Carolina Panthers: Pressure now shifts to Rashaan Gaulden
With the release of Da’Norris Searcy, Gaulden is next man up for Carolina Panthers.
The Carolina Panthers made a few roster moves on Monday, and one of them was particularly of note. Safety Da’Norris Searcy, who was signed by the Panthers last off-season was released from the team.
Searcy had tremendous potential. However, he could just not stay away from the injuries. He played in just two contests last season, before a concussion sent him on injured reserve for the rest of the season. I thought he would be a key part of the secondary, and had it not been for those injuries, he probably would have.
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What does this mean for the team moving forward? For one, this now means that Rashaan Gaulden, who was taken in the third round of the draft last year, is the go-to-guy. At the end of the day, even if he is not necessarily the go-to-guy, the Panthers should be expecting a lot out of him the season. They need to, as now the depth at the safety position is very slim. Gaulden recorded 17 tackles last year, and had three games where he totaled at least three tackles.
He really shined in the team’s season finale against the New Orleans Saints on December 30. In that contest, he tallied three tackles and a pass deflection, as that was a game where the coaching staff could see what additional depth they had on the roster. Now, he looks to head into his second year with a bigger opportunity to prove himself. It will be interesting to see if he is up for the task, and he certainly has the talent to do so.
Due to the fact that we don’t know what we’re going to see from Gaulden, and the fact that Searcy was a veteran player, this release is certainly a roll of the dice. Although he had trouble staying healthy, Searcy could have at least provided veteran leadership at the position. However, I also give the organization credit for sticking with their players and allowing Gaulden the opportunity to be able to shine. Now, the pressure shifts to him. It is a bit of a difficult situation, but I think he can handle it.
It will be interesting to see if the Carolina Panthers make any additional moves to add depth to the safety spot. It is a position I will certainly be watching. Especially during training camp, that is when we can truly see what the Panthers have at the position. Right now, it certainly looks like a position that is going to need some development.