Panthers Defensive Line Still Work-in-Process

New Panthers.com writer Andrew Mason has done a nice job so far previewing the positional battles we can expect at the Panthers soon-to-begin training camp. His recent review of the defensive line provides some good incite to the types of changes we can expect the Panthers to make this season to improve upon a dismal 2007 sack total.

One of the expected changes has been the move of DE Julius Peppers from the left side to his supposedly more natural right side. Yet I wouldn’t put that in ink just yet as John Fox points out.

"He might end up back on the left," Fox said in May. "But we are taking a look at it because he is a natural left-hand stance guy."

I’m not sure what makes a DE a “natural left-hand stance guy” other than maybe he’s either right or left handed. I would think being right-handed you would prefer to be on the right-side but it just may be personal preference. I’ll have to see which hand Peppers uses to sign autographs at TC to see which hand he favors.

As far as any changes in strategy DT Damione Lewis attempts to describe it here but later seems to contradict himself.

"I kind of look forward to the challenge, to the freedom and powers they've given us up front to be a little bit more creative," Lewis said. "I like it. I'm getting into what we're doing and the defensive calls and stuff like that, trying to see how I fit in with it, move with it and just feel it out, because it's completely different."

How different is it?

"We're doing more attacking up front. More blitzes," he said. "A lot of them are going to seem the same to our opponent, but I think it will give us an advantage, because they won't be able to read what we're doing by how we're lining up. That's basically it. It's really not too much more complicated than what we were doing last year."

So it seems the Panthers will be running more blitzes and stunts from their base 4-3 formation in addition to the nickel and dime formations. In today’s NFL you have to constantly disguise you’re intentions as well do just the opposite, show blitz but then drop back into coverage. The Panthers will have a lot more speed this season to send after the opposing QB and a failure to do just that would be a crime. The Panthers can’t rely just on talent or strength alone.

In spite of this added creativity in the end Fox is still going to rely a lot on the front four to get pressure in key situations.

"We were in the bottom third of the League in third-down defense last year, which is an area we have to get better at, rushing the passer with a four-man rush, and we think he's (Hilee Taylor) going to help address that," said Fox.  

Say what you want about Fox and Hurney and the mistakes they have made in the past but I remain confident they know what needs to change to get back to the playoffs. I also think they have done a good job upgrading the speed and talent along the defensive line. I look forward to seeing them in action next week.