The Panthers came into 2019 desperately needing to add more talent and depth to their defensive line. At least on paper, they’ve done that, and then some. After using two draft picks on promising edge prospects Brian Burns and Christian Miller and signing two proven veterans in defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and linebacker/defensive end Bruce Irvin, the unit should be much improved this year.
One guy who has high expectations for the group is three-time Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen. Here’s what he had to say about the team’s defensive line upgrades, according to Joe Person at the Athletic.
“You look at the guys we’ve added just to the front on the defensive side of the ball, we’ve added guys that bring a lot of not only experience, but a lot of ability. . . Obviously, with Gerald, we know him. He was a pain in the neck to block twice a year every year for the last it seems forever. Bruce Irvin was like our arch nemesis, trying to get ready to block him when he was in Seattle and then his quick time in Atlanta.”
Olsen also mentioned Burns and 2018 fourth-round pick Marquis Haynes, who has been somewhat lost in the shuffle in the middle of all these changes. Haynes will likely round out the back end of a much stronger edge rotation along with Efe Obada and Bryan Cox Jr.
Games aren’t won on paper, though.
The Panthers are spending significantly more money on their defensive line than any other team in the NFL this year, so they’ll need to get a dominant performance from the group in order to justify the investment.
