The first day of Summer has come and gone, as has another round of summer workouts for the Panthers. We are down to 77 days left before Cam Newton and the Panthers take on Butt Fumble Mark Sanchez and the Denver Broncos to open the 2016 NFL season. The number 77 on the Panthers belongs to 2015 preseason darling DE Rakim Cox, so let’s take a look at him and where he might fit moving forward.
Bio
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 275
College: Villanova
Experience: 1 year
Career
Rakim Cox actually came into the league as an undrafted free agent in 2014 but was waived by both Minnesota and Miami before the season started. Desperate for another chance after sitting out 2014, Cox was invited to the Panthers’ rookie minicamp last season and he was able to impress the coaching staff enough to be signed to a contract. Cox played very well in the preseason, notching eight tackles and two sacks in the three games he played. Cox showed enough potential that the Panthers front office decided to add him to the practice squad, where he stayed throughout the regular season and playoffs.
His on field production in the preseason paled in comparison to the immature jokes made about the defensive line due to his name, especially when any combination of Cox, Johnson and Short were on the field. Scenarios like “Cox squeezed through the gap and hit him hard” make the 12-year-old me giggle inside. Here is a vine from the Bills game last preseason where Cox pounds the quarterback from behind *immature giggling*.
Rakim Cox definitely flashed potential last preseason, so I’m sure he’ll at least make it to the final cuts this year. With a lack of depth at defensive end, I could see Cox making the final 53, though another trip to the practice squad could be in the cards as well. The Panthers showed an affinity for Wes Horton over Cox last season as they added Horton to the roster multiple times when they needed defensive end depth and left Rakim on the practice squad. The current list of defensive ends has Cox anywhere from fourth to sixth on the depth chart behind Charles Johnson, Kony Ealy, Mario Addison, and possibly even Ryan Delaire and/or Wes Horton. With the gluttony of defensive tackles on the roster, the Panthers may only carry four defensive ends, though five seems more likely to me. If the Panthers do end up with five defensive ends, I would put Rakim’s chances at being one of those five at around 60% since he would have to beat out either Horton or Delaire. His chances to start are slim to none (barring injuries), but the Panthers love to rotate guys on the defensive line, so if he makes the team he’ll see plenty of snaps.
Rakim’s Twitter is collecting dust, but it can be found here. His Twitter promotes an Instagram account that appears to have been deleted, so don’t expect to get a whole lot of online interaction with Mr. Cox. He doesn’t have time for social media, he’s got a championship roster to earn a spot on!
Only 77 more days until revenge! Keep pounding, Panther fans!