Welcome to our offseason series detailing the Panthers offseason needs and how they might address them. Be it through the draft, free agency, or the answer being “on the roster”, the Panthers will need to fill holes all across their roster to field a full 53 heading into 2018. No matter how set the Panthers may seem at a position, there is no reason why the Panthers can’t constantly get better; that will start with an open and honest evaluation of who is on the roster currently, how they performed in 2017 and whether those players will be returning.
Previously, on “Evaluating The Cupboard”:
- Quarterbacks: Will Derek Anderson be back? Is Garrett Gilbert the future backup?
- Wide Receivers: Is a trio of Devin Funchess, Curtis Samuel and Damiere Byrd enough? Or is it just a good start?
- Running Backs: Will Jonathan Stewart become a cap casualty? Is Cameron Artis-Payne due for a bigger role?
Cornerbacks
In 2017, the Panthers moved from a Sean McDermott defense that played almost exclusively zone coverage to a more mixed scheme that blitzed even more than in previous years while playing more man coverage on the back end. This placed enormous pressure on the Panthers’ cornerbacks, with mixed results. While new defensive coordinator Eric Washington might look to scale back some of the changes that were made in 2017, a lot of it will start with the play of the cornerbacks themselves; how are the Panthers looking at cornerback going into the offseason?
The Dynamic Duo
When the Panthers drafted two corners with back-to-back picks in 2016, it was hoped that the two would develop into a starting cornerback partnership to replace Charles Tillman and Josh Norman; while things have not been totally smooth sailing since then, the Panthers do seem to have a pair of competent corners in Worley and Bradberry. Even though 2017 saw some good things from the pair, the move towards a more aggressive man-based scheme was not kind to the second-year corners; while Bradberry has looked competent at times in man coverage, both he and Worley were drafted to play in the Panthers then zone-heavy scheme. Their skill sets don’t quite match up well with what Wilks tried to do last season.
If the Panthers continue to ask their corners to play a lot of man coverage on the back end, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the secondary looks under stress in 2018 just as it did this season; that probably shouldn’t be seen as a criticism of the players as much as the coaching. In a division with Julio Jones, Desean Jackson, Mike Evans, Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn, any team that insists on playing a significant amount of man coverage is going to find themselves putting undue pressure on their corners.
Despite both Worley and Bradberry having an extra year to develop, the Panthers’ pass defense was actually worse in 2017 than in 2016, in large part due to the very low interception percentage. While some of this can be put down to bad luck, the increased use of man coverage certainly did not help the situation. Both Bradberry and Worley look to be starting-caliber corners in the NFL and the Panthers certainly shouldn’t be looking to spend resources on new outside corners, but both are unsuited to man-heavy defenses and the Panthers need to be more intelligent about how they use them in 2018 and beyond.
Nickel and Dimes
The Panthers signed Captain Munnerlyn last offseason to add a quality nickel to the cornerback group, but Munnerlyn has seen the field far less than expected, not helped by some poor tackling performances and inconsistent coverage; Munnerlyn has always excelled at the big plays and like Bradberry and Worley would probably be better utilized in a more zone-heavy scheme as man coverage has never really been his forte. Given his inconsistent performances this year, it would not be a surprise to see Munnerlyn facing a battle to return as the Panthers’ starting nickel.
Munnerlyn’s main competition should come from Corn Elder, who missed all of the 2017 season due to injury. Elder will likely view 2018 as his rookie season and showed a nice combination of athleticism and stout run defense while in college. Munnerlyn’s contract makes it hard for the Panthers to cut him this offseason, and while his contract could be largely moved in a trade, he is likely to still be on the roster come training camp. Whoever ends up starting at nickel for the Panthers, it is unlikely that the team looks to invest any cap space or draft picks into adding yet more competition at this position.
The Other Guys
While the Panthers aren’t swimming in corner depth, there are a number of options for training camp that are likely to return. Kevon Seymour might not have shone this past season, but he at least showed enough to merit his return in 2018. Given his ability to play both inside and out there is a real chance that he makes the Panthers’ roster, especially if they fail to add another corner in either free agency or the draft. Ladarius Gunter has struggled for vertical speed at times in his career, but has also showed good ball skills and some decent ability as a zone corner. If the Panthers do move on from either Munnerlyn or Elder, Gunter may have a chance to make the roster as well.
The Panthers do have a number of other cornerback options under contract for 2018 such as Cole Luke and Zach Sanchez, but in both cases the Panthers would likely have little interest in them making the final roster barring a significant injury. While it would be surprising to see the Panthers dedicate much time or effort into adding more corners, if they see the opportunity to add some competition either through a low-value free agent or a UDFA, then they could do so.
The Panthers have little need to add more corners, as Worley and Bradberry look to be a solid pair on the outside and Corn Elder looks to offer promise on the inside. Adding players for depth could be useful, but really, the biggest thing the Panthers could do to improve their corner play would be to move back to a more zone-based defense that prioritizes taking away the deep ball and forcing turnovers over attempting to lock down defenders across the field.
Offseason Priority: Low
