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Are we running the correct defensive system with the players we have? – Jack L.
This is another great question, and one that is tough to answer.
Jack, in all honesty, the current talent being rotated along the defensive line is not the greatest. I’ve said for months, and even dating back to last season, that some players up front did not fit Evero’s run-first defensive attack.
As a disclaimer, I have no inside knowledge of what the responsibilities and rules are for each player. This is my best guess at what I’ve seen based on film and analytics.
In Evero’s defense, you need players who are versatile on the backend and can come down and play big nickel in a heavy Cover 3 defense. This is an area I don’t have a significant concern over when healthy. The front seven is where it gets interesting.
At off-ball linebacker in this system, you need players who can fit the run well. Shaq Thompson was on his way to a career year before another season-ending injury, and Josey Jewell is questionable to play again this week. Rookie Trevin Wallace will likely fit in any defensive system due to his athleticism and physicality, but the depth does not feature players that can consistently fit the run and hold the point of attack.
Evero wants to be creative in his pass rushes and in his ability to generate pressure. Current Washington Commander Frankie Luvu was very good in this role, which is why there is not a heavy reliance on the outside linebackers. Along the defensive line, players are expected to maintain two-gap discipline—which means they are responsible for two gaps instead of just one if they are playing in a 4-3 base front.
Lineman Shy Tuttle is someone that I felt wasn’t a great fit for the Panthers defense from the start. He played in a four-man front in New Orleans before his time in Carolina, and had some relative success. He’s been asked to be the Panthers’ nose tackle and has been outplayed numerous times.
Right now, Carolina doesn’t have players on their defensive front that fit what Evero wants to do. If he is still around next offseason, general manager Dan Morgan will have more wiggle room in terms of players’ contracts and their potential outs to reimagine the defense.
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