How will coaching st the 2021 Senior Bowl benefit the Carolina Panthers?
We are now fast approaching a critical period of the offseason for teams looking to bolster their rosters with the right sort of college recruits. The Carolina Panthers managed to strike big on the majority of their 2020 NFL Draft selections and they are set to get a major boost in the planning period this time around.
It was announced on Monday morning that the Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins will be coaching at the 2021 Senior Bowl, which takes on extra importance this year due to the uncertainty surrounding the NFL Scouting Combine due to COVID-19. Head coach Matt Rhule will already know plenty about the prospects entering the league from his time at Baylor. But this is a fantastic opportunity the organization cannot let pass them by.
Rhule himself stated that it was a meeting with Derrick Brown at the 2020 Senior Bowl that convinced him that he was the man for Carolina at No. 7 overall. This decision was worth its weight his gold, with the defensive tackle making an eye-catching transition to the next level during his rookie campaign.
Working with some of the top players coming out of the college ranks this year is a big benefit to have. It is always a fantastic and insightful occasion for anybody that’s involved, and although the prospect in the current climate put off many teams, Rhule made no secret of his desire to be involved.
Given the head coach’s statement regarding how important this offseason is for the Panthers, this represents a real shot in the arm.
The Senior Bowl coaching benefits
There’s only so much any coach or scout can find out about a prospect from watching gameday film. Delving deeper into a certain individual’s passions and characteristics can only come from interviews or working with them on a daily basis, which is exactly why the Carolina Panthers have a head start on other teams in the league by coaching in the 2021 Senior Bowl.
As stated previously, Matt Rhule is no stranger to most college players taking their chances at the next level this year. He is just one year removed from leading a prestigious program such as Baylor back to prominence and this prior experience served the Panthers extremely well with their historic all-defense draft last time out.
Getting up close and personal with potential recruits, seeing what makes them tick, and witnessing first hand how they apply themselves during practice is going to be invaluable.
Carolina’s coaching staff will already have some sort of plan in place regarding what areas of the field need to take priority during both free agency and the draft, although the prospect of a new general manager being in place by the time both roll around might throw a spanner in the works plan-wise.
That being said, the Panthers will take a tremendous amount from this coaching experience and it is something that might make all the difference when it’s time for them to pick their class of 2021.
Will there be any complications?
Given how concerning the COVID-19 situation still is across the country, this is a calculated risk from Matt Rhule. The Carolina Panthers were better than most when it came to being ultra-cautious during the campaign, with only a team gathering away from their facility during the bye week bringing any major complications regarding infection within the franchise.
No doubt Rhule weighed the pros and cons of coaching in such an environment. Practices might look a little different and the potential of meeting prospects face-to-face away from coaching could be restricted.
That is why it’s so important.
There could also be some problems if David Tepper hasn’t hired a general manager by this point. The owner has clearly given Rhule plenty of control, but if the incoming appointment isn’t part of the early plans then it is going to come with some serious complications down the line.
However, the positives far outweigh the negatives for both Rhule and the Panthers. Opportunities such as this don’t come around any day and it could play a substantial role in which direction Carolina goes with their selections if certain players catch the eye first-hand.
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It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the stakes are high for the Panthers this offseason and what comes next in terms of recruitment is going to be key.