4 things Carolina Panthers fans are hoping for in the New Year
By Dean Jones
Big 3rd-year leap for Carolina Panthers quartet
Another way the Carolina Panthers can make further progress in the New Year is by seeing significant leaps from a quartet that came into the league with huge expectations on their shoulders. All four players occupy positions on the defensive side of the football and if they can reach additional heights, the better the team’s chances will be.
Derrick Brown gets more criticism than he deserves. The defensive tackle was selected No. 7 overall out of Auburn after a phenomenal college career, but even though he might not have reached Pro Bowl level just yet, it doesn’t look far away providing further development comes this offseason.
The same applies for Yetur Gross-Matos, who has come on leaps and bounds over the second half of the season and Matt Rhule is expecting big things from the former Penn State sensation moving forward. This is a fantastic confidence boost for the defensive end after suffering some complications with injuries during his brief career to date.
If Jeremy Chinn can also make a third-year leap, then a potential All-Pro berth could be coming his way. The safety has the world at his feet, putting together two 100-tackle campaigns and emerging as a focal point on defense in no time at all.
The one big doubt stems from a trade made by the Panthers during the season. C.J. Henderson’s switch from the Jacksonville Jaguars has come with mixed success so far, but an offseason to fully acclimatize and regain focus could be the making of him.