Panthers: Eric Washington should give defense an edge
Eric Washington should bring continued aggression to the Carolina Panthers defense in his new role as defensive coordinator.
It is usually a team’s worst nightmare: A coordinator who has had success at their position leaves to take a gig with another team. That scenario happened to the Carolina Panthers in January.
Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks left the Panthers to become the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. However in the Panthers’ case, the nightmare scenario mentioned above may have been anything but.
Defensive line coach Eric Washington was promoted to the position following Wilks’ departure. If nothing else, it is safe to say the Carolina Panthers and their defense will remain in good hands.
Holding the title of Panthers defensive line coach for the past seven campaigns, the team’s explosive defensive line has tallied 219 sacks—the most by any team in the National Football League during that span. However, they have been far from one-dimensional during Washington’s tenure. They have also excelled at stopping the run. Carolina has ranked in the top six in run defense four out of the past six seasons. Their best ranking to this point was at No. 2 in the 2013 campaign.
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Defense has become a source of strength for the Panthers over the past couple of seasons. With players such as Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis holding down the fort consistently over the past couple seasons, it is easy to see why. Coupling those two with a corner like Josh Norman, it was noticeable how much easier Norman’s job was. When Norman was here, those two along with the rest of the line were able to sustain pressure and get to the quarterback, rushing throws and giving Norman a chance to play the ball. Oftentimes, Norman got the night off depending on how aggressive the line was.
Now, that same aggressive mentality is coming to the entire defense. At the end of the day, we are probably going to see similarities in terms of the type of pressure the defense will bring. I think due to the fact that Washington has been coaching the defensive line for a number of years now, we will see an in-sync unit. That is something that is generally out of the ordinary for a “new” coordinator. Washington is not new. He has been around the block and with these players consistently. That has great potential to lead to a smooth transition.
Panthers fans, be excited about Washington. He will take the play of the defense up a few notches. Considering the unit already plays with a high motor, the possibilities are endless.