Analyzing the Panthers 2017 Post-Draft Roster

[Steve_Smith_Sr.]

This is waaaaaaaay too scientific.  When can I start hating on Gettleman???  That's all I need to know.

[KB_fan]

Here's the side by side comparison of what our roster looked like on May 1 last year, and May 1 this year for the DE position.  (UDFAs excluded)

Coming Into 2016 we'd lost Jared Allen who played a very helpful role in our 2015 season, helping anchor the Dline and providing good run defense and great veteran leadership. 

We were counting on Kony Ealy to continue to develop following his breakout Super Bowl.  We also were hoping young guys, Cox, Delaire & Miley would show something.  We didn't bring in any new blood beyond Webster.

In 2017, we are clearly planning to rely heavily on experienced vets.  The youngest / "least experienced" of our presumed 4 main guys on the rotation (Addison, Horton, Johnson, Peppers) is Horton, with 45 games played.

But of course, that experience comes with a cost.  Age.  The average age of our current DE roster is 28, compared to 25.6 a year ago.  The average age of our 4 primary rotation guys is 30.8.  Yikes.   It's a VERY good thing we drafted a young rookie.  Let's hope Hall can contribute quickly and help keep the legs of our older vets fresh.  Maybe Delaire too can continue to develop with a guy like Peppers to learn from....   This group of DEs looks great, but another young guy (for the practice squad?) wouldn't go amiss.  Hopefully one of our UDFAs will flash...  I'll add those into this analysis once the UDFAs are announced.

 

 

[yasuhara2241]

@KB_fan great info! Our slow start last year had a lot to do with our defense. We gave up a ton of long drives and had a lot of miscommunication. As the young guys gained experience, our defense improved as a whole. Fast forward to 2017, we added more experience and our young guys gained a ton of valuable experience which helps us out a ton.

Now the negative, we got older. We know we got Captain for a few years but we don't know how long we have Adams, Peppers and CJ. We definitely need Hall to develop into a future starter and then hope that Boston continues to improve. He def was playing better at the end of last year.

[outlaw4]

1 hour ago, KB_fan said:

But of course, that experience comes with a cost.  Age.  The average age of our current DE roster is 28, compared to 25.6 a year ago.  The average age of our 4 primary rotation guys is 30.8.  Yikes.   It's a VERY good thing we drafted a young rookie.  Let's hope Hall can contribute quickly and help keep the legs of our older vets fresh.  Maybe Delaire too can continue to develop with a guy like Peppers to learn from....   This group of DEs looks great, but another young guy (for the practice squad?) wouldn't go amiss.  Hopefully one of our UDFAs will flash...  I'll add those into this analysis once the UDFAs are announced.

Last year, I recall saying that because of all the turnover in the secondary that we'd have to rely on our offense to carry us early in the season. It's not quite the opposite this time but the upside of all that experience on the defense is they'll be a stronger unit right off the gate. We may have to lean on that a bit because our offense was such a mess last season and despite all the great new pieces we have, it's going to take several games for that side of the ball to find their rhythm.

Of course, we'd love to have some fresh faces on the defensive side that can fill the eventual void we'll have. In the meantime, the hope is that we can take advantage of that experience to carry us on a deep run. If that age bites us with nagging injuries and whatnot, we might be in trouble.

[MBronson]

 

"We were stale & predictable on offense last year."

 

Ahmen

 

 

[KB_fan]

Working on the 2016 - 2017 post-draft roster comparison for two positions:

Defensive Tackles & Linebackers. 

I'll be posting those tables & analysis later today.

One striking factoid:  Not counting UDFAs, all 7 LBs who were on the roster on this date last year made the team (final roster or Practice Squad).  I'd bet quite a bit that we'll see a repeat of that this year.

[KB_fan]

Here's a side by side comparison of what the Panthers post-draft roster looked like in regard to Linebackers on May 1 2016 last year, and today. 

(UDFAs are not yet included... I'll be updating these tables with UDFAs later.  UDFAs are particularly of interest for LBs since both Cash & Norris were UDFAs who made the 53 man roster and saw some significant playing time last year.)

Talk about stability at a position!

Both last year and this year we have all our starters returning, we added no free agents, and didn't draft any LBs - though last year we added UDFA rookies who made the team - and we could well do so again this season if the buzz around Ben Boulware is to be believed!

Our 3 starters (TD, Luke & Shaq) have averaged 83 games apiece with 75 starts.   What a wealth of experience, with Luke & Shaq both in their prime.

