Panthers mailbag: Besides Steve Wilks, who could Panthers be interested in for next head coach
Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks hopes Carolina will accomplish two things following its Week 13 bye: win consecutive games and be victorious on the road.
The Panthers (4-8) can accomplish both by beating the Seahawks next Sunday in Seattle.
Until then, Panthers players have the week off. Wilks said he encouraged players to enjoy time with their families and relax during the bye. But by Monday, he expects a return to focus considering the Panthers can still win the NFC South.
During the bye week, we took a select trio of questions from our beat writers’ weekly AMAs (ask me anything) on Twitter and expanded on answers given to the best questions.
Hede are three questions selected for this week’s mailbag:
From im_jaylon on Twitter: Outside of Wilks, who do you think the Panthers are interested in talking to for the HC spot?
Regardless of how the season ends, the Panthers will conduct a national search for their next head coach.
As The Observer first reported, support to retain Wilks has been growing for weeks. Panthers owner David Tepper is expected to make a traditional hire. Wilks checks a lot of the head-coaching boxes Tepper seeks. He’s a firm leader who commands the team like a CEO.
But there are several other candidates who will intrigue Carolina. Names to watch include DeMeco Ryans, Leslie Frazier and Dan Quinn. There likely will be more than a dozen candidates who will be mentioned in the same breath as Carolina from now until the season’s end. Are any of them more qualified than Wilks? Probably not.
CEO mentality aside, Tepper also wants an excellent communicator who can clearly deliver their singular vision across the coaching staff, locker room, front office and to media. Being a sharp offensive or defensive mind is also vital though it is not necessary for the Panthers’ next coach to call either offensive or defensive plays, according to a league source.
From t_panthers on Twitter: How many more wins do you see on the schedule/do you think Wilks stays or we have a new coach next year?
Former Panthers coach Matt Rhule likely would’ve kept his job had he won more games. It’s often that simple in the NFL. Entering the season, it often felt like Rhule had to make the playoffs to reach Year 4.
Wilks is probably operating with a similar barometer.
Wilks should earn more of a benefit of the doubt than Rhule got toward the end. Optics matter for Wilks. Ten-point losses to teams like the Baltimore Ravens should help his case.
If Carolina can go into Weeks 17 and 18 with a chance to win the NFC South then Wilks will have a strong case to be the coach next year.
From @joeldgut1 on Twitter: How do you rank this defensive unit in relation to the rest of the NFL?
According to Football Outsiders, the Panthers’ defense ranks 20th in DVOA. (DVOA is a method of evaluating teams, units, or players. It takes every single play during the NFL season and compares each one to a league-average baseline based on the situation). That sounds low considering the marquee players Carolina features at key positions.
Defensive end Brian Burns set his single-season high sack total last week. Through 12 games, his 10 sacks are tied for fifth-most with Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett and Chiefs three-technique Chris Jones.
Defensive tackle Derrick Brown is becoming one of the best players in football. Cornerback Jaycee Horn has allowed the fewest yards of any cornerback with a minimum of 200 snaps. His 38.3 passer rating allowed is the lowest. Horn has only given up four first downs, also the fewest.
Safety Jeremy Chinn has only played in five games this season but remains a critical part of the defense.
But the defense has questions opposite Burns. Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos is playing better recently but has not progressed enough yet. At linebacker, Frankie Luvu can be a weapon at times, but the rest of the linebacker room will be in flux during the offseason.
Free safety Xavier Woods and cornerback C.J. Henderson should be back next year, too.
Like most budding defenses, the Panthers need firmer edge setters, another gap-filling tackle, secondary depth and an affordable but versatile middle linebacker.
Six times the Panthers’ defense has held opponents to 16 points or less. Carolina is 4-2 in those games.
Defense is not the issue in Carolina regardless of who the next head coach is.
