I think this is the most important matchup you have listed. When we played the Seahawks in the Championship game, Smitty had 5 rec for 43 yards because of the safety over the top and mostly triple teaming all day. (I just have to remind you also that Goings started that game, got hurt, and Jamal Robertson was our #1 RB from the 2nd quarter until the final whistle, running for about 17 yards). Triple teaming Smitty this year will be a disaster for other teams. That will leave LBs to cover the #3 receiver, TE and RB. So Smitty has to beat the CB and 1 safety. Godfrey will be that one. I remember when we played the Colts, and Wayne caught that pass with Lucas right on top of him, and then Wayne took it to the house. No one has been able to figure out what our safeties did on that play, but this year, Godfrey will have to put a hit on a guy like Wayne to cause the incompletion.

A couple things I wanted to point out, though, just out of personal bias, is that I think Hilee Taylor will have a huge impact. He’s similar to Terrell Suggs, but faster. He’ll be about 255 this year, and he’s officially listed as a LB on the NFL.com site. He runs a 4.5 flat 40. That’s faster than Davis and he he has Davis on size as well (6-1 237 to 6-3 255). I think he’ll be able to do sme real damage and may be our perennial starter by the end of the season or next season. His final year at UNC was under former Browns coach Butch Davis. Davis got 10.5 sacks out of Taylor. With Taylor and Peppers coming on a passing down around the same side, someone is gonna get crushed.

You know our team is deep when we have back-ups we can ge excited about – Taylor, Connor, Barnidge, Stewart, Hackett, Moore, Scott, Holt, and Marshall. Life is good. We have a month until the preseason starts and then it’s on for real.

Davis has been invisible to me. I don’t know if he is performing as expected or not. I just never hear about him, or se ehighlights of him or anything. For all I know, he’s a shade under Pro Bowl level, but I just don’t know. Either way, I know it takes more than speed to unseat a LB, so we’ll see. We still have James Anderson, Adam Seward and Tim Shaw, so we’re pretty deep either way you look at it.

I thought Lucas had good coverage on that TD to Wayne. He was there with him stride for stride, but the good receivers tend to get a little separation at the last second. With Manning at QB, that’s all that’s needed. But with a Ronnie Lott like hit getting there as the ball does, that play ends up being an incompletion.

I haven’t heard anything on davis either but he can’t be doing too bad. He is the only linebacker on the panthers that I haven’t heard being moved or replaced at all. beason was being talked about moving over for connor and johnson is fighting for the last linebacker spot. but Davis seems like noone is even competing with him much for his spot so he must be doing pretty good.

Watch T. Davis’ last years’ play against the playoff bound Seahawks and Cowboys…. It’s completely obvious the light bulb FINALLY turned on in Davis’ head playing strong side .. That spot is his this year and I believe he is poised for a breakout season of bull rushing and punishing the ball carrier/target like he did Georgia.. He will have more passes defensed/interceptions this year as well , mostly because Beason will be much more comfortable directing traffic the Mike and putting his LB’s in positions to make some serious plays.. Landon Johnson will beat out Diggs on the weakside and Conner will get some playing time there as well.. I believe Foxy has a few tricks up his sleeve defensively, implementing some 3-4 formations w/ Beason/Conner in the middle, T. Davis/L. Johnson/Diggs on the outside and Peppers/Walker or Kemo as nose tackle / Brayton up front ..