Defensive Line will be stronger at....

[Zod]

???

[Jbro]

Jenga

[The Question]

Most definitely pass rushing. Charles Johnson and Everette Brown should get the job done if Tank Tyler can get some type of penetration and have a good season.

[Khyber53]

They will be monsters at the buffet line. After a year of training with Hollis Thomas last season, I believe they will really, really compete when it comes to all you can eat.

[Wither]

I think they will actually do better in the run.

[scpanther22]

effort.

[cookinbrak]

Defensive Line will be stronger at...

d) some point in the future.

[PhillyB]

they'll be equally mediocre at both.

hopefully our linebacking play will help make up for their deficiencies.

[Dpantherman]

I swear i will admit defeat if im wrong, but if I am right, and our Dline is just fine, i want every single downer who doubted the D-Line to step up and eat crow. Ill even make a crow-eating thread (w/ consent).

[CharlotteBeer.com]

We will have a pretty formidable pass rush thanks to Everette Brown, Greg Hardy and, perhaps most importantly, Charles "Country Strong" Johnson. The run defense won't be as bad as most people think.

I don't think this year's defense will look all that unlike last year's.

[NJPanthers12]

We will have a pretty formidable pass rush thanks to Everette Brown, Greg Hardy and, perhaps most importantly, Charles "Country Strong" Johnson. The run defense won't be as bad as most people think.

I don't think this year's defense will look all that unlike last year's.

i love the confidence i really do, and i hope your right. it is like i posted in another thread, this is a very talented team. our whole season lies on the shoulders of this d-line. i know everyone is excited about the training camp battles between the WR, QB, OL, and LB. but the most important battle is on the d-line.

I have faith in Leonard (who i really like) and Johnson, but Brown and Tyler are going to need to step up and prove me wrong. I like Brayton a lot but he is no game changer and we are in trouble if he is our most consistent player on the line.

[The Saltman]

wow nj you had a whole post without writing bro in it!!

[CharlotteBeer.com]

wow nj you had a whole post without writing bro in it!!

Only because "Brown" already has that word in it.

[panthers55]

I actually think the run defense will be improved this year if a few things happen.

Meeks needs to coach DEs to first hold the edge and then when it is clearly pass, go for the quarterback instead of rush headlong for the QB and allow big runs on the edge in the spot where the DE vacated.

The DT tackles need to play well at limiting the runs up the middle so the DEs don't always pinch in and the linebackers don't have to run blitz all the time instead of read and react. It again caused the DEs to get caught inside and teams could run wide last year any time they wanted.

And obviously we don't sustain a bunch of injuries.

The pass rush will be helped by more of a cover 1 man under scheme. Hopefully we go to that right off the bat instead of waiting for half the year to be over while teams gash our cover 2 zone. We need too be solid in the secondary in order to allow the line time to penetrate. Otherwise we will have to blitz more than we want. We have greater speed than we have ever had before and need to use it to our advantage.

Overall assessment- the run defense will be improved this year over last. The pass rush will develop over time but will not be great early. As the secondary and linebacker core gels, the line looks better and gets more sacks.