Carolina Panthers: 3 Offseason storylines to watch for 2019

Last year was not an ideal year on the defensive side of the football. It was evident there was a lot of miscommunication, and first-year defensive coordinator Eric Washington struggled. However, now in his second year at the position, he has a chance to redeem himself.

There is no shortage of veteran talent on that side of the football. With the departures of Thomas Davis and Julius Peppers, there will be some holes. Luckily, Washington has an explosive player in Brian Burns to work with. It will be fun to watch those to work together as Burns certainly has the skill set to be one of the best defensive players in the National Football League.

The fact that Ron Rivera is calling plays is intriguing. However, Washington will probably call different schemes and give Rivera ideas on how to attack an offense. It will be interesting to see how those two work together, and if Washington can find a little bit more success with less on his plate. I expect better results this coming season, and that starts with preparation in the offseason. How the defense plays during training camp will be very telling as to how they play the rest of the way. Obviously, some parts will be mixed and matched, but we should get a good idea of what to expect during camp.