Defensive Tackle Options

[Mr. Scot]

So what are the realistic options for replacing DT Ma’ake Kemoeatu in the defense?

Here are some possibilities, with breakdowns included.

(For reference, Ma’ake Kemoeatu is 6-5, 345, 30 years old, has 8 years accrued experience and played in 14 games last year, starting all 14 for the Panthers)

TRADE A PLAYER OR PICK

This is the move the fans will want most, the bold move that assures a quality starter. Sadly though, this move comes with a dual price. First, there’s whatever you have to give up to get the player you want. Second, there’s the additional cap that player takes up which – if it’s a good player – could be noteworthy.

Legitimate trade possibilities do exist, though just how probable they really are is a matter of debate. Some are high quality players, others mid-level guys. Given the Panthers history, the latter seems more likely. And if that’s the case, the name we wind up reading in the headlines may be one that few (or none) of us have ever heard before. The hope would be that lightning strikes again like it did with Chris Harris.

Some names that ring as possible (but not necessarily realistic):

Shaun Rogers (6-4, 350, age 30, 9 yrs, 16/16 Browns) The closest thing to having Kemo back, size-wise, and generally considered a more dominating player; he wants out of Cleveland pretty badly too; nice thought, but he wouldn’t come cheap, and unless you’re prepared to see the Panthers either part with someone significant or not draft until round three next season, I’d say it’s unlikely to happen

Richard Seymour (6-6, 310, age 29, 9 yrs, 15/15 Patriots) After contract and injury issues there have been rumblings he’s on the outs with the Patriots; no telling if that’s true, but like Shaun Rogers he wouldn’t come cheap; another nice idea but I’d see this one just as unlikely

Terdell Sands (6-7, 335, age 29, 7 yrs, 16/0 Raiders) Definite wide-body; Grady Jackson / Ted Washington type; decent run stuffer but not that great of a pass rusher; Raiders had reportedly been shopping him, but knowing the Raiders the asking price could be more than he’s really worth, especially if they think we need him; and although the profile is similar to Kemo, I’m not sure he’s the kind of guy Ron Meeks wants

Glenn Dorsey (6-1, 297, age 24, 2nd yr, 16/16 Chiefs) It’s been suggested more than once (even back during the Peppers saga) that he could be pried away from the Chiefs since he wasn’t all he was cracked up to be his rookie year and many think he was misused; I think it’s a pipe dream myself; worth noting that he’s been placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list in Kansas City; speculation is that it might be punitive; still, I'm not sure he's an ideal option at this point

(here begin the slightly more realistic trade options)

Dusty Dvoracek (6-3, 303, age 26, 4 yrs, 12/12 Bears) Trading with the Bears is a nice thought to most Panther fans since that’s how we got Chris Harris, who’s blossomed nicely and been well worth the mere fifth round pick that was given up to get him; don’t know that I want to count on lightning striking twice though, and the Bears might ask for a higher pick in this case; Dvoracek is the kind of high motor guy Meeks would like, but durability is a concern, and that’s not really a concern you want when you’re trading for the replacement of a guy that’s already hurt

Israel Idonije (6-6, 270, 28, 6 yrs, 16/3 Bears) Could be the more likely target if the Bears were to become a trade partner again; some scouting reports list him as better against the run than the pass but I’ve also heard him described as mainly a situational pass rusher; considered raw but developing; would be a departure from Kemo but conceivably a better fit for Ron Meeks scheme; unknown whether the Bears would ask a higher price for him or Dvoracek

Ryan Pickett (6-2, 340, age 29, 9 yrs, 16/16 Packers) If Damione Lewis were up for a reunion with his old linemate, he might lobby for Pickett; like Lewis, Pickett was just a bit of a disappointment with the Rams but has been decent with his new team; with the team switching to a 3-4, they might not want to give up a big nose tackle type like Pickett, and thus what price they’d ask is unknown

Darrell Reid (6-2, 288, age 27, 5 yrs, 16/0 Colts, now with the Broncos) Worth mentioning because he was with Meeks up until this past year; just signed with Denver this offseason so it’s hard to imagine they’d trade him so soon, but stranger things have happened; another undersized guy who could magnify both the strengths and weaknesses of Meeks’ approach

Eric Foster (6-2, 265, age 24, 2nd yr, 13/11 Colts) Another former Meeks guy who originally signed on with the Colts as an undrafted free agent and played his way into a starting job; scouting reports list him as quick off the ball, disruptive and relentless in pass rush, but he’s even smaller than guys like Reid and Idonije so the questions about run stopping ability would still apply

Next option...

SIGN A FREE AGENT

This is likely to be the second most popular option with fans, but truthfully there’s not a whole lot out there to sing about. Some of the prospects are listed below.

