A Charlotte native is bringing ‘new ideas’ to help the Panthers and Jeremy Chinn
It didn’t take long for new defensive backs coach Steve Wilks to identify what to do with safety Jeremy Chinn.
“Coach (Wilks) we came in. And I said, ‘Steve, I want you to watch Jeremy and tell me what you think,” ’ Panthers defensive coordinator Phil Snow said. “And he said, ‘Coach, I think he can be an all-pro safety.’ ”
In February, the Panthers hired Wilks as their defensive pass game coordinator/secondary coach, marking his second stint with Carolina. He originally joined the Panthers coaching staff in 2012 as defensive backs coach, and served as assistant head coach from 2015-2017 before taking on defensive coordinator duties in 2017.
A graduate of West Charlotte High, Wilks is already influencing the next generation of Panthers defensive backs by seeing a lot of what Snow saw in Chinn since Day 1. Wilks’ confirmation has Chinn poised to remain at safety in 2022 with high expectations.
“If we just settled him at the safety position, all the different stuff we do with the safeties, he’s gonna be a really, really effective and a great Panther back there,” Snow said. “So I’m excited about Jeremy staying back there.”
Chinn was near the line of scrimmage a lot more in 2021 than his rookie season. According to Pro Football Focus, Chinn aligned in the box or on the defensive line 153 more times last season versus 2020. He’s effective anywhere, but focusing on playing safety should simplify his workload. Last season, coach Matt Rhule said Chinn had to know “five or six different positions each week.”
That explains how much Chinn had to know playing in Snow’s complex, multilayered scheme. Expect Chinn to still roam all over the field but that’s more of a testament to Snow’s effective safety deployment than it is Chinn still playing some linebacker.
Wilks’ addition to Carolina gives the Panthers one of the most experienced defensive units in football. Wilks and Snow have known each other for 25 years. On staff together for the first time, their combined expertise should unlock the potential of the Panthers’ secondary.
But Chinn is just one player. It’ll take a cohesive secondary to play the brand Snow envisions. The Panthers are in the infancy of crafting that defense.
Despite Carolina returning several key players from last year’s second-ranked defense (in yards allowed), Carolina did not retain free-agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who signed a two-year, $23 million deal with the Colts. But they did bring back Donte Jackson on a team-friendly deal worth $35.1 million over three seasons. The Panthers also expect second-year cornerback Jaycee Horn back to 100 percent this offseason after missing 14 games with a broken foot last season.
The team is optimistic about how former 2020 No. 9 pick C.J Henderson will improve in his third season. Carolina traded tight end Dan Arnold and a 2022 third-round pick to Jacksonville for Henderson and a 2022 fifth-rounder last September. Jackson, Horn and Henderson lead a deep cornerback room that also features Rashann Melvin, Keith Taylor, Myles Hartsfield, Troy Pride Jr., and Chris Westry.
“In the fall, I think we’re gonna be dynamic and exciting to watch back there, which gives us flexibility,” Snow said. “We’re gonna be able to match up on three really good receivers, and we have people that can man-up on really good tight ends. I’m excited about the possibilities and what we can do with the group we have coming back there.”
Carolina doubled down on adding experienced coaching to their defense. Along with Wilks, the team also hired Paul Pasqualoni, who has more than 40 years of total coaching experience and 10 seasons in the NFL. He spent 17 years as a Division 1 coach, 14 years at Syracuse, and another three with Connecticut. He’ll coach the Panthers’ defensive line.
Pasqualoni and Snow are busy scheming ways to replace edge rusher Haason Reddick’s team-high 11 sacks and 18 quarterback hits last season. Replacing Reddick will land on several Panthers’ defenders, including linebacker Frankie Luvu, who the team extended with a two-year, $9 million deal. He only counted $1.1 million against the cap in 2021.
Snow also said the team expects Yetur Gross-Matos to improve in his upcoming third season.
“Yetur is gonna play over the tight end,” Snow said. “And you know, you’ll present a lot of problems on first and second down, and then obviously he’s really a good pass rusher on third down, inside. So that flexibility to use him in a lot of different ways.”
Expectations remain high for returning starters Brian Burns and Derrick Brown. Burns, a 2019 first-round selection, has 25.5 sacks over three seasons. (No one in his draft class has more.) Carolina will pick up his fifth-year option soon and explore a lucrative extension. Meanwhile, Brown must play better entering his third season.
To provide Brown some help against the run, Carolina signed former Washington defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis. The 6-foot-3, 310-pounder played six seasons in Washington and was one of the NFL’s best run defenders last season. Pro Football Focus graded Ioannidis at 65 overall or higher the past five seasons.
“Ioannidis is a very versatile guy for us upfront,” Snow said. “He can play nose or the three-tech for us. Two years ago, for defensive tackle’s pressure per rush, he had the most of anyone in the NFL. He’s also stout enough to play the run.”
Snow also spoke highly of other newcomers Cory Littleton and Xavier Woods. He said Littleton can run and can match up against tight ends while Woods will pair well with Chinn. But for Carolina to be more than a low-yardage allowing defense, Snow said there are two key areas they must improve.
“We’ve got an outstanding group. If we want to be a championship defense, we have to get more turnovers and we got to play better in the red zone,” Snow said. “How we develop, progress, communicate and our leadership, all those things have to be developed over the next six months.”
Based on Snow’s tone, Wilks, Pasqualoni and the collection of new talent are off to a fine start.
