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Panthers IDP Report


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The Panthers defense returned to form in the second half of last year, and should return to being the team's strength and indentity in 2005. The Panthers are a strong and cohesive bunch. They play well together and don't tend to freelance. The only downfall I have seen is since they don't rotate much and play their starters heavily, they tend to be exposed when replacements enter the game.

 

Defensive Line- The dominant unit of the Panthers and regarded as one of the best in the NFL (when healthy). This unit is easy to report because the starters are entrenched at their positions and will NOT be replaced barring injury.

 

LDE- Julius Peppers A true pass rush specialist and possibly the fastest DE in the league. He creates matchup problems for nearly every team. Kemp Rasmussen is the backup, but doesn't play enough to warrant attention.

 

RDE- Mike Rucker A solid player, makes sound decisions and tackles well. Struggled at times last year with the absence of Jenkins in the middle, but should return to form with Jenkins back. Al Wallace is the backup, who is more than capable of starting for many teams.

 

LDT- Brentson Buckner Slowing down, but is still a leader on the field and shows strong emotion on the field. Buck will also benefit from the return of Jenkins. Buck will never draw double teams while playing between Peppers and Jenkins, so I would expect decent tackle and sack production from Buckner. Primary backup for both tackle positions should be Kindall Moorehead, who is a emerging talent, and actually could threaten Buckner if Brentson shows up out of shape.

 

RDT- Kris Jenkins Absolute monster and dominant force in the middle. Missed 2004 due to injury, Jenkins is reported to be in good shape and preparing for camp. If Jenkins returns to form, the entire Panthers defense changes. The double teams of Jenkins will allow for more penetration from the linebackers, and free up Rucker for more single coverage on the right end.

 

MLB- Dan Morgan Solid tackler and playmaker. Should actually grab a few more int's this year. He's got good hands and rushes the quarterback well. Only downside is he's injury prone.

 

WLB- Will Witherspoon Solid, actually one of the better tackers on the squad. Led the team in tackles with 103. Durable player who didn't miss any significant time.

 

SLB- ???? The one question mark on the team. The loss of Mark Fields for the season due to Hodgkin's disease opens this spot up. Brandon Short and Chris Draft will probably battle for this spot in camp. Rookie Thomas Davis could also stake claim if the Panther's don't choose to play him at safety.

 

LCB- Ken Lucas Signed from Seattle in the offseason. 6 INT's tied him with Gamble for NFC lead. Big and fast at ( 6-0 205 ). Impact player who will fit well into Fox's system. Ricky Manning will be the nickel back and primary backup to both corner positions. Dante Wesley will see the field in the dime, and could spell either position as well, but not enough to warrant consideration.

 

RCB- Chris Gamble Second year player, 6 INT's in his rookie season. Big and fast also, teaming with Lucas should give the Panther's one of the strongest corner duos in the NFC. Gamble tended to get burned and would give up the big play at times, but I would chalk that up to inexperience. Look for a good year.

 

SS- Mike Minter Team and fan favorite. Defends the run well and has above average hands for his position. Strong leader on the field as well. Thomas Davis was the Panther's first round pick out of Georgia. Davis is a tough hybrid player who can play either LB or SS. Panthers may lean towards developing him as a LB with the loss of Fields and the injury history of Morgan. I'll pass more info on when camp starts. Marlon McCree signed as a FA from Houston, but barring injury will substitute only.

 

FS- Idrees Bashir/Colin Branch The other spot up for grabs in camp.

Branch performed well last year, and I personally was surprised to see the Panthers bring Bashir in, but they obviously wanted more talent at the position, so I'll update when anything is announced.

 

Start/Bench Peppers, Jenkins, Morgan, and Lucas are no- brainers at their positions. As a team unit I think the Panthers should return to a top 5 level team.

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I have seen discussion (no link, sorry) that if they put Davis at LB it would be WLB and move Witherspoon to SLB ... also if Davis is a safety he is SS and Minter has to move to FS ...

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RDT- Kris Jenkins Absolute monster and dominant force in the middle. Missed 2004 due to injury, Jenkins is reported to be in good shape and preparing for camp. If Jenkins returns to form, the entire Panthers defense changes. The double teams of Jenkins will allow for more penetration from the linebackers, and free up Rucker for more single coverage on the right end.

 

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Pro Football Weekly says Jenkins is overweight:

 

The way we hear it, Panthers DT Kris Jenkins, who missed the bulk of last season with a shoulder injury, is carrying more weight than usual, and there is some concern that he will not be as effective as he once was, unless he drops some pounds

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Pro Football Weekly says Jenkins is overweight:

 

The way we hear it, Panthers DT Kris Jenkins, who missed the bulk of last season with a shoulder injury, is carrying more weight than usual, and there is some concern that he will not be as effective as he once was, unless he drops some pounds

 

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Local guys were talking about him looking good, but then he showed up to minicamp about 20 lbs overweight. Kris says it's no big deal, and he can drop the weight without a problem. I guess his overall strength is good though. They said his bench is getting back up near the 545 it was before the shoulder injury.

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