Darwin Walker (6-3, 294, age 32, 9 yrs, 10/2 Panthers) Possibly the most logical choice; was with the team last year, would like to be back and could be had cheaply; not great, but not awful either

Dewayne Robertson (6-1, 308, age 27, 6 yrs, 15/15 Broncos) Perhaps the next logical choice; was rumored to be on the Panthers radar a long time ago; still, the health of his knees is a question, as is how much money he might want (and whether he’d ultimately be worth it)

Ellis Wyms (6-3, 290, age 30, 8 yrs, 16/0 Vikings) Has had his moments; was half-decent in his Tampa years but more recently was a disappointment to the Seahawks and a backup with the Vikings; he’d have some system knowledge from his time in Tampa but I don’t know that he has enough "moments" left to be worth it

Brian Young (6-2, 298, age 32, 9 yrs, 8/3 Saints) Considered a good tackler and a half-decent pass rusher but with athletic limitations (think an older Jordan Carstens) and a pretty bad health report of late; he’s ended the season on injured reserve both of the last two seasons

John Thornton (6-3, 297, age 32, 10 yrs, 15/11 Bengals) Up there in years with a pretty good amount of wear on the tires; could be okay as a backup/rotation DT/mentor but I doubt I’d want to depend on him as a starter; his name always makes me think of the character in “Call of the Wild” (not that that’s important)

Anthony McFarland (6-0, 300, age 31, 9 yrs, 16/16 Buccaneers/Colts in 2006) Haven’t seen him mentioned anywhere, likely because he hasn’t played in two seasons; the Steelers signed him prior to last season but later rescinded the offer after he failed a physical; latest word was that he might get a look from the Saints (for clarity, that was last year too); he did play for Meeks in Indy, would know the system and could mentor younger players, but he’s a risk with a capital ‘R’

Langston Moore (6-1, 305, age 28, 9/0 Lions) South Carolina native; journeyman and career backup at this point; inconsistent; considered a two-down defender but truthfully so was Kemo; admittedly hard to get excited about a guy who languished with the Lions

Kindal Moorehead (6-2, 299, age 30, 6 yrs, 14/1 Falcons) Former Panther and could have some sentiment, but Gantt said he needs back surgery; I said I’d like for us to look at him but that was before I read about the back problem; seems unlikely now; shame, I always fondly remember his "shoulder pad interception"

Justin Kershaw (6-4, 271, age 23, rookie) "Who?" you ask; Kershaw was with the Panthers up until recently; he and safety Anthony Scirrotto were released just a few days back; was likely just a camp body anyway, so bringing him back might be essentially equivalent to option four (later)

Other Possibilities (not much to speak of)

Antwan Lake (6-4, 308, age 30, 6 yrs, 11/0 Saints)

Josh Shaw (6-3, 305, age 29, 6 yrs, 5/0 Broncos)

James Reed (6-0, 286, 32, 8 yrs, 4/0 Chiefs)

Moving on...

[Mr. Scot]

(continued)

WAIT FOR CUTS

One of the less exciting approaches, but also possibly one of the more practical. Among the players who might become available are some former Panthers, most notably Gary Gibson. Gibson played well in spots last season and looked like he might be another Jordan Carstens. But the Panthers chose not to make a strong effort to retain him this offseason and he wound up in Saint Louis. If he doesn’t catch on with the Rams, a second try in Carolina might not be out of the question. Other former panthers that could get a look if cut include Babatunde Oshinowo (49ers) and Atiyyah Ellison (Jaguars).

Yep...that Atiyyah Ellison.

(like there's more than one)

Okay, I’m only kidding about Ellison. The real reason I included him here was because I honestly didn’t even know he was with an NFL team right now and I was betting a lot of other Panther fans didn’t know either. Apparently former Panthers DC Jack Del Rio is going to give him a shot. I wish him luck, but can’t honestly say I expect him to latch on there. The pick of Ellison is, in my mind, one of former chief scout Tony Softli’s bigger boondoggles.

We’ll know more about the prospects of this path in coming weeks. In the meantime, there's the final option...

STAND PAT

This certainly wouldn’t be a popular idea among fans right now, but when you look at the big picture it’s a realistic possibility.

Consider…

- Cap room is at a minimum right now, and Injured Reserve does not give the team cap relief

- Ron Meeks has run an effective defense without huge “space eating” tackles before

- The team has players at DE (Brayton, for example) who could shift to DT either on rotation or permanently

- Moving one of the bigger DEs inside could allow the team to keep more of their young, talented (if undersized) DEs

- The Panthers have replaced defensive stalwarts with unheralded players before (the aforementioned Jordan Carstens)

- And for whatever you think of the quality of the DTs on roster, there is at least a decent quantity of them

It’s still extremely early in camp, and the coaches may actually want to evaluate what they already have before throwing money or picks at someone from outside. It makes sense in a certain way of thinking. Why give something up to get a new guy before you know what you've really got on hand? You might found out that what you already had was better; you just didn’t know it.

