5 Carolina Panthers on the hot seat ahead of Week 2 at NY Giants
By Dean Jones
Damien Wilson – Carolina Panthers LB
It’s been a torrid spell at the middle linebacker position since the great Luke Kuechly walked away from the game due to health concerns after the 2019 campaign. The Carolina Panthers haven’t found the right formula to solve this ongoing complication, which reared its ugly head once again in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns.
Damien Wilson arrived in free agency from the Jacksonville Jaguars and earned the start despite some significant concerns surrounding an off-season arrest. However, the former Super Bowl winner did nothing to suggest he’ll be an upgrade on Jermaine Carter based on his first outing.
Wilson was lackluster almost from start to finish. His gap discipline against the run was not up to the required standard and his flaws in coverage were there for all to see.
This represents a real problem for the Panthers. If Wilson puts up a similar performance at the New York Giants, it might be time for those in power to cut their latest second-level experiment short.
Carolina has Pro Bowler Cory Littleton to potentially come in. The coaching staff might also bring rookie Brandon Smith along far quicker than anticipated in the event Wilson struggles for a second-straight week.