Carolina Panthers: Eric Reid seems ready to be defensive leader

This would be a great development for the Carolina Panthers.

The Carolina Panthers are going to have a very talented defense next year, and one of the players who figures to be very much a part of the defensive unit is Eric Reid. After joining the team in mid-season last year, Reid is now looking to make an impact in his first full year as a member of the Carolina Panthers.

After struggling in the early going, Reid performed well. He gave us a glimpse of what he could do on the field and he also showed he could be a very capable member of the Carolina defensive unit. Now, he needs to be able to put it all together. On the year for Carolina, he had 71 tackles, the most he’s had since 2015 as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. He would certainly like to repeat that performance as Carolina undergoes changes defensively.

More from Cat Crave

This training camp is crucial for him just so he can get a full grasp on the defense. I’m not saying that he didn’t have a full grasp last year, but now he will know what he is doing more clearly at the beginning of the season. That would certainly be big for Carolina.

Right now, the defensive unit is looking pretty strong, particularly on the line. However, the Panthers definitely need somebody that can lock down the safety position and come down and make a big play. Reid he can do that. He made the Pro Bowl as a member of the San Francisco 49ers in 2013.

In his camp observations, on Friday, Max Henson of Panthers.com had high praise for Reid. From what it sounds like, he has begun to understand the defense a little better. When talking about veteran players on this defensive unit, he is certainly a name that should be considered. He is talented and versatile, always seeming to be where the football is. As Henson wrote, this has led him to become a leader on the defensive side of the ball.

"Safety Eric Reid has shown great command of the defense. He’s getting everything organized in the back end, and with second-year safety Rashaan Gaulden still finding his footing, Reid has helped him along – in addition to making his own plays on the ball."

If he can make himself and players around him better, I would consider that very successful. I will be interested to see how he performs in the preseason. He certainly is not going to lose his spot on the defense, but it will be interesting to see what a full couple months with this defensive system does for him. I would expected to yield great results.

If Reid can get back to his Pro Bowl self, the Carolina Panthers defense will be even stronger. They need him to be a mentor more than anything, as there is a lot of youth on that side of the football. One thing is for certain, he will certainly be ready to play.

Home/Carolina Panthers News