The Carolina Panthers' defense waved the white flag of surrender from start to finish last season. Their returning talisman is eager to ensure this doesn't become the norm moving forward.
Derrick Brown missed all but one game of the 2024 campaign through injury. Losing the former first-round to a knee complication represented a body blow that Ejiro Evero's unit couldn't recover from. Even so, nobody anticipated the level of ineptitude that followed.
The Panthers gave up more than 3,000 rushing yards at 179.8 per game. They conceded the most single-season points in NFL history. It was an embarrassment that left Dan Morgan with no option other than to give the defense a substantial makeover with every available resource.
Big money was spent on the defensive trenches. Tre'von Moehrig is a big addition to the safety room. Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson Sr. got lucrative extensions to continue their cornerback partnership. Patrick Jones II gives the edge-rushing options some extra vigor, but more is needed.
Derrick Brown demands improvement from Carolina Panthers' defense in 2025
With the promise of more defensive reinforcements coming via the 2025 NFL Draft, everything is in place to improve. But nothing is more important than Brown coming back to full health.
And his expectations couldn't be clearer.
"Man, we take it as a challenge. Nobody wants to finish last in defense in the NFL. It's not a very nice trophy to hang on the wall there, but it's one that, it is what it is. So now, I mean, we've got to go out there, we've got to execute, we've got to get back to doing what we do. We brought in a lot of great guys. I'm excited, you know. Especially missing last year and then being able to bring in guys right now, that's going to help us, help this team, and help this franchise. I'm excited to get in the fire with those guys, build those relationships, and see where it goes from there."Derrick Brown via Panthers.com
That's called laying down the gauntlet. The subpar standards of last season won't be tolerated by Brown, who's an unassuming leadership presence who sets the tone by example. If others aren't pulling their weight, he'll let them know about it.
This is the sort of mindset that was sorely lacking without Brown in the lineup. The Panthers lacked quality and motivation last season as things spiraled out of control. That's a dangerous combination that opposing offenses exploited at will.
The new additions should help greatly. If they all hit the ground running, the Panthers should be more competitive. If the offense builds on an encouraging second half of 2024, a winning record and potential NFC South title challenge might not be too far behind.
Brown will be at the forefront of everything good defensively. He's the beating heart of Carolina's defense as one of the league's best interior forces. One only has to look at how much he was missed during his long absence to see that.
Everything is looking up. Brown is ready to go for Carolina's offseason program, and he's laid down a marker early regarding his expectations in 2025.
His teammates must respond accordingly.