What can the Panthers expect from new CB Rasul Douglas?
The Carolina Panthers have claimed former third-round draft pick, cornerback Rasul Douglas, off waivers.
The weakest part of the Carolina Panthers defense has been somewhat addressed through waivers. The team has claimed the former West Virginia cornerback Rasul Douglas after he was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Douglas was a third-round draft pick by the Eagles back in 2017. While he may have failed to live up to expectations in Philadelphia he provides great depth to a position that the Panthers have struggled at throughout training camp.
The player appeared in all 16 games last season for the Eagles and started six of them. His best season came in 2018 when he started seven games and had three interceptions. He is not a fast defensive back by any means but he makes up for it with his 6-foot-2 frame and long arms.
Donte Jackson is locked into the No. 1 corner spot for the Panthers but the position gets a lot murkier after that. Carolina brought in Eli Apple via free agency before camp started but he was unable to make much of an impact due to an injury. The team also drafted Troy Pride Jr. in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
How the CB depth chart will shake out on the Carolina Panthers
Apple figures to be the starter opposite Jackson for most of the year as Pride Jr. learns the ropes his rookie season. But adding Douglas to the mix could really help the secondary out in a big way.
Douglas is by far the biggest cornerback on the Panthers’ current roster. This is something that could definitely come in handy considering the division that Carolina plays in.
The NFC South features some of the biggest and best wide receivers in the entire league. Mike Evans (Buccaneers), Michael Thomas (Saints), and Julio Jones (Falcons) all stand 6-foot-3 or taller. The Panthers have to play six out of their 16 games against these giant playmakers.
Douglas could make an immediate impact if he could help cover the bigger pass-catchers that the Panthers will run into this season. This will also take a lot of pressure off of Carolina’s safeties.
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It is a good sign that GM Marty Hurney and head coach Matt Rhule were able to address the team’s biggest need. It shows that they truly are committed to making the team the best that it can be even when most fans and experts assume that the Panthers are in a rebuilding situation.