Loser No. 2
Ejiro Evero - Carolina Panthers DC
Ejiro Evero is coming under increased fire.
The Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator's stubbornness and unwillingness to alter his 3-4 base scheme remains a constant source of frustration among the fanbase. His unit is encountering the same complications weekly. Evero was outcoached once again against the Dallas Cowboys.
Teams have figured out the best way to attack the Panthers. They are scheming their top receiving threats away from Jaycee Horn. They know he is the best shutdown option at their disposal and the talent elsewhere significantly diminishes after that. It's a conundrum that Evero hasn't been able to solve.
Some fans are already calling for change during the offseason. Evero had more problems with injuries across his group this season, but the schematic concepts and in-game adjustments need to be altered. That much is abundantly clear.
It'll be interesting to see how the Panthers approach this matter. Evero will probably get head coaching interest when the hiring cycle commences. If he doesn't get a promotion elsewhere, head coach Dave Canales must think long and hard about whether changes are needed on the defensive side of things this offseason.
Loser No. 3
Jordan Fuller - Carolina Panthers S
The Panthers' decision to bring Jordan Fuller into the fold this offseason hasn't paid off. He's suffered injury problems and looked sluggish after coming back into the lineup. The safety's performance against the Cowboys left a lot to be desired.
It wasn't easy for Fuller. The Panthers, for some unknown reason, had the safety lining up against CeeDee Lamb during the first half. That led to an inevitable outcome and the defensive back couldn't recover effectively.
Fuller's struggles against the pass have been well-documented this season. His 48.8 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus ranks 131st out of 156 qualifying safeties around the league. He's become a weak link that opposing offenses exploit freely. That's the bottom line.
The Panthers need to think differently on the backend during the offseason. Their current starting duo of Fuller and Xavier Woods are both out of contract. There will never be a better time to hit the reset button as part of general manager Dan Morgan's long-term ambitions for sustained growth.