“Next man up” is more than just a saying, it’s a mentality for football players.
Anytime that circumstances call for the next guy to step up in the rotation, no matter what the situation, when your number is called, you must be ready. No one knows this more than Panthers defensive end Wes Horton.
Over the last several seasons, Horton’s number was not called that often – he played only 36% of the snaps in 2017 – but he took advantage of every opportunity; only five defensive lineman had more forced fumbles over the past two seasons than Horton – the same number as Calais Campbell with a third of the starts. But the Panthers will depend more on him this season as they no longer have their long-time starter Charles Johnson and Carolina needs someone to rotate with Julius Peppers and Mario Addison; when neither of the guys who led the team in sacks in 2017 are on the field, that leaves Horton to fill the void.
For the 28-year old USC product, stepping up to the plate is just another day at the office, and he is committed to doing whatever is necessary to pull his weight.
“However they want to use me, I’ll be ready,” Horton said over the weekend. “If it’s my time, it’s my time. But, I’m obviously going to have the mindset of a starter each and every day. I don’t want to lose any reps – I know this team is counting on me to lift my game up from last year.”
The variables entering this season are creating an opportunity for Horton to shine as a potential starter. Johnson is no longer with the team and Peppers is on PUP to start training camp after offseason surgery – the defensive line rotation that now defensive coordinator Eric Washington uses means a lot of reps for everyone – if they earn it. Ultimately, Horton’s fate is in his own hands. Despite all of that – and being in a contract year – he is adamant he is not feeling any pressure.
“You know, that’s kind of been where I’ve been my entire career,” said Horton, who had 5.5 sacks a year ago and is shooting for at least seven in 2018. “My second year, I had to step in when Greg Hardy got suspended. The fourth year, I came in for Kony [Ealy]. So, it’s nothing new for me. It’s just being able to compete with the ones each series.”
“That’s upping my game.”
Though there is a window of opportunity for Horton to emerge as a potential starter, he is still behind Peppers and Addison on both the depth chart and the rotation; Ron Rivera said it is important to have players that are dependable, and that’s the role Horton plays for Carolina.
“We still have Julius and we still got Mario,” Rivera said when asked if Horton would be ready to step up and move to that next level. “What Wes gives you, is a very consistent football player. That guy that you know you can count on, that’s going to be there and that’s going to do his job. He may not be flashy but he is going to do the job.”
Rivera added it is important for any team to have role players that specialize in certain areas and reiterated that is Horton’s role for the Panthers. Granted, he is still the third option at this point. Nevertheless, it’s not a far-fetched idea to see him getting more reps and potentially starting – don’t forget that Charles Johnson was the starter last year and future first-ballot Hall of Famer Julius Peppers ‘came off the bench’.
If Horton is going to get more run in the rotation, it will be his performance in Spartanburg and the preseason games to show he is more than just a role player. But when his number is called, he’ll be ready.
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