Thinking back to the heyday of Carolina Panthers football, one thing tends to stand out: a stout defense that kept games close or even dominated them at points. The days of Luke Kuechly and Julius Peppers — two of the brightest stars in franchise history — are long gone.
But could they return?
The short answer to that question is, maybe? There is a lot that goes into that idea and possibility.
However, the biggest question is, will Ejiro Evero be able to lead this unit effectively?
While it is easy to look at the struggles of the defensive line and the linebacker core or blame the coaching staff or scheme for these shortcomings, when you zoom in a bit, you can see just why this occurred.
The loss of Derrick Brown early on was just as the young lineman was turning into a superstar. Yet another season-ending injury to team leader Shaq Thompson. Add to this the other injuries that took place, and you can make an argument that Evero did what he could with the options available.
However, that is not the full story.
The NFL is a team game at its core. While losing a couple of star players certainly does not help, it also should not completely cripple a team. There was little to no investment in the defense over the last few seasons, and this contributed somewhat, but the coordinator should be able to adjust when things aren't going well.
Shy Tuttle filling the center of Evero's 3-4 scheme was an ill-advised call. But it goes deeper than that.
Ejiro Evero must improve Carolina Panthers defense or risk losing his job
The team was not built to compete on defense, which is incredibly odd given the choice of a defensive-minded general manager. Players like Dane Jackson, Jordan Fuller, Xavier Woods, Charles Harris, and Caleb Farley never panned out as hoped. That list, mostly being made up of starters, is more than mildly concerning.
Even when you consider that Farley and Harris were more reclamation projects than true starting caliber players, it is something to think about. You cannot build an entire defense on hope. Especially on a team with very real injury concerns.
Dan Morgan rightfully prioritized the defense this offseason, spending money in free agency and finding college prospects capable of filling roles. This means it's the final chance for Evero to prove his worth as a coordinator.
At a certain point, the excuse of picking up the pieces after injuries wears thin. Even the best teams have to make up for key players missing time. Just look at the Philadelphia Eagles winning the Super Bowl with a backup quarterback in Nick Foles.
Are the Panthers as complete a team as that Eagles squad? Not even close. However, the point still stands.
The team should not even be nearly as inept on defense as they are. Especially now that the Panthers have some real potential to be amazing on that side of the ball this season.
If Brown can come back strong and the additions of Christian Rozeboom and Tre'Von Moehrig help to solidify the defense behind him, it should be a rather potent unit. Building upon the resurgence once Josey Jewell returned and the younger players thrust into starting roles started to hit their strides is crucial.
But if it is another year of middling performance bordering on ineptitude, there could be a change of leadership.
Evero had every opportunity to build this team in his image, and it has yet to pay off. Fans can only hope that this season is different because quarterback Bryce Young cannot lead without a little help from the other side.