Panthers mailbag: Which players fit Evero’s defense? Thoughts on Carr vs. draft trade?
The Carolina Panthers have been busy over the past two weeks.
First, the Panthers’ brass hired Frank Reich as the sixth full-time head coach in franchise history. Then, on Sunday, the Panthers agreed to terms with former Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero to fill the same role under Reich.
Following those two massive hires, Panthers fans understandably have questions about how Reich and Evero will impact the Carolina roster. The Observer brought back its reader mailbag to answer those questions.
Here are the questions and answers from our recent social media AMA (ask me anything) that were worthy of deeper dives in the mailbag:
Multiple readers on Twitter ask: With Evero having a background with the 3-4 base defense, which current Panthers players fit that system?
This thought is likely where most Panthers fans’ minds went when it was announced that Evero was going to be the new defensive coordinator. The Panthers ran a lot of 4-3 base looks under Matt Rhule and Phil Snow, so there would be some adjustments made if Evero brought his 3-4 system to town.
However, it’s important to note a few things. Most defensive coordinators use hybrid looks in today’s NFL, including Evero. My understanding is that he likes to run a 3-4 defense with Cover 2 zone coverage often. However, in nickel formation — which is a base defense for most coordinators — he tended to lean on 4-2-5 groupings in coverage in Denver. That means that the front would typically feature four down linemen, lending itself to talent that thrives in 4-3 base personnel. Evero is also known for making adjustments to fit his personnel, as he believes the scheme should start with the players.
If Carolina adapts to his 3-4 looks, the Panthers don’t really have a lot of moving and shaking to do to accommodate that scheme.
Heading into the offseason — even if the Panthers stay primarily a 4-3 defense — the front office would have had holes to fill at edge, defensive tackle, off-the-ball linebacker, cornerback and safety. The Panthers have a nice foundation of talent with Brian Burns, Jeremy Chinn, Derrick Brown and Jaycee Horn, but the unit is far from complete or elite.
The Panthers have quite a few free agents on defense, but with the current group under contract, they still have plenty of 3-4-capable players. Burns, Chinn, Brown, Horn, Donte Jackson, C.J. Henderson, Xavier Woods, Frankie Luvu, Amare Barno, Marquis Haynes, Marquan McCall and Brandon Smith could all benefit from a 3-4 scheme with Cover 2 principles.
With the current group, a starting 3-4 front could look like this:
- DE: Derrick Brown
- NT: Marquan McCall
- DE: Yetur Gross-Matos
- EDGE (weakside): Brian Burns
- ILB: Jeremy Chinn
- ILB: Shaq Thompson
- SAM: Frankie Luvu
While Gross-Matos isn’t a great fit for a “5-technique” position, and Thompson has an up-in-the-air status due to his contract, the Panthers at least have some pieces in place to transition to a 3-4 front, if they so choose to adapt to Evero’s preferred scheme.
@im_jaylon on Twitter asks: Do you think the Panthers will stay true to what owner David Tepper said and pull the ‘best of the best’ assistants from teams across the league regardless of if they have a connection to Reich or not?
Tepper and Reich stayed true to their words with the hiring of Evero. While Reich and Evero have had similar co-workers during their respective NFL coaching careers, the two have never worked together.
Evero is seen as an ascending defensive play-caller. He is also one of a very limited bunch to interview for every head coach opening this offseason. Evero isn’t Reich’s friend or longtime confidante. Evero is an individual — and an successful one at that — which shows that Reich and Tepper will not leave a stone unturned in building this staff.
Reich has never worked with special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, nor offensive line coach James Campen. However, as The Observer has reported, both coaches will be retained by Reich after having huge success in Carolina last season. Tabor and Campen have connections to Reich, but, again, these are new relationships with little background. Tabor and Campen were retained as proven entities, not because they were pals with Reich.
And while The Observer has confirmed that former Eagles and Lions running backs coach Duce Staley will join Reich’s staff, Staley is more than just a Reich buddy, as well.
Staley has worked with Andy Reid, Chip Kelly, Doug Pederson and Dan Campbell and developed the likes of LeSean McCoy, Miles Sanders and D’Andre Swift during his time as an assistant coach. He’s a logical hire, even if he does have familiarity with Reich.
