2013 in review, Panthers most improved...no kidding

[AviationMX]

Just more obvious rear view mirror stuff...but it may help branding outside of the Atlantic Coast.

 

"Topping our list is a team whose coach traded the hot seat for a new nickname and a spot as the NFC's No. 2 seed in the playoffs."

 

I don't have the whole version from the insider...

 

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10329780/nfl-carolina-panthers-top-2013-most-improved-rosters?addata=2009_insdr_mod_nfl_xxx_xxx

[Ricky Spanish]

 

 

1. Carolina Panthers, +240.3 increase

 

 

Stepping Up: We'll get to why they were so much more effective, but there's no denying that the duo of Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis delivered in 2013 with their combined grade shooting up by 12.0 points. Most of the hype has been directed at Kuechly, the tackling machine who was cast as the figurehead of the Panthers' resurgence. But it's actually Davis who graded better, chiefly because of his work in coverage. In an increasingly pass-happy league teams need their linebackers to be able to cover, and Davis is really something special in that regard. He earned the highest grade of all 4-3 outside linebackers in that facet of play.

Big Addition: Rookie GM Dave Gettleman didn't need long to figure out the team was weak at defensive tackle. It wasn't just about the team needing to get some space eaters, but the Panthers needed penetration in the run game and against the pass. So they draftedStar Lotulelei and Kawann Short. The results saw their defensive tackles grade swing from minus-45.2 in 2012 to plus-23.8 a year later. Lotulelei was a huge part of that with his work in the run game, finishing with a 12.9 run stop percentage that was second best of all defensive tackles.

 

 

Key Unit: While the Panthers won their battles up front and shut down the running game, it would have meant little if the back end of the defense didn't hold up. Despite minimal investment in the position the team somehow got better, even though its pass-rush grade fell off somewhat with Charles Johnson getting considerably less pressure (10 fewer quarterback disruptions). Undrafted free agents Melvin White and Robert Lester both held up, while veterans Drayton Florence and Captain Munnerlyn raised their games to levels 

 

[The Saltman]

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