As we make our way towards training camp, we’ll be investigating the Panthers camp battles that will be happening in the trenches during the dog days of summer in Spartanburg – while some, like the starting free safety and nickel cornerback, are easy to find, some aren’t quite so obvious and almost certainly injuries will force others into the spotlight, perhaps some that we didn’t even think about this early in the process.
Previous Camp Battle Studies:
Another position group that is going to see an awful lot of change from a year ago is the defensive line, both in terms of the interior defensive linemen and the edge rushers – the Panthers are not short of a few new faces at both positions.
The biggest changes are obviously going to arise from the move from a 4-3 to more of a 3-4 defense, as this changes not only where various players are asked to line up but what their responsibilities are going to be. In all honesty, we are yet to see what a Ron Rivera 3-4 defense looks like in Carolina, and while we can certainly estimate how various aspects of it are going to work out, there are things which really are going to become clear for the first time in training camp.
This is going to be very fun to watch indeed.
Question, Answered: The Starting Defensive Line
If you’d have told the average Panthers fan a couple of years ago that in 2019 their starting interior defensive linemen were going to be KK Short, Dontari Poe and Gerald McCoy, they probably wouldn’t have believed you.
I certainly wouldn’t have.
Not only is that an extremely talented collection of individuals, but by putting all three on the field at the same time, the Panthers make it easier for all three of them to have success. For Poe, this means a return to the 0-tech – lined up over the center – where he had such success in Kansas City, allowing him to either work one-on-one with a center or force the blocking to re-align post-snap in order to prevent leaving an edge rusher unblocked.
While Poe didn’t have his most spectacular season last year in Carolina, a lot of what he does well isn’t going to show up in the box score, especially in a 4-3 where he was largely asked to take on double teams – but working against solo blocks, he has the chance to create penetration against both the run and the pass while also holding the line to allow Kuechly and Company to run to the ball.
The biggest change for the Panthers on the interior, of course, is the addition of Gerald McCoy. McCoy is undeniably getting into the latter half of his career but was really good – once again – last season despite seeing an awful lot of double teams due to the injury to Vita Vea. However, when paired with Short and Poe, the only way for teams to double team him will be leaving both of the other two single- blocked; that will, in turn, make things easier for Short in particular.
Realistically, defenses will struggle to double team both Short and McCoy and likely have to leave Poe soloed on the center almost all of the time – this is going to be particularly important against the pass, where all three players are capable of doing damage if allowed to work one-on-one with an offensive lineman – the Panthers should expect to see an dramatic increase in interior pressure this season compared to a year ago.
Lingering Question: Can The Butler Do It?
3-4 defenses typically carry six interior defensive linemen, but the Panthers will still look to run something of a hybrid front – if this is the case, it might mean they only carry five interior defensive linemen, meaning that both Kyle Love and Vernon Butler are likely to make the final roster – barring some surprises in training camp.
Love offers some versatility as he can play multiple positions in a 3-4 defense, even if he isn’t a natural fit at either – he can also offer some pass rush at times to go with his consistently solid run defense, especially from the 3-tech, where he can use his good leverage to get underneath blockers and drive into his gap.
Butler has been a disappointment for a first round pick, but that shouldn’t get confused for him being a bad player, just not a great one. Where he plays in a 3-4 defense will be particularly interesting. At over 330 pounds, he is an obvious choice to back up Poe at nose tackle, but the Panthers seem keen on trying him in rotation with Short and McCoy. Personally, I think his skillset would be best suited to rotating with Poe, but where he ends up playing is very much something to watch during training camp and the preseason.
Small Question: Can Anyone Separate Themselves?
There is a chance that the Panthers do go with six interior defensive linemen; with the potential for injuries, it is always worth having some depth going into training camp.
It seems as if the Panthers have one clear option at both nose tackle and 3-tech in Elijah Qualls and Destiny Vaeao respectively, with Woodrow Hamilton having the potential to play in either position, though most likely to see time at 3-tech.
Unless one of Poe, Love and Butler get injured, it would be something of a surprise to see the Panthers carry yet another player who can play the nose – for this reason, Qualls probably has the hardest role to a roster spot.
Of Hamilton and Vaeao, it would seem that Vaeao has the better chance to make the final roster, having been mixed in with the second string players during the offseason and having spent time with the Eagles over the last few seasons, seeing sporadic playing time and being reasonably productive – the Panthers will inevitably add an interior lineman to their practice squad, don’t be surprised if that’s Vaeao.
I wouldn’t go as far as to say that it is likely he makes the final roster, but there is a chance that the Panthers would like to carry another player who is a clear backup to Short and McCoy – while both Love and Butler can play there, they are both also likely to see at least some time at the nose as well. With that in mind, Vaeao would be a sensible option as a rotation piece who can offer some value lined up outside the guard.
Up Next: Rushing The Edge – Who Might Get Left Out In The Cold?
