A deeper look into the Panthers DE position

              With the youth moment throughout the Carolina Panthers roster and the departure of All-Pro DE Julius Peppers the Panthers appear to be pretty dry at the Defensive End position coming into April's Draft. Coming into this years draft Defensive End seems to be one of the teams greatest needs with questions about our ability to rush the passer with the departure of Peppers. Today i am going to farther analyze our players who are currently on the roster playing the Defensive End position. 

Here are the current players on Carolina's roster at DE

Everette Brown 6-1 256lb 22yrs. 2EXP

Tyler Brayton 6-6 280lb 30yrs. 8EXP

Charles Johnson 6-2 275lb 23yrs. 4EXP

Eric Moore 6-4 268lbs 29yrs 5EXP

Hilee Taylor 6-2 250lbs 23yrs 3EXP

             First we are going to analyze Eric Moore and Hilee Taylor. Both of these guys are basically depth chart players. They are decent backups and can come in and replace a starter if an injury occurs. They provide depth to the and bodies at the position. Next is Tyler Brayton who was at one point released by the Panthers and then resigned by the team. I strongly believe the Panthers bought him back because of the lack of leadership present at the position and on the D-Line. Brayton had a solid season as a starter in 2009 posting 46 tackles and 5 sacks. Brayton mostly played on running downs because of his run stuffing abilities. In fact i believe Brayton was the best run stopper at the DE position in 2009. He will almost surely compete with Charles Johnson for a starting spot in training camp.

               Now we come to to the guys i really want to key on in this article: Everette Brown and Charles Johnson

 

Chuck Burton / Associated Press                            (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

 Expect to see these guys in the QB's face more often in 2010

         Expect to see former Georgia BullDog Charles Johnson alot next year as he has a chance to compete for the starting job in 2010. Johnson also posted solid numbers last year from the backup role with 25 tackles and 4 sacks. Johnson he who played mostly on passing downs from either the DE spot or DT spot, has a heck of alot of potienal. From watching all of the Panthers games last year i have seen that this guy can rush the passer. I think if given a chance to start he can really wreck havok in a opponents backfield against the pass and the run. Expect this guy to compete with Tyler Brayton for the starting spot next year and be in the DE rotation next season.

        Last but not least we have Florida State product whom Carolina traded this years 1st round pick to move up in last years draft to get: Everette Brown. Because of his signature spin move, Brown is a guy that alot of drafts experts compare to Indianapolis Pro Bowl DE Dwight Freeney. In 2009 Brown post 22 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Historically it takes Defensive Ends to develop longer than other positions. For Example in the 2006 draft with the first pick the Houston Texans selected NC State's DE Mario Williams. Many so-called "Experts" critized the pick saying that they should have pick USC runningback Reggie Bush. During that season it seemed like they were right as Williams posted just 4.5 sacks. But the next few seasons Williams posted amazing numbers with 14 sacks in 2007, 12 sacks in 2008 and 9 sacks in 2009. The point of this story is to show that many Defensive Ends need time to develop their skills and adjust to the game speed of the NFL. Brown is quickly learning that his signature spin move that worked on almost all Offensive tackles in college doesn't nessessary work in the NFL. Just because Brown only posted 2.5 sacks doesn't mean that we wasted this years first round pick like some fans are claiming but it does mean he may need more time to develop his hand skills and how low he gets coming off the ball. Because the Panthers were so high on Brown in last years draft i think he is mostly likely going to start. But one of his and Charles Johnson's biggest problems is the ability to bring the QB down when they get in the backfield. I have seen games where Brown and Johnson wouldv'e posted mutiple sacks if it weren't for there inability to bring the QB down.

         Overall i think Panther fans should feel good about the potienal of some of the young guys we have at DE. With Brayton, Johnson and Brown i expect at least 20-25 sacks between the 3 of them. With the of potenial Johnson and Brown i see why the Panthers are turning to the younger guys on the roster to step up and play. I think they still need to draft a DE in the 3rd or 4th round to add more depth or maybe step in and play if Brown or Johnson don't produce like expected. Overall I see a solid 2010 season pass rushing out of our DE group that we have here in Carolina, that as Panthers fans can help move us out Peppers shadow.