Pass Defense
The new-look Panthers’ defense is expected to mix-and-match defensive backs based on match-ups and play-call; this is something that could benefit Searcy, as while he is not poor in coverage, his versatility in this regard is somewhat limited. The Panthers are also expected to continue with a mixed coverage scheme, albeit with a little less man coverage, and one of the ways in which the Panthers might look to use the rotation to benefit Searcy is to minimize the amount of time he spend in man coverage. While he does a good job of breaking up the pass on the following play, his ability to mirror-and-match against receivers leaves a reasonable amount to be desired:
Searcy does have at least some ball skills, however, as can be seen on the following play:
From this, the most logical usage for Searcy in coverage is in zone, and he does at least show some effectiveness here. On the following play, he again uses that change of speed and awareness to limit yards after the catch on a route designed to create just that:
Additionally, when the the ball doesn’t go to his area, his willingness to continue to pursue to the ball and his sure tackling technique does add value:
This is really Searcy’s greatest addition to any pass defense; his ability to make plays on receivers in space. While Searcy is almost certainly going to be limited as a coverage player going forward, he is not so poor as to be a genuine liability. Based on this, it is likely that the rookie Gaulden will see some snaps in coverage, especially as the season goes on. Searcy is almost certainly not the long-term solution at free safety, but if Gaulden is behind schedule entering the season, then Searcy should be able to hold down the starting position for the immediate future.
