A primary solution to Panthers’ pass rush problem could be secondary

For those wondering how the Carolina Panthers are going to replace the pass-rush production they lost when defensive end Greg Hardy left, general manager Dave Gettleman suggested they might be looking in the wrong place.

With Hardy missing all but the first game last season while waiting for a resolution in his domestic violence case, the Panthers saw their sacks plummet from a league-leading and club-record total of 60 in 2013 to 40 last year.

Now Hardy’s gone for good, having signed with Dallas when the Panthers chose not to bring him back. After Gettleman decided not to address the position in the draft or free agency, many fans and media members are curious who besides Charles Johnson is going to get to the quarterback.

Gettleman says part of the answer might be found in the secondary.

The third-year GM isn’t suggesting the Panthers are going to live and die by the safety blitz. But he said an internal study showed the biggest dip in sacks last season was in the secondary.

After losing blitz specialists Quintin Mikell (retired), Captain Munnerlyn and Mike Mitchell (left via free agency), the Panthers’ defensive backs accounted for only two sacks in 2014 after recording 11 during the 12-win season in 2013.

“The drop-off was with DB sacks,” Gettleman said. “That’s where the big drop-off was.”

But with Hardy, who tied a club record with 15 sacks in 2013, out for the final 15 games last season, the Panthers’ sacks were down across the board.

Defensive linemen produced 7.5 fewer sacks (from 40 to 32.5), while the linebackers’ total fell by 2.5 sacks.

Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott says pass rush has to start up front, but he also believes mixing in a “nice blend” of blitzes is important.

“I’m a big believer in you’ve got to be able to affect the quarterback rushing four. Then you start to get the back seven involved via blitz packages,” McDermott said. “That’s a big part, and we need to get back to getting more from our back seven.”

Harper had one sack

McDermott says mastering the timing of a blitz – not giving it away too early and then finishing with a sack – is an “art form.” McDermott, a former Philadelphia assistant, pointed to former Eagles safety Brian Dawkins as a skilled blitzer.

The Panthers hoped veteran strong safety Roman Harper, a free-agent pickup last offseason, would pick up some of the pass-rushing slack following the departures of Mikell, Mitchell and Munnerlyn.

Harper’s 18 sacks are the most among NFL defensive backs since 2006. But Harper’s only sack over the past three seasons came last season, when he often arrived at the quarterback too late when the Panthers sent him on blitzes.

Besides Harper, the only other defensive back with a sack was Charles Godfrey, who was cut in October then signed with Atlanta.

The Panthers can’t necessarily expect a spike in sacks from their secondary this season. Cornerback Charles Tillman and safety Kurt Coleman, two defensive backs signed in free agency, have three career sacks between them.

McDermott hopes to identify defensive backs with a knack for blitzing during training camp.

When the Panthers drafted Shaq Thompson in the first round, Panthers coach Ron Rivera said he planned to use the former Washington linebacker in various blitz packages.

But Rivera knows the Panthers have to generate more consistent pressure from their four-man front. And they’re working with the same defensive ends they had last year, with one exception.

Alexander was missed

Frank Alexander was Rivera’s training camp MVP last year. But he was of no help during the regular season: Alexander was suspended 14 games following two separate violations of the league’s substance abuse policy.

Alexander, who told the Observer he hasn’t smoked pot since a rehab stint last year, was one of the most productive players during organized team activities before injuring his groin. Alexander missed the three-day minicamp, leaving coaches uncertain of what they’ll get from him when training camp starts.

“Last year would’ve been a big year for Frank, especially with the situation and circumstances that we had (with Hardy out). He could’ve emerged,” Rivera said recently. “So now he’s kind of back at square one as far as that’s concerned. He’s going to have to compete like everybody else.”

If Alexander doesn’t win the starting spot opposite Johnson, whose 8.5 sacks in 2014 were his fewest since 2009, the Panthers will turn to three players who rotated at end last season – Kony Ealy, Mario Addison and Wes Horton.

Addison is a pure speed rusher who had 6.5 sacks last season, but he’s a liability against the run. Horton (6-5, 270) played predominantly on run downs in 2014, while Ealy, last year’s second-round pick, came on strong after a slow start.

Rivera seems most bullish on Alexander, but says the fourth-year player needs to develop consistency.

“You see those flashes, those moments when you go, OK, that’s why we drafted him,” Rivera said. “Then you see him do something and say, man he’s got to be more consistent. That’s really the word with him.”

Even with the decline in sacks, the Panthers again finished as a top-10 defense. And if a pass-rusher fails to emerge to fill the Hardy void, Rivera still believes McDermott’s scheme will be effective.

“We’ll do exactly what we did last year. We’ll rotate and do it by committee,” Rivera said. “We’ve got some other things in mind as well, some things we feel we’ll be able to do. We drafted Shaq for a reason. Some of the things (from minicamp) are going to help.”

This story was originally published June 30, 2015 at 8:40 PM with the headline "A primary solution to Panthers’ pass rush problem could be secondary."