Defensive Line Competition

[TheRumGone]

Ok so with OTA's today i was looking at our roster and picked out all of the DT and DE's that have made it thus far;

TL/DR version at the bottom;

 

Defensive Tackle;

 

Nate Chandler
Colin Cole
Dwan Edwards
Sione Fua
Linden Gaydosh
Frank Kearse
Star Lotulelei
Kawann Short
Casey Walker

 

Defensive End;

 

Mario Addison
Frank Alexander
Greg Hardy
Charles Johnson
Wes Horton
Louis Nzegwu
Craig Roh

 

*Bold for automatics

 

That leaves at the defensive tackle position

 

Professional Experience:

Nate Chandler: 6-4 300lbs Best fit UT

2012 stats:  6 total tackles, 4 solo, 2 assisted, 0 sacks

 

Played average for us when he was signed off the practice squad

 

Colin Cole: 6-2 320lbs Best fit NT

2012: recovering from ankle surgery

 

Was a great player for Seattle in their 7-9 playoff season but coming off of rehabbing an ankle injury

 

Sione Fua: 6-1 310lbs Best fit NT

2012: 13 total tackles, 5 solo, 8 assisted, 0 sacks

 

One of the most hated players on the Panthers roster

 

Frank Kearse: 6-5 315 lbs Best fit UT

2012: 13 total tackles, 8 solo, 5 assisted, 1 sack

 

Pretty average, but showes some flashes

 

Collegiate Experience

Linden Gaydosh: 6-3 314lbs Best fit NT

2012: 22 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two FF and one FR

2011: 40 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, two FF and two FR

 

Interesting prospect who dominated in Canada but it's Canada

 

 

Casey Walker: 6-1 336lbs Best Fit NT

2012: 25 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, three QP's, one FR

2011: 17 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, one sack, two FF

 

Only vids I could find, but played with Big Frank.

 

 

Left at the Defensive End position:

 

Professional Experience:

Mario Addison: 6-3 257 lbs

2012: Only played in 4 games; started 1: 5 tackles, 1 sack

Was shipped to 2 other teams before landing with us

 

 

 

Collegiate Experience:

Wes Horton: 6-5 265lbs

2012: 43 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, two FR

2011: 22 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, one FF

 

 

Louis Nzegwu: 6-4 255lbs

2012: Cut by falcons before preseason, Signed Miami practice squad/ Terminated 6 days later

2011: 38 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, one FF, one FR

 

 

Craig Roh: 6-4 271lbs

2012: 38 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks

2011: 32 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 4 sacks and one FF

 

Played some DT for the Wolverines

 

Only vid i could find

 

So obviously there could be more signings that take place but I like the group we have here for depth as well as practice squad. I'm not sure what the number of DT's and DE's they are trying to keep on the 53 but this is kind of how I see it.

For the Nose Tackle I could see us keeping Cole for depth on game days( unless his ankle doesn't hold up) and Gaydosh on the practice squad with Walker on the bubble. Fua gets cut. He just hasn't shown any flashes whatsoever.
 

For Under Tackle it will be a battle between Kearse and Chandler, with KK and Dwan Edwards already established.

 

For Defensive End it's a toss up. Really like Nzegwu, very athletic, seams to be almost a tweaner though, it was weird Miami cut him 6 days after signing him to the practice squad though. Roh and Horton are on the bubble, and Addison is a solid contributer.

 

Anyway thoughts? 

 

TL/DR

 

Sione's arms

 

Star's arms

 

 

 

 

 

[rayzor]

i can see us going with 9-10 DL on the active roster this year.

 

4-5 DEs

5-6 DT

 

if i was to project who that would be....

at DE....CJ, hardy, alexander, craig roh and/or FA yet to wear a panther jersey

at DT...star, short, dwan, cole, gaydosh and/or walker

 

 

at any rate, we are looking at one hellacious front line rotation.

[DaveThePanther2008]

Have we lost the love for Kearse.  I remember we claimed him from the Dolphins a couple years back.

 

 

[JoR_DoSe_15]

top 10 defense next year for sure!