The Panthers have gotten off to a nice start with sticking to Tepper’s words. But, there’s obviously a long way to go, and head coaches tend to lean on familiarity with position coaches by nature. With an offensive coordinator vacancy and several other openings, only time will tell if Tepper and Reich stick to their talking points in their actions.
@vorbis on Twitter asks: What do you think the timeline will be for the Panthers deciding whether to trade up (presumably for a QB)? Grab the pick early like Philly did (in 2016) with (Carson) Wentz, or wait until the draft to see how the QBs grade out league-wide?
Fortune favors the bold, Vorbis.
Typically, a proactive bidder can get a better deal because variables haven’t completely developed ahead of the negotiation. Eagles GM Howie Roseman, as you mentioned, is very good at understanding that being the aggressor in a trade can put a negotiator in the “leverage driver’s seat.”
The hot sentiment with draft trades — especially with quarterbacks — has been to get a jump on the market by avoiding a deadline for the negotiation. Discussions at the NFL Combine and NFL owners meetings prior to the draft typically help get deals done fairly early.
Following the combine, most teams have the information they need to make an informed move up the board, and trades like the one the Eagles made in 2016 — the Rams actually traded up before them to get the rights to Jared Goff — are becoming commonplace.
If the Panthers feel like Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud or Alabama’s Bryce Young or even Kentucky’s Will Levis is their top guy — and they feel like there is a major separation in fit and upside with the remaining group — they should trade up to a point that helps them nab their desired quarterback.
The Eagles traded up to No. 2 in 2016 because they liked both Goff and Wentz. With that in mind, if the Panthers like all three top quarterback prospects, they may be more inclined to trade up to No. 3, as opposed to No. 1, for a more affordable deal.
The trick with these sort of monster deals is that a front office doesn’t want to be up against the clock.
The difference between selecting a potential franchise quarterback and a potential franchise-killing bust can come down to getting a deal done, and a team doesn’t want to lose all of its leverage because of a timer. That’s how mistakes are made.
For example, the Chicago Bears moved up from No. 3 to No. 2 to select Mitchell Trubisky, and gave up three mid-round picks (two third-rounders and a fourth) to do so. Trubisky turned out to be a poor pick in Chicago, and that failure was compounded by the price the Bears paid to pick him.
Essentially, the Panthers should figure out their board and their desire for a quarterback before the draft begins. If they can get a jump-start on the selection process, they’ll be less likely to make mistakes and/or miss out on their top guy. Plus, the price will probably be less scrutinized.
@CoachMikeJG on Twitter asks: Is it worth getting Derek Carr in and letting (Matt) Corral learn behind him? Or with the finances in getting Carr would that be lunacy?
Carr’s potential acquisition should have absolutely nothing to do with Corral, who missed his entire rookie season with a Lisfranc injury. While Corral — a third-round pick — should get an opportunity to prove himself, the Panthers can’t rest on his potential, especially with a new coaching staff in place.
With regard to Carr’s finances, it’ll largely depend on how he is acquired from the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Charlotte Observer has polled several league sources about Carr’s availability. The majority of that group felt it would be very hard for the Raiders to trade Carr, as he has a no-trade clause and a ticking time bomb of a contract guarantee set for Feb. 15.
On that date — three days after the Super Bowl and nearly a month before the start of the new league year — Carr will have around $40 million fully guaranteed to contract. That deadline puts the Raiders in a bind, because not only do they have to find a taker for Carr, but they also need to land compensation worthy of the quarterback. And Carr can veto any deal that he feels uncomfortable with.
Ultimately, the chances of Carr being traded are unlikely. If he gets released in mid-February, he will become a free agent, which would put him in a great negotiating leverage point. A bidding war for Carr would likely feature a handful of teams, and force a strong payday for the veteran. However, a new contract would allow for a very palatable structure for the acquiring team, who could spread out signing bonuses throughout the length of the deal.
For the Panthers, it’ll likely come down to price with Carr. While they would probably prefer to develop a long-term answer out of the draft, Carolina’s front office should at least inquire about Carr’s price as a free agent. If the price is too high, they’ll move on. If it’s a doable number, the Panthers could join the fray.
Still, it’s more likely Reich and company go the youth route, as that allows for better pieces elsewhere on the roster over the next three to four years.
This story was originally published February 6, 2023 at 1:50 PM.
