Panthers defensive end Ryan Delaire seeks to add moves, power as pass rusher

Besides recovering from shoulder surgery, defensive end Ryan Delaire is using the offseason to expand his pass-rush repertoire.

Delaire had two sacks in his Panthers debut at Tampa Bay last October after Carolina signed him from Washington’s practice squad after injuries at the position. But Delaire’s sack numbers fell off precipitously -- as Panthers coach Ron Rivera predicted -- after opposing offensive linemen studied tape of Delaire.

Delaire was credited with just a half-sack over his final eight regular-season games, and was inactive for four others.

Delaire, 24, undrafted out of Towson in 2014, knows he needs more than a speed rush to be successful in the NFL.

“I’ve been working on trying to get more than just one move,” Delaire said. “This year I’m trying to incorporate more power into my game.”

Rivera has mentioned Delaire and Rakim Cox a couple times this offseason as two young defensive ends with a high upside. Delaire (6-4, 265) said he expects to be 100 percent for training camp following offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum.

This story was originally published June 7, 2016 at 5:21 PM with the headline "Panthers defensive end Ryan Delaire seeks to add moves, power as pass rusher."