The Panthers are hard at work making new head coach Matt Rhule’s staff come in to shape. There’s no official word yet, but all signs point to Phil Snow following Rhule from Baylor and being named the team’s new defensive coordinator.
Whether it’s Snow or somebody else, the front office has some brutal decisions to make about the defense this offseason. Here are four questions they will need to answer before the 2020 campaign begins.
How old is too old for the defensive line?
On paper, the Panthers’ defensive line is their strongest unit. They finished second in the league in sacks this year (53) and have as many weapons up front as any NFL team. However, several key pieces are about to become free agents and most of them are past their prime. Mario Addison, Bruce Irvin and Gerald McCoy are all over 30 years old and need new contracts if Carolina is going to keep them around. Dontari Poe is also 29 and has a huge cap hit. The Panthers have to find the right balance between youth and experience while building for the future around guys like Brian Burns.
Is there enough depth at linebacker?
Even though it was an off-year for Luke Kuechly, he was still one of the best linebackers in football. Shaq Thompson also earned a handsome extension, so he’s not going anywhere. The question here is if the Panthers feel comfortable with backups Jermaine Carter, Andre Smith and Jordan Kunaszyk getting extended time if either Kuechly or Thompson gets injured. Taking a linebacker on Day 3 for more depth might is not a terrible idea.
Time to start over at cornerback?
The most disappointing position group for the Panthers this season was easily the cornerbacks. According to Pro Football Focus, James Bradberry, Donte Jackson and Ross Cockrell all were graded under 60.0 for the year and their run defense grade (38.1) was the lowest of any team. Bradberry is expected to sign a massive extension this offseason. However, the team has to at least consider letting him walk, throwing it all out and starting over from scratch. Picking a cornerback at No. 7 would be a good place to start.
Was Eric Reid’s 2019 season a fluke or not?
The problems on the back end were not limited to cornerback, though. While Tre Boston was easily the team’s best defensive back, Eric Reid had arguably his worst year yet as a pro. Reid gave up 30 first downs and posted the lowest coverage grade (34.4) of any safety this season. If the Panthers are certain he can bounce back they should keep him around. If not, then that contract he signed last year is going to look pretty heavy.
