Carolina Panthers: The one great thing Tahir Whitehead brings to franchise
As the Carolina Panthers prepare for the upcoming season, newly acquired linebacker Tahir Whitehead is ready to help them win more games. The one great thing he brings to the table will be vital in 2020.
When news broke out that star linebacker Luke Kuechly was going to suddenly retire, it was a huge blow to the Carolina Panthers. Gone was their fearless leader on defense as there would undoubtedly be a huge void to fill in the positional group heading into the offseason.
It’s not easy to admit but yes, the Panthers are indeed rebuilding now for a better future. It might take another year or two, heck, maybe even three years from now to hopefully see a contending team but it won’t be easy. General manager Marty Hurney has a tall task ahead to start rebuilding the roster from the bottom up the right way and by the looks of it, he might have found a suitable replacement for No. 59.
The Panthers came to terms with free agent linebacker Tahir Whitehead on a simple one-year deal to try and accomplish that. Not only will it help bring in a decent replacement for Kuechly, but it gives Whitehead an opportunity to showcase his veteran experience on a young team looking to grow.
Tahir Whitehead brings leadership to the Carolina Panthers
So far in his career, Whitehead has been known as a strong, fast, and pretty much a human tackling machine. He’s totaled 633 tackles, three sacks, and has a plethora of starting experience. Above all else, it’s fantastic to see the one great thing he immediately brings to the franchise upon arrival, leadership.
In an article written by David Newton of ESPN, here’s what Whitehead thought about the idea of actually playing alongside Kuechly and how he would have fit in regardless:
"“I would have loved to even played with him,” Whitehead said of Kuechly. “That’s one of the guys I’ve admired from afar. I’m just trying to get in where I fit in, offer the leadership that I’ll be able to bring to the table.”"
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In the grand scheme of things, this is exactly what the Panthers need as they start a full rebuild. Leadership will be crucial for not only the development of young players in the locker room but to set the standard to deliver high-quality, winning football consistently.
Bringing in veterans like Whitehead and his eight years of NFL experience will be another voice to help prepare the locker room to handle all the ups and downs of a regular season.
It’s not easy to have a successful rebuild but one thing is for certain in that bringing in players that exhibit leadership on the gridiron and in the locker room helps get a new culture brewing.
A new culture in that losing is not acceptable and players, regardless of position or status, are always held accountable for their actions. One better believe Whitehead is all about that based on his years with the Detroit Lions and Las Vegas Raiders as he prepares for life as a Panther.
Overall, this will more than likely prove Hurney made a great decision here bringing Whitehead into the mix. Filling up the locker room with players of his caliber is exactly what this franchise needs to get back on track sooner rather than later.