[rayzor]

Have we lost the love for Kearse.  I remember we claimed him from the Dolphins a couple years back.

 

he was always a JAG for me.

[TheRumGone]

i can see us going with 9-10 DL on the active roster this year.

 

4-5 DEs

5-6 DT

 

if i was to project who that would be....

at DE....CJ, hardy, alexander, craig roh and/or FA yet to wear a panther jersey

at DT...star, short, dwan, cole, gaydosh and/or walker

 

 

at any rate, we are looking at one hellacious front line rotation.

 

Why do you think Roh?

[OneBadCat]

Colin Cole will make it. He's the most proven NT on the roster.

[rayzor]

Why do you think Roh?

 

the size more than anything.

 

my interpretation of comments that gettleman has made is that his mentality is that size is the most important thing. if they don't have that size they are looking for (and i'd look at CJ and hardy as the prototype) then you've got most of what they want. i think they feel the rest can be coached.

[Kuech the Sneak]

DT: star, KK, dwan, cole, kearse

DE: CJ, hardy, Alexander, Addison

[MadHatter]

i can see us going with 9-10 DL on the active roster this year.

 

4-5 DEs

5-6 DT

 

if i was to project who that would be....

at DE....CJ, hardy, alexander, craig roh and/or FA yet to wear a panther jersey

at DT...star, short, dwan, cole, gaydosh and/or walker

 

 

at any rate, we are looking at one hellacious front line rotation.

We kept 9 DL last year (5 DE and 4 DT).

 

Given that either CJ or Hardy can slide inside on passing downs, I would doubt that we keep more DT's than DE's and think that we still only keep 9.

 

I still say 4 DT's.....Edwards, KK, Star, and Cole

I still think 5 DE's....CJ, Hardy, Alexander, 2 others who win the camp battle

[rayzor]

We kept 9 DL last year (5 DE and 4 DT).

 

Given that either CJ or Hardy can slide inside on passing downs, I would doubt that we keep more DT's than DE's and think that we still only keep 9.

 

I still say 4 DT's.....Edwards, KK, Star, and Cole

I still think 5 DE's....CJ, Hardy, Alexander, 2 others who win the camp battle

 

i kind of agree with that, but i think that they are more interested in the rotation in the middle than anything. good point about pushing johnson and hardy inside. i just think, tho, that they want as many big guys all across that line and as heavy a rotation (literally and figuratively) as possible on the interior while keeping the outside stout.

 

it could be that we just go with 8...4 DTs and 4 DEs. i hope that is the case anyway b/c that means more spots for other positions.

 

we could be looking at more 3 man fronts than in previous years so that might help cut back on the number of DTs needed.

 

either way, it's going to be interesting to see what they do.

 

[MadHatter]

i kind of agree with that, but i think that they are more interested in the rotation in the middle than anything. good point about pushing johnson and hardy inside. i just think, tho, that they want as many big guys all across that line and as heavy a rotation (literally and figuratively) as possible on the interior while keeping the outside stout.

 

it could be that we just go with 8...4 DTs and 4 DEs. i hope that is the case anyway b/c that means more spots for other positions.

 

we could be looking at more 3 man fronts than in previous years so that might help cut back on the number of DTs needed.

 

either way, it's going to be interesting to see what they do.

 

I could also see 8....especially if we could stash a guy like Gaydosh (big body with potential) on the practice squad.

 

Damn it just seems so strange to actually feel good about our DLine rotation and potential....it has been WAY TOO LONG.

[O-Ther]

With Gettleman valuing his hog mollies, I would say more likely to carry a 9th DL on the 53 who's inactive on gamedays. Practice squad players can be signed by any other team at any time.

 

Easier to replace LBs, DBs, WRs, and RBs for the practice squad than find other big and fast guys for the DL and OL.

 

Agree with Hatter, tho. Been a long time since I was excited about the DL like this!

[NCstoner420]

I really want Gaydosh to be a diamond in the rough. I could see him being over looked solely because he played in Canada and he uses that as motivation to become a great player.