Carolina Panthers Defensive Team/Special Teams

July 24, 2009 @ 01:00:00

By KFFL Staff
Edited by KFFL Staff

Carolina Panthers Defensive Team/Special Teams

Bye wk	Tot TD	Spec Tm TD	Fum TD	Int TD	Int	Fum Rec	Sacks	Safety
4	2	0	1	2	16	13	41	0

Pros: This Panthers D returns 10 of 11 starters from last year. They came in ninth with 37 sacks. Defensive end Julius Peppers had a renaissance season with 14.5 sacks, a career best. With the arrival of ex-Indianapolis Colts coordinator Ron Meeks, the Panthers will try to extract more quarterback pressure from the D-line; he worked well with Colts ends Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney. This looks to be a simpler defensive scheme than what head coach John Fox has employed. With running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, they have the ground game to take some pressure off the D.

Cons: The transition phase may be rough. Meeks didn't exactly produce too many elite defensive units during his Indy years, and Carolina might not have the defensive speed to fully utilize Meeks' Cover 2 structure. The Panthers ranked in the middle of the league in turnovers, meaning any rough go in a new defensive dressing decreases their chances of improving that. The Panthers D faltered near the end of last season after being one of the top defenses in terms of opponents' scoring.

Fantasy tip: Carolina is a risky defense to bank on given they're in a transition season. Even with their personnel continuity, they can't be an every-week play. If they can keep up their quarterback pressure, they could be a worthy one-week play. Many fantasy owners are overvaluing them as a fringe No. 1 unit, though.

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