Panthers Make Some Crucial Changes

As expected, Julius Peppers was a no-show yesterday as the Carolina Panthers kicked off their annual OTAs. The team still expects Peppers to return for training camp in the fall, yet the Panthers are still taking the precautionary steps to making sure his position is covered should he be traded in a last-minute deal. There have already been several changes take place during the offseason for Carolina, and yesterday’s OTA showed just how much things are going to change for this NFC superpower before the start of the regular season.

Most of the focus for the offseason with the Panthers is in the team’s defense, as there has been a stir of movement there since last season. The team’s new defensive coordinator Ron Meeks is the biggest change the Panthers have seen in terms of defense, and it’s back to the building blocks for the tough Carolina defense. Offensive tackle Jordan Gross made a comment after yesterday’s practice about the defense, saying, “Right now it’s making our lives easy (on offense) because they are running pretty simple stuff. In the past our defense ran everything you could think of and that made it tough. But it’s letting the players play and we have some great athletes on defense and some hard-nosed players and I think it’s going to let them do what they do and make plays on their own without out-tricking anybody. I know we have a lot to see from defense yet but I know the defensive guys are excited about (the new system).”

Other changes seen this week with the Panthers were the additions of cornerback Reggie Sullivan and safety Paul Chara, who both signed with the Panthers yesterday.

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