until he was 42.

[CatMan72]

Agree that it helps the secondary the most, Norman was playing not to get beat last year (which as usual results in getting beat). The quicker we can collapse the pocket the less he has to worry about getting beat. 

[CRA]

He needs to press and not give 7 - 10 yard cushions to top WR's.

However, if he was getting beat over the top everyone would be whining about that.

maybe he isn't pressing bc the 6th rounder is worried he lacks the ability to defend?

people got overinfatuated with him....thinking trash talk meant skill