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Carolina Panthers Vastly Improve Cornerback Unit

KatsAzz

By KatsAzz,
in Carolina Panthers

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KatsAzz

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https://www.yahoo.com/news/panthers-were-worst-last-season-230000162.html

What the Panthers were worst at last season may now be what they’re best at

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Trying to figure out the rotation at cornerback for the Carolina Panthers in 2020 was like playing chess. The pieces were always moving. It was perhaps one of their biggest struggles in Year 1 of the Matt Rhule era.

Donte Jackson dealt with a toe injury for much of the season. Rasul Douglas was inconsistent. Eli Apple never became the player the Panthers were expecting, and they later cut him. And Troy Pride, then a rookie, went through struggles of his own.

But with the addition of former Pro Bowl cornerback A.J. Bouye, No. 8 overall draft pick Jaycee Horn, and a healthy Jackson, the Panthers hope their cornerback room can be one of their better units in 2021 and not a hindrance “We have a lot more flexibility rotating,” defensive coordinator Phil Snow said Wednesday. “Even Keith Taylor, he’s a fifth-rounder, but I thought he was going to go in the second or third.

“My biggest concern is making sure I can get all these guys on the field to make plays.”

That wasn’t so much a problem in 2020.

With Jackson having to sit at some point in almost every game last season because of his toe injury, the Panthers often had to rely on then rookies Pride and Stantley Thomas-Oliver to fill in. As a result, they often struggled, particularly Pride.

The Panthers had hoped Pride could sit and develop, but the lack of bodies forced the Panthers to use him earlier than they were hoping.

Pride wasn’t the only problem. Douglas had issues, too. While he played well in some games, like Week 6 against the Chicago Bears when he was targeted six times and allowed two completions for 29 yards, he struggled in others. Against the Denver Broncos in Week 14, Drew Lock passed for 280 yards and four touchdowns. Douglas allowed four catches in coverage that week for 132 yards and three touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference.

The Panthers had the 25th-worst pass coverage grade out of 32 NFL teams last season, according to Pro Football Focus.

But this offseason, the Panthers upgraded their cornerback room in a major way. Not only did they sign Bouye, and drafted Horn and Taylor, but they also signed veteran Rashaan Melvin. And Pride and Thomas-Oliver should be better in Year 2, having had more experience.

“We feel like in a 17-game season, especially in the NFC South, we’re going to need a lot of really good corner play,” Panthers coach Matt Rhule said. “We like to have a lot of depth and like to have more variability.”

Horn, players and coaches say, looks as good as advertised. He was one of the best shutdown cornerbacks in college football last year. He was targeted 24 times through seven games last season and allowed only eight catches, three for touchdowns, but intercepted two passes. He also had six pass deflections.

Bouye should add another veteran presence to a young cornerback room. While he hasn’t put up the same numbers as he did in 2017 when he made the Pro Bowl and was voted second-team All-Pro, he’s still been solid.

And despite Jackson’s injury last season, he showed flashes of potential. Though he played in only 57% of the team’s snaps, statistically, it was his best season. He intercepted three passes and allowed four touchdowns. Opponents had a 79.2 passer rating when targeting him.

This year, with a healthy toe and an expiring rookie contract, Jackson hopes to continue to improve. He said he’s trying to learn from his mistakes in practice. But he’s most excited about the group as a whole.

“We can be dominant. We can be dominant,” Jackson said. “Especially with a front seven like we have ... We have the IQs in the back end, the physicality and we have the speed. It’s just going to be all about detailing, and being consistent and working.”

Edited by KatsAzz
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