The one big change in 2017 is the departure of AJ Klein.  Notice that in 2017 apart from TD / Luke / Shaq we now have no LBs on the roster with STARTING experience.  David Mayo is the presumed guy to fill part of that backup role vacated by Klein, and he has 2 seasons of solid game experience for the Panthers, but no starts as of yet.

 

[Ivan The Awesome]

I told you it deserved it's own thread.  

[General_Purr]

One thing that confuses me is that people think Captain is the end all be all for nickel. Wasn't he becoming very mediocre during the end for us? I feel he didn't see the field THAT much in Minn.. but they are loaded at corner.

I feel like it will be Bradberry and Worley manning the fort.. but both of them playing every single game healthy? How is the new safties speed? I feel like teams are gonna toss dingers at our secondary again. 

[KB_fan]

Ok, continuing a comparative look at our defense.... May 1 2016 v, May 1 2017. 

I've posted tables for CB, DE & LBs.... next up, DTs.

We've CLEARLY got the roster we love here.  Not even a whiff at bringing in any new blood / competition.  Totally unlike last year when we added veteran DT Soliai, Signed Crume & Thomas as free agents (actually we got Thomas off of waivers just after the draft I think...) and drafted Big Vern.  We didn't have as much confidence in Kyle Love going into 2016.  This year we seem to have our roster set in cement at DT.

About the only question is whether Eric Crume will get any competition at DT for a slot on the Practice Squad!  Perhaps too we might consider looking at depth behind Star depending on his contract situation next year.... but that's not really a huge priority right now.,

It's got to be nice for the coaches to have one or two positions on the roster (DT & LB) where you are completely sold on your guys and don't have to worry about trying to find upgrades! 

Hoping Vernon stays healthy this year and balls out.  I liked some of the flashes I saw from him last season. 

Thrilled we go into minicamp, OTAs and training camp with KK's extension inked.  No distractions.  Just focus on football.  Should be great to watch this group.

[KB_fan]

I'll try to get the analysis for safeties posted tonight too... then I can move on to offense tomorrow.  

With a lot more players on the offensive side of the roster currently, it will take me 2, maybe 3, days to finish the analysis for offense.

[averyshaffer4]

I'm praying that either Michael Oher or Taylor Moton get the start at tackle. I think those options are a whole lot better than Daryl Williams. 

[KB_fan]

Ok, here's the final position on defense.  The safeties. 

I confess this position had some surprises for me.  We've been a bit more active here in the offseason than many of us have thought.  Our depth already looks much better than last year, including depth behind presumed starters Mike Adams & Kurt Coleman.  (Boston has now started 16 games, so that alone strengthens our depth of experience.)

Following the draft last year we only had 7 safeties on the roster, having let Roman Harper leave the team at the end of 2015.  We didn't do much to replace Harper's experience, seeming to expect a starting duo of Coleman & Boston, though we did sign journeyman Trenton Robinson for a little depth, since behind Coleman & Boston, no safety on the team (not counting special teamer Colin Jones) had much experience.  Boston himself had only started 6 games prior to 2016.

Our gamble at safety in 2016 didn't work well.  IIRC, Robinson never made the roster and we started the season with Coleman & Boston, but added Michael Griffin a few weeks into the season when things were proving very rough in the defensive backfield...

In 2017, THANKFULLY, Dave Gettleman has been much more proactive.  Instead of relying on Boston to start, we've brought in pro-bowl veteran Mike Adams from Indianapolis.  A savvy vet replacement for Harper 1 year late.  Of particular importance, this move allows Coleman to move back to FS where he excelled for the Panthers in 2015.

We also quietly signed two journeyman, each with 2 seasons of play, in early January:  McCray from the 49ers, Southward from Atlanta.  Interestingly, the team appears to have now slated Brian Blechen as a safety.   (He was on the PS in 2016 as a LB.)  I seem to recall he played some safety in the preseason when almost all our safeties were nursing injuries, and that he impressed coaches.  (He played S in college I believe...)  Dixon started with the Panthers as a CB but was then moved to S during the preseason last year, I believe.

I know many of us wanted to add Jamal Adams or Obi...  and it would be nice to see some young talent get mentored behind Mike Adams.  But just maybe we have some guys already on the roster that our coaches like?  Hard to say.  But we've already been more proactive about this position after a difficult 2016.   It will be interesting to see how it shakes out.

[KB_fan]

I'll post one more table tonight... a summary table for the entire defense, comparing the state of the roster post-draft in 2016 and currently...   stay tuned.