Panthers to get new starting DT in 2010?

[ncbobcat]

I re-watched the Bears' and Raiders' games last night and focused on nothing but the DT play. Why? I wanted to see our DTs at the beginning of the season at home versus a good team and middle of the season on the road versus a bad team. The difference? NOTHING! One would think more playing time later in the year versus a weaker OL would bring improvment, but it didn't.

Lewis has one decent move; his speed rush from the 3-technique. He got a sack in the Bears' game when Peppers also used his speed rush and flushed Orton to step up in the pocket. Lewis' bull rush is ineffective...period. That's about it with Lewis. Unless he catches the guard flat-footed, he's neutralized at the LOS. I will give him this, he doesn't give up and persues the play.

Kemo has a bull rush that is decent. I depends on the situation. If it is short yardage it seems like he tries harder on creating penetration, but on passing downs he just gets absorbed.

Honestly, two players stood out at DT...Peppers and Gary Gibson. Yes, Gibson looked very good at DT and Peppers got two sacks lining up inside.

Gibson was smaller but had a motor. It seems he had more moves than Lewis too. He disrupted plays from the backside and his speed rush was 'quicker' than Lewis'.

As for Brayton, he looked like a Lewis clone; he's definitely more effective as a DE. Although he can play DT, it's not where I would want him lined up permanently.

All I know is unless we pick someone up after cuts or this crop fo UFA rookies step up, we are looking for another long year with this interior defensive line.

[methodtoll]

Loaded at QB too. I'm thinking DT in the 2nd, QB in the 3rd.

Depends on who is available where we pick. It is too early to tell what our needs are but at this point there isn't really a big need other then DT. One could question the CB spot but it is a wait and see matter.

Therefore, I believe you are correct and I think 2010 will be the year that we draft a QB early to be the eventual future of the Carolina Panthers.

Guys to watch for in the 2nd-3rd round are:

Dan LaFevours

Colt McCoy (Yes, he is projected to be a 2nd rounder)

Possibly The Golden Calf of Bristol

Jevan Sneed

[scpanther22]

I re-watched the Bears' and Raiders' games last night and focused on nothing but the DT play. Why? I wanted to see our DTs at the beginning of the season at home versus a good team and middle of the season on the road versus a bad team. The difference? NOTHING! One would think more playing time later in the year versus a weaker OL would bring improvment, but it didn't.

Lewis has one decent move; his speed rush from the 3-technique. He got a sack in the Bears' game when Peppers also used his speed rush and flushed Orton to step up in the pocket. Lewis' bull rush is ineffective...period. That's about it with Lewis. Unless he catches the guard flat-footed, he's neutralized at the LOS. I will give him this, he doesn't give up and persues the play.

Kemo has a bull rush that is decent. I depends on the situation. If it is short yardage it seems like he tries harder on creating penetration, but on passing downs he just gets absorbed.

Honestly, two players stood out at DT...Peppers and Gary Gibson. Yes, Gibson looked very good at DT and Peppers got two sacks lining up inside.

Gibson was smaller but had a motor. It seems he had more moves than Lewis too. He disrupted plays from the backside and his speed rush was 'quicker' than Lewis'.

As for Brayton, he looked like a Lewis clone; he's definitely more effective as a DE. Although he can play DT, it's not where I would want him lined up permanently.

All I know is unless we pick someone up after cuts or this crop fo UFA rookies step up, we are looking for another long year with this interior defensive line.

i hated that we let gary gibson go

[Mr. Scot]

i hated that we let gary gibson go

Me too. Thought he had potential.

If I remember right, he signed somewhere, but I forget where.

[scpanther22]

Me too. Thought he had potential.

If I remember right, he signed somewhere, but I forget where.

i think the rams.

[ncbobcat]

I think I'll watch the last regular season game versus the Saints today. It's amazing how fast a 3-hour game goes when you fast forward between snaps, commercials and halftime. I'll particularly look at the pass rush in the fourth quarter when Brees blew up. For that matter, I might look at the second half of the Giants game.

I really want to see why teams late in the season were able to neutralize our DL. As much as I hated the Cards playoff game, I wish I didn't erase it, but I did. That would be the tell-tale sign of the lack of pass rush, especially from the interior.

[ncbobcat]

Just finished with the Giants game. Kemo was out. We actually didn't do THAT bad versus the run until late. Hayden was ineffective as well as Brayton as a DT. Brayton did well from his normal DE spot. Walker was ineffective and probably the reason (along with the neck injury) why they chose not to re-sign him.

Once agian, the DT that got most of the penetration was Gary Gibson. Lewis had a very pedestrian game once again, not horrible, but far from a dominating performance. His best attribute by far is shedding and persuit.

The one person that got blown up late in the game at the DT spot that sprung the two long Giants' runs in OT was Charles Johnson. He got absolutley MANHANDLED in the run game inside. The 51-yard run by Ward, Johnson got driven like 5-7 yards off the LOS by the OG. A few plays later, the same thing though the yardage was much less. Alas, by that time the Giants were in FG range.