(and you might have avoided wasting money or picks with a little patience)

______________________________________________________________________________________________

So in the end, what will the Panthers do?

Based on the lack of cap space and the team’s usual MO, I’m leaning towards expecting one of the latter choices. History makes me think they could easily stand pat for now, or at least until camp cuts start. Fans will grumble, but it may turn out to be the best option (of course, it also might not).

Don’t rule out the possibility of a trade, though. Marty Hurney has never been shy about going into the trade market and he’s gotten the better end of the deal more often than not. If they go this route, don’t get your hopes up for a big splash. More likely the team would go after a young up-and-coming player either for a pick or a young player of our own (speculation could go to guys like Dante Rosario, among others) or a mid-to-lower level draft pick.

For now, there's suspense over the what and the when. Could be tomorrow. Could be weeks from now. But whatever happens, and whenever it happens, Panthers fans will most certainly be hoping for the best.

Stay tuned.

...

[ProfessorPeppers]

#1. Great post, you really did your research.

#2 Out of all those options I would prefer Walker coming back, he isn't horrible and knows the system and may give us a discount.

Being a die hard LSU fan, I urge Panther fans not to sleep on Marlon Favorite, I watched him for the last few years in every LSU game and the guy can stop the run, now whether or not his talent will translate to the NFL as quickly as we would need it to remains to be seen...he does have talent, but at times with LSU he seemed to lack motivation, now he has all the motivation he needs to prove himself and earn a spot. He seems like the kind of player that could either be cut by the end of the preseason, or really show up and be a nice surprise for us. I hope it's the latter...

Although, surprisingly enough...I feel ok if we don't sign anyone, I think Meeks philosophy and his "swarm the ball" style are really gonna cater to our players and I'm sure out of all the defensive linemen we have, at least ONE of them has to possess the talent to step up and make some plays on a consistent basis.

[Rags]

I love this post, plus rep for you man.

I'd love to say "Let's Trade!" but I am way to impulsive. While it may be the best choice, we don't have a lot of cap, we don't have next year's first round to give, nor a player to give up that we WANT to give up. Standing PAT, or maybe getting a free agent and hoping for the best.

[Zod]

Fantastic write up Mr Scot. Posted on front page.

[pantherfan49]

Darwin Walker (6-3, 294, age 32, 9 yrs, 10/2 Panthers) Possibly the most logical choice; was with the team last year, would like to be back and could be had cheaply; not great, but not awful either

Walker really started to play well towards the end of last year before the car wreck. He is more of a Damien Lewis type player rather than a Kemo, but he might be the type that fits in well with Meeks' system.

[Delhommey]

We don't need a DT to stop the run as much as we need someone to keep Beason clean.

[Matt Foley]

We don't need a DT to stop the run as much as we need someone to keep Beason clean.

Intervention?

[PntherPryd]

<bows down to Mr. Scot>

Fox/Hurney need your number. Just stating the obvious but whichever path they take (Trade, FA, Camp Body, Stand Pat) the option of waiting for camp cuts will always be in play.

Looking on the bright side, this injury could wake up competition at other spots besides DT. Going into camp with so many starters returning can lead to complacency. Now the guys know we have a huge hole to fill and need to step up their game noticeably. I'd be willing to bet we pick up someone in three weeks that will get heavy rotation and I'm hoping it's Gibson. He's the kind of player that Meeks could work well with.

[KintnerBoy]

Looks like we have a lot of options if we can just get a team to let go without scalping us. Who's knows, maybe we'll end up with a gem.

[KARASMATIC444]

Nice post once again Mr scot. i was waiting for something like this so i could realistically look at this situation.

[Kingpatecu]

Man I hate to say this but I really miss Jenkins at this point, in regards to our options Darwin Walker is probably the guy I think we will go with. But if we sign Walker it has to be in the back of our minds that he has had health problems as well and we really need these young guys to step up.

[panthers55]

I posted last night that I thought that if we traded for a guy, it would probably be a relative no name to us possibly still on their rookie contract who would be cheap. Anyone else but a Darwin Walker kind of guy who is a fill-in for this year and not much else, is likely beyond our resources. I agree that we might not move immediately but see what we have already given that we told Walker's agent earlier that we were going with the young guys. That of course was looking for a back-up whereas now we are looking for a starter, so we might reconsider and bring someone in like him. Still we have some guys who could step up like Williams, Hayden, Harvey or Irvin. There is not a better time for one of them to surprise. They will never get a better opportunity than this.

It will be interesting to see what Hurney does. And your write-up was very thorough and insightful.

[Neylus]

Way to stem the tide of delirium Mr. Scot! Rep.