Talent Upgrades

The general consensus among CSR readers this offseason has been the team should identify a number two cornerback to step up and replace Captain Munnerlyn as Chris Gamble's running buddy, as well as bring in competition for Sherrod Martin at the starting free safety position. Many wouldn't mind parting ways with Martin altogether.

This sentiment about the way Martin performed during his sophomore 2011 campaign may be shared by some at the top level of Panthers management if Owner Jerry Richardson's reaction to his name during a game of word association with the in an interview earlier this year with the Charlotte Observer's Tom Sorenson .

"I think he plays Safety," Richardson glossed over the former Troy cornerback's name in January. This after first retorting, "What about him?"

Even more telling than the curtness of the quote is the greater context of the conversation, during which EACH of the other players whose names were mentioned - without fail - earned some type of praise.

Wilks may well have further tipped the Panthers hand going into the Draft shortly after joining the coaching staff during Senior Bowl Week, when he commended the depth and quality of this year's defensive back Draft pool, remarking "it's probably one of the best classes they've had in years as far as corners and safeties."

There is a school of thought the team already has a replacement for Munnerlyn on its roster in Brandon Hogan. The team drafted the corner in the fourth round last year as a senior coming from West Virginia University. He was considered by many to have a first-round grade in the 2011 NFL Draft, but was befallen by a knee injury in his college's bowl game that sidelined him for the majority of the season last year. When he did get on the field against the Houston Texans late in the season, Hogan put some flashes on tape and should be healthy coming into Camp.

The situation at safety is more dire, as there is no perceived savior waiting in the wings aside from Sherrod Martin, who may well be the problem.

Combine Defensive Backs

A list of Combine participants can be found on the NFL's Website at: http://www.nfl.com/combine/participants. This is a long list of athletes, including more than 35 corners and 21 safeties, which is broken into two groups at the Scouting Combine. Both groups step onto the field for workouts in Indy Tuesday.

Safeties

Alabama Strong Safety Mark Barron is widely considered the best safety in this year's draft class headed into the Scouting Combine. - via www.nepatriotsdraft.com

Cornerbacks

LSU Cornerback Morris Claiborne is considered the top cornerback prospect in the NFL headed into Combine workouts, and is a player whose progress the Panthers will monitor until April. - via media.nola.com

The conventional mode of thinking has been the class of the cornerbacks in this April's Draft is LSU standout Morris Claiborne headed into the Scouting Combine, with a deep pool of talent including several prospects who can elbow their way high into the first round with a strong performance.

Alabama's Dre Kirkpatrick displays unusual size and athleticism for the position, but will have to answer questions about a recent off-the-field incident involving marijuana possession in which no charges were filed against him. In a similar position, North Alabama's Janoris Jenkins wishes he only had one incident to explain. He was kicked off Florida's team prior to last season after a series of off-the-field incidents and arrests, yet possesses a unique skill set that he's displayed at multiple levels and most recently at the Senior Bowl where he was a standout.

There are, literally, a ton of intriguing prospects behind this top-three going into the Draft, many of whom have been scouted and outlined previously on CSR. I'd note several prospects who show some promise and have been on display for football fans in the Carolinas in Virginia's Chase Minnifield, Georgia's Brandon Boykin, North Carolina's Charles Brown, South Carolina's Stephon Gilmore and Vanderbilt's Casey Heyward, who could do much to make their case to Panthers scouts why they should stay in the region to play pro ball. The NFL also ranks Nebraska's Alfonzo Dennard, Montana's Trumaine Johnson, Oklahoma's Jamell Fleming and others as above-average prospects.

Cornerback talent is certainly vociferous at this year's scouting event, so I wouldn't be surprised for the Panthers to be scoping a guy in the second or fourth to fill that role. This is provided Claiborne doesn't experience a Draft Day slide that delivers him to Charlotte's waiting arms.

Perhaps even more urgent is the team's need to shore up its safety unit, and the safety class appears to be less replete with easily distinguishable talents. There also may be a feeling the changes to the coaching staff can help develop Martin during his third year in the NFL, and mean the team could get by with bringing in a solid backup next year.

If the team does look safety, it too would seem to have to come in the middle rounds, since there is no talent that has served notice it is worthy of the ninth pick before the Combine.

Free Agency may also play a factor in this equation.