4 Carolina Panthers key to C.J. Henderson’s success following trade
By Dean Jones
Phil Snow – Carolina Panthers DC
It might be Evan Cooper that works the closest with C.J. Henderson, but defensive coordinator Phil Snow will also have a pretty strong influence in which direction the cornerback’s career goes with the Carolina Panthers.
Snow has made a significant impression through Week 3 of the 2021 season, turning a young and athletic group of players into the NFL’s best defense.
Of course, there are bigger challenges upcoming – starting with the Dallas Cowboys and their high-octane offense in Week 4 – and this task only gets steeper thanks to the absence of Jaycee Horn and Juston Burris from the secondary.
It’ll have to be a quick judgment on Henderson, who the Panthers are hoping can play some part at AT&T Stadium on Sunday despite the fact he’s dealing with a slight groin problem.
The respected figure is a solid talent evaluator and was high on Henderson coming out of college before Carolina got lucky when Derrick Brown fell into their laps at No. 7 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Athleticism is everything on this defense. Although the second-year-pro hasn’t reached the level expected as yet, that could change in Carolina if Snow deploys him correctly.
If Henderson wants it bad enough, then it’s hard to envisage a situation where he falls flat on his face with the Panthers under Snow’s